Mandisa Mazibuko: A Journey of Empowerment and Leadership

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs

Mandisa Mazibuko serves as the managing director of Envelop Empowerment Group and is also the director of Gilnokie Socks. She explains that Envelop Empowerment Group was founded on the principles of developing, supporting, and empowering women entrepreneurs. The organisation focuses on equipping these women with practical skills and tools, enabling them to thrive in business.

Under Mandisa’s leadership, Envelop Empowerment Group has become a company that is not only values-driven but also commercially successful. As a distributor of high-quality personal protective equipment, the company’s strategic focus on women-led small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) is both a professional and deeply personal priority. Mandisa believes that SMMEs form the backbone of the economy and stresses that when women are empowered with the right skills to lead and nurture, they give back to their communities, create jobs, and uplift others.

Building Businesses with Purpose

Mandisa’s second business venture, Gilnokie Socks, reflects her ongoing commitment to empowerment. She established this business in partnership with an experienced entrepreneur who shared her ambition for growth. The partnership emphasises opening access to funding, markets, and strategic positioning, demonstrating Mandisa’s dedication to enabling others to succeed.

For Mandisa, these two enterprises are more than just businesses; she refers to them as her “babies,” representing healthy transformation that occurs when vision is matched with the right support.

Rooted in Resilience

Mandisa’s journey began well before her entry into the business world. Raised by her grandparents, she regards her grandfather as her earliest and most influential example of leadership. Despite lacking formal education, he possessed a clear vision of leadership and reliability. Mandisa learned from watching him interact with others and build meaningful ventures from simple ideas, understanding that vision, commitment, and integrity are essential for creating something extraordinary.

This strong foundation propelled her forward. After completing her matric, Mandisa pursued studies in finance, earned an honours degree in the field, and most recently completed an MBA with GIBS through TWIMS, specialising in manufacturing. She describes her MBA experience as a period filled with knowledge, innovation, and discovery, where she learned to apply decision-making models and trust her instincts. For Mandisa, leadership means moving forward even when not all the answers are clear.

Mandisa measures success not only by profits or growth but also by the ripple effect of empowerment. One of her proudest achievements is a partnership with a school in Pinetown, providing learners with resources, mentorship, and opportunities from an early age. She believes that education equips individuals to think, see, and dream differently, offering a chance for meaningful change.

Her motivation is rooted in personal experience. Raised by an uneducated but accomplished man, Mandisa recognises that education offers tools and perspectives that open doors. She asserts that helping even one child can spark a chain of positive change, ultimately contributing to broader societal progress.

This initiative embodies Mandisa’s belief that true empowerment begins with access—to knowledge, resources, and opportunity. She describes the journey as humbling, highlighting the importance of collaboration and support in driving transformation.

Shaping Character Through Challenges

Mandisa speaks candidly about the challenges she has faced. She identifies two main types: internal and external. Internally, she has grappled with self-doubt, a lack of self-belief, and the need for external validation—issues that are often culturally and socially ingrained, especially for women. Mandisa has learned to recognise these barriers, work through them, and grant herself permission to lead with confidence.

Externally, Mandisa acknowledges the difficulties of operating in a male-dominated industry like manufacturing. She notes that women often have to speak louder and work harder to be taken seriously, and that these systemic barriers will only change through persistent effort and proving that women belong in these spaces.

Despite these hurdles, Mandisa maintains an optimistic and persistent outlook. She believes that continual learning leads to new opportunities, and that growth and impact evolve as individuals grow.

The Power of Clarity, Resilience, and Adaptability

Mandisa offers straightforward yet profound advice to young people, especially aspiring women leaders. She emphasises the importance of clarity—being exceptionally clear about one’s goals—as clarity fosters confidence and helps to avoid confusion and self-doubt. Her second piece of advice focuses on resilience, acknowledging that setbacks are inevitable but stressing the importance of bouncing back and maintaining momentum.

The third principle Mandisa espouses is adaptability. She highlights the necessity of being agile, reinventing oneself, and pivoting to address new challenges. This approach ensures ongoing relevance and strength.

Mandisa’s success encompasses multiple roles as a mother, wife, and business leader. She strives to be present for her children, husband, and team, recognising that balance is an ongoing challenge but also deeply fulfilling. She believes that being clear about what matters most and showing up where needed is key to managing these responsibilities.

A Message of Strength to Women

Mandisa encourages women to recognise and embrace their inherent strength, courage, and willingness to take risks—qualities often attributed to men but embodied by women every day. She urges women not to be intimidated by risk or change, asserting that at the peak of these challenges lies better business, stronger families, and personal growth.