Khanyisile Kweyama is dynamite in a petite package. She is the first black woman to be appointed Executive Director for South Africa at Anglo American, the world’s biggest platinum producer. She has also staked her claim in the mining sector as the current Vice President of the Chamber of Mines in South Africa, and has recently responded to the call to national duty, taking on a seconded role as the CEO of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA).
We meet Kweyama in the offices of CNBC Africa in Sandton in Johannesburg for a quick coffee and her thoughts on how she broke barriers to become a player in South African mining’s big boys’ club.
In 2014, when the country was in the throes of its longest and costliest strike in the platinum mining sector, Kweyama and her team were right at the front, desperately trying to put out the fire tearing into the country’s investment case.
She recalls the unusual phone call from Anglo’s global CEO, Cynthia Carroll, to confirm dinner arrangements in the midst of this storm. Although she expected her local insight would be sought to protect the company, its workers, and keep communication alive with the unions, she didn’t expect to leave dinner as the company’s Executive Director.
“As the Human Resources Executive, I thought I had a clear line of sight into the company’s succession pipeline. I didn’t see this coming,” she says.
Black empowerment in South Africa keeps a close tab on black appointments. Naysayers were quick to point out that hers was another window-dressing move on the part of the company.
“This is going to be an issue that women, and black women in particular, are going to have to take on boldly and without flinching. There is expectation for us to prove ourselves over and beyond our capabilities. Create your niche and outperform,” says Kweyama.
When she received the call to serve as the CEO of BUSA, she says the enormity of South Africa’s economic stagnation made her firm up her decision. She accepted.
As CEO, she has to bridge the yawning silence between business, government and other stakeholders.
“The country is stuck. We need to do something to move beyond the anemic growth phase we’re in. No one can do it alone.”
Her typical day includes meeting with union leaders, participating in ministerial and presidential deliberations, taking the lead on capturing the input of business, contributing to NEDLAC (the body tasked with finding a middle ground around South Africa’s labor tensions), and all the while, working at the chamber of mines with a broader team to reinvigorate life into a struggling industry.
Kweyama is accountable to a range of ministers. Her roles spill outside of the borders as BUSA also participates in regional and international fora in a myriad Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) initiatives that fight for better trade terms for the region and emerging markets.
For a woman comfortable juggling numerous roles and making decisions that impact on a range of organizations, she prefers the backseat at home.
“My husband is the boss at home. He’s a medical doctor and he lives in his own world. He too has significant industry challenges that he has taken a lead on but we try not to bring our corporate challenges home.”
If there ever was a prize for the strangest love story, Kweyama and Cyril would take it hands down.
It goes thus.
She had needed a flu shot and called on a friend to administer it. Unable to do so because she was in the salon having her hair done, her friend arranged for Kweyama to come to the salon, for the flu shot to be delivered, and for Cyril to administer it. That was the beginning of their love story.
Kweyama’s family is her biggest support. She is a mother to eight children, of which two are her biological offspring. She is also a spiritual mother to many through her church and community.
“Prayer keeps me going. I always pray for guidance and when I get stuck I have to remind Him that we haven’t come this far to be stopped by this nonsense. Show me how to surmount this hurdle.”
Luckily for Kweyama, her prayers seem to be helping.

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No Small Feat In The Big Boys’ Club

As the world gathered to mourn Nelson Mandela’s passing in early December, I reflected on the lessons I learned from the great man – humility, strength and a passion for South Africa and her people – and how they have affected and guided my professional path. This has been particularly poignant for me in my role as ‘curator of people’ of the various companies in which I have worked. People are at the heart of every business and in my career, I have strived to imbue the leadership principles espoused by Mandela – that good leaders collaborate openly, honestly and consistently with others in order to reach a common goal.
Mandela’s commitment to the creation of a non-racial and non-sexist democracy in South Africa has had a particularly strong impact on my career. Women across the world continue to fight for recognition, particularly in the corporate environment – and I am grateful for the leaders, who fought for freedom and those who fought to ensure that women were not excluded from the conversations surrounding equal rights for all. I am particularly proud to represent women in the mining industry through my positions as executive director of Anglo American in South Africa and vice president of the South African Chamber of Mines. My appointment as the first black female in the position of executive director of Anglo American is a credit to the company’s commitment to transformation and diversity in the workplace.
I took up my post at Anglo American on 1 September 2012, at an incredibly difficult time for the South African mining industry. I immediately had to take on a crisis management role, as Anglo American and South Africa at large grappled with the tragedy at Marikana and the rolling strike action across the mining industry. This difficult period spurred critical conversations about the role of mining in our society. It was a turning point for the industry as we realized that we needed to work harder to ensure that more people benefit from our country’s phenomenal natural resources. I am proud to be a part of a company that is committed to this goal.
My position as executive head of human resources at Anglo American Platinum (prior to taking up the executive director role) prepared me for the extremely difficult time in the aftermath of Marikana. However, I was able to improve relationships with unions, bring wage negotiations to a successful conclusion and build a cohesive and unified team. I value that time as I learned how to deal with difficult situations and to value my independence and unique point of view. These were lessons I started to learn from an early age, when my parents, particularly my father, strove to instill an attitude of independence in me and ensured that I received a good education.
Both through the lessons that I learned from my previous career choices, as well as a strong personal conviction, I have remained committed to working with Anglo American’s executive leadership team, as a member of the Group Management Committee (GMC), to drive the company’s extensive transformation and empowerment programs.
One of the core components of my role at Anglo American is the creation of a unified team across the disparate organization. I am lucky that I can engage with stakeholders from a diversity of backgrounds. While my responsibilities at Anglo American involve communicating with those of different mindsets, it is important to remember that ultimately we’re all working towards a common goal. It is about coming up with solutions, while keeping your eye on the bigger picture.
This skill was honed when I worked for the Consultative Business Movement, helping to build relationships between business leaders and politicians in South Africa pre-1994, when the National Party was talking to the African National Congress  for the first time. It was at this time that I was able to put to good use the lessons I learned throughout my upbringing regarding facilitating and finding solutions to difficult problems. I am proud to have contributed to the smooth progress of democracy in South Africa, and count my tenure there as one of my biggest personal achievements.
I am inspired by people who have a vision for what they do, and follow through with what they believe in, no matter what obstacles they meet. I am also inspired by other women in leadership positions such as Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the chairperson of the African Union Commission, who are role models not only to me but to many other younger women. I also take time to refresh internally, making sure to spend quality time with my family, and connect with our good Lord for strength and endurance.

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