The future is female, says Nelson Mandela Business Chamber CEO

Nomkhita Mona is the CEO of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, one of the largest voluntary business associations in the Eastern Cape, with a membership base of about 700 companies. She has been with the organisation for about two-and-a-half years.

Mona has held various leadership positions, including group CEO of the SA Forestry Company, CEO of the UDDI, associate consultant for an international consulting company, CEO of Inkezo Land Company in Durban, CEO of the Eastern Cape Tourism Board as well as registrar of the commission for conciliation, mediation and arbitration in Mpumalanga. 

Mona holds an MBA from Rhodes University, a masters in labour relations and human resources, an honours degree in industrial relations and a bachelor of arts (psychology and sociology) from the University of Port Elizabeth.

Under her visionary, innovative and entrepreneurial leadership, the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber has seen tremendous progress.  They have built mutually beneficial strategic, collaborative relationships with critical stakeholders benefiting the wider Nelson Mandela Bay region — locally, provincially, nationally and internationally.  

Collaboration with German development agency GIZ led to the development of a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) a stimulation  model (for the metro) for water supply for economic development. Catalytic economic projects were facilitated, including the Air Access project, setting up BayGrow — an investor one-stop-shop, as well as a research unit — delivering economic research output.  

The help desk was established to ease doing business — and has since resolved 102 reported matters. The work of the various business chamber task teams has been realigned and lobbying on matters such as water and electricity supply, SMME development and general service delivery continues.  

During the outbreak of Covid-19, Mona led the co-ordination of the business fraternity’s contribution of more than R100m. This contribution included a field hospital, revamping dilapidated hospital wards and equipment, and providing PPE, among other projects.

Mona serves as the Eastern Cape Parks & Tourism Agency chair, the Association of SA Chambers chair, and is on the board of the Wilderness Foundation (SA), and a member of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business School Advisory Board, Nelson Mandela University’s innovation hub eNtsa, Eastern Cape socio-economic consultative council and national consumer tribunal (HR governance committee).

Her vision is to leave a positive legacy and inspire others — especially women — to embrace their power to change the world. She firmly believes that the future is female.

For more information, call +27 (41) 373-1122, visit the www.nmbbusinesschamber.co.za or e-mail info@nmbbusinesschamber.co.za.

This article was paid for by the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber.

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