Babalwa Ngonyama, founder and CEO of Sinayo Securities a majority-black female-owned member of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange has two decades of experience in the financial services sector. The acclaimed CEO is also the founding presidentof the African Women Chartered Accountants (AWCA), an organization whose key aim is to accelerate the development of black female Chartered Accountants.  Babalwa also leadsthe “Project Funda” development program which fast tracks the meaningful participation of young professionalsin our economy.Born in the Eastern Cape, she is the first woman Chair of the Council of the University of Cape Town.

Board member of Aspen Limited and chairs its audit committee. Lead Independent Director on both the Hollard Life and Insurance boards and chairs its risk committees. Her roles at Aspen are proof of her ability to strategically face challenges head-on and work closely with management to navigate businesses out of complex situations. She plays a central role in assisting Hollard tackle the challenges brought on by their technology-driven competitors and translating these into opportunities.As a formerlead independent director at Implats Ltd, Ngonyama has represented the company in numerous high-level stakeholder discussions and her strong networks have proven valuable in moving the company forward.

In 2021, Babalwa established the Babalwa Ngonyama Foundation. The foundation is committed to positively impacting the social and economic lives of communities and individuals, by assisting them to face their challenges and providing financial support, networking, and mentoring as well as creating a safe space for individuals and communities to build a support system.

Babalwa’s philosophy is centered around developing as she leads and drives awareness around the value of women in business and society at large. She believes that when you empower women, you empower a community and thus the nation. That there are no boundaries to what women can accomplish because we are the masters of our own destiny.