Business
Africa’s influential women participating in the continents’ growth
Ory Okolloh. Nationality: Kenyan
Kenyan-born activist, lawyer and blogger Ory Okolloh currently serves as Google’s Policy Manager for Africa.
The former Harvard University graduate studied law before founding Ushahidi, a crowd sourcing utility that enables citizen journalists and eyewitnesses all over the world to report incidences of violence via mobile, e-mail, SMS, and social media. The technology has since been syndicated internationally and adapted for other purposes.
Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi. Nationality: Namibian
Named in the Africa Report among the 50 most influential Africans, Zaamwani-Kamwi is a corporate heavyweight. She currently serves as Managing Director of Namdeb, a mining joint venture between the Government of Namibia and De Beers.
The former barrister has worked as an official in the Ministry of Mines and Energy and served as President of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) from 1995-1998. Appointed as CEO of Namdeb in 1999, Zaamwani-Kamwi weathered the storm in the global diamond market but returned the company to profit in 2011.
Nonkululeko Nyembezi-Heita. Nationality: South African
As the CEO of ArcelorMittal SA, Nonkululeko Nyembezi-Heita leads the South African branch of the global steel manufacturer, the largest producer of steel on the African continent with an annual production capacity of 7.8 million tons.
She has played a vital role in the success of the company, which reported revenue of R32 billion (US$ 3.5 billion) in 2012. She previously served as the Chief Officer of Mergers and Acquisitions for the Vodacom Group. Nyembezi-Heita is currently the Chairperson of the South African Iron and Steel Institute.
