Nosipho Siwisa-Damasane is an accomplished executive and trailblazer in the mining, business, and governance sectors. Widely recognized as a woman of many firsts, she broke barriers by becoming the first female Chief Executive of Richards Bay Coal Terminal, the largest coal export terminal in the world. With a career spanning over 25 years, she has held senior leadership roles in mining, logistics, and corporate governance, and serves on several boards across key industries.
Passionate about sustainable business practices and ethical leadership, Nosipho champions transformation, inclusivity, and the empowerment of women in male-dominated sectors. Her expertise lies in building resilient organizations, navigating complex stakeholder environments, and leading change at both operational and strategic levels. Known for her authenticity and vision, she is a sought-after keynote speaker who inspires audiences with her journey of breaking barriers, driving innovation, and shaping the future of business in Africa.
Nosipho Siwisa-Damasane is a force to be reckoned with. Described in Finding the Woman Within: How to thrive in a male dominated society as being a shatterer of glass ceilings and someone who rewrote the rules, she has won multiple awards which have honoured her work as CEO of a variety of highly recognised companies.
Nosipho Siwisa-Damasane was born in Peddie in the Eastern Cape South Africa where she grew up and then studied. She spent 10 years working for auditing firms (Aitken and Peat; now KPMG and Ernst and Young) where she finished her articles in auditing.
She then joined Transnet in 1998 as East London Port Manager as the first woman in this then male dominated role. Some of these awards are:
Nosipho started off her studies with an accounting degree. After she qualified, Nosipho spent several years in South Africa’s highly regarded auditing firms before turning her focus to port logistics.
Although her current career path is very male dominated, she has not let this stop her from achieving excellence. She is the current chairman of the Richards Bay Coal Terminal and is the first South African CEO of the Bombela Operating Company (Pty) Ltd which operates the Gautrain.
In addition to her work in logistics, Nosipho is a Global Motivational Speaker, being trained by Les Brown, as well as a John Maxwell-certified coach and mentor. She owns her own company through which she regularly gives motivational lectures.
Nosipho Siwisa-Damasane is high regarded among her peers, with many positive endorsements about her work and her as a person. Says Nikki Mbengashe, Chief Operating Officer at Woolworths Financial Services and Non-Executive Board Member of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation: “Nosipho is a true transformational leader who really lives up to the phrase ‘paying it forward’.
Her passion and genuine caring about others are some of the reasons I am where I am today. She is passionate about career development, especially that of other women.”
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In this talk, Nosipho Siwisa-Damasane reflects on her pioneering journey as the first woman to lead Richards Bay Coal Terminal and her broader career in mining, logistics, and governance. She shares lessons on resilience, ethical leadership, and building inclusive organizations in male-dominated industries. With authenticity and insight, she demonstrates how courage, vision, and values can transform challenges into opportunities.
00:00 – 01:30 – Introduction and background
01:30 – 04:00 – Breaking barriers in male-dominated industries
“It’s actually quite inspiring to know that young professionals can be in one room and listen to people who will be talking to them over the next two days about real industry experiences because that’s what they’re going to face as they grow in their careers. So I’m very proud of Mintech for sponsoring this and making sure that young professionals can talk and network so that they get to know themselves and each other because networking is a key thing.
Relationships are important as they grow in their careers. They must actually watch their careers and not rush their careers. They must learn as much as they can whilst they still can. They but must take all the advantages and the opportunities that come their way in terms of learning and training and development. It pays off later in their careers.”
00:00 – 00:45 – Young professionals & industry exposure
00:45 – 01:30 – Importance of networking & relationships
01:30 – 02:15 – Advice: don’t rush careers, grow steadily
02:15 – 03:00 – Take advantage of learning & development
03:00 – End – Closing encouragement for long-term growth
A: Leadership in mining and business, transformation and diversity, governance, ethical leadership, and building resilient organizations.
A: Yes, Nosipho speaks both locally in South Africa and at international conferences.
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