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Chichi is inspired by the spirit of her mom and by the women of South Africa who are making a differenceShe stepped out of the shadow of the famous Maponya clan and established herself as a business icon in her own right. This was confirmed last year when she won the entrepreneurial category of the 2008 BWA Businesswoman of the Year Awards.
She joins previous winners Renee Silverstone, Thoko Mokgosi-Mwantembe, Nicky Newton-King, Maria Ramos, Gloria Serobe and, most notably, her mother.
In 1982, the late Marina Maponya was named Businesswoman of the Year and by following in her footsteps, Chichi made history by becoming the first daughter of a previous recipient to scoop the prestigious award.
Since its inception in 1980, this award has honoured the country’s top corporate and entrepreneurial women. These women are successful, influential and a leading light in South African business. They are role models and mentors who make significant and positive contributions to their organisations and the community in which they live and work.
Looked up to today by other women, Chichi herself had two great role models, and when accepting her award, she paid tribute to her father, Richard. “In the 1950s, Jenna Clifford’s husband came up to my dad – who was a guy from the township – and told him that he looked up to him.
“He said that if my dad could make it while being black and suppressed, how much more could he – as a white, privileged man – achieve?”
Chichi added that she is inspired by the spirit of her mom and by the women of South Africa, who “are making a difference in our country”.
Soweto can indeed be proud that the Maponya clan, which has such deep roots in the bustling township, has produced yet another business leader.
Chichi is the managing director of the Maponya Group and also acts as personal assistant to her father, who heads up the company.
With a BCom degree from the University of Natal, Chichi has worked her way up in the business, gaining experience across all operations.
Her father made sure his and Marina’s children learnt the basics of hard work while growing up. Among Chichi’s first jobs, was serving cooldrinks in the family-owned restaurant and cleaning floors. This strong foundation has paid off and today, Chichi is responsible for all business activities of the Maponya Group and its subsidiaries, including management, growth and diversification strategy.
In addition, she is also founder and MD of Mathari Resources, a women-owned company focusing on mining, procurement and commodities trading.
Chichi did for a while seek independence from the family business, and worked for a property development company before joining the South African Institution of Civil Engineers as bookkeeper and assistant public relations officer.
Listed on her CV is a stint at Black Like Me, one of the largest cosmetics manufacturers in South Africa and steered by another notable businesswoman, Connie Mashaba.
A number of other career moves followed, which included Chichi establishing a communications company.
However, she was very much part of the Maponya Group fold in 2007, when it opened the Maponya Mall in Pimville, reputed to be one of the largest shopping centres in southern Africa.
At the opening – along with other dignitaries including Nelson Mandela – was musician Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse, to whom Chichi once was married and with whom she had two children.
The 65 000m2 mall was a dream come true for Richard, who bought the land in the 1980s, and then waited until a new dispensation in South Africa brought sweeping changes to the country, including equal opportunities for all.
This dogged determination is a quality very evident in his daughter, and the words ‘inspirational’ and ‘motivational’ are often used to describe her too.
At a road show held by the BWA last year, following its Businesswoman of the Year Awards, Chichi spoke about her journey to business success, including the responsibilities given to her by her parents from a young age.
At six, she was given small tasks to do in her parents’ shop, learning through experience that life gives back what you put into it.
Today, she is proud of the fact that she is carrying on the family legacy, and that the next generation will benefit from the Maponya magic, much as she did. Her message to members of the audience at the awards event was that hard work and planning are essential to success, as are the support of family and external groups such as the Businesswomen’s Association.
Chichi has served on several boards, including Intertoll Africa, Sitech Systems, Kwezi V3 and Kwezi BoE Asset Management and has hosted a number of events, including the Tourism Indaba in 1994.
