Women in Business
MONEYWEB: Women in business up next, and an unusual
one this week – we’ve got 31-year-old Sibongile Sambo, who has got an aviation
company. Only started it about a year ago. Why did you decided to go into that
field, Sibongile?
SIBONGILE SAMBO: It was more curiosity. I wanted
something different. I went to the market, I identified something that I thought
there are not so many women in that business, let alone being black. So I
thought I would go for that one.
MONEYWEB: But why? What did your market research show
you? Good profits?
SIBONGILE SAMBO: It showed me good profits, high
risky business – I like it when my adrenalin goes very high. I had a friend who
got a scholarship at the air force to train as a technician, so she actually
introduced me to aviation. I attended air shows. So I grew up interested in
aircraft, specifically, and looked at starting a business in aviation.
MONEYWEB: So now you hire or lease planes and crews
from here and Russia?
SIBONGILE SAMBO: Yes, actually all over the world.
MONEYWEB: Easy enough to find the aircraft?
SIBONGILE SAMBO: It’s not so easy – lots of con men
in this industry. You just have to be very careful who you talk to, where you
get an aircraft from. The prices differ from country to country, so you just
need to be very careful and know your story.
MONEYWEB: And what kind of business do you do? I know
you flow cargo and you fly VIPs, but maybe give us an example of a big deal that
you did recently.
SIBONGILE SAMBO: Well, that one I’m not at liberty to
discuss in detail, but it’s one of the government departments. I transport
equipment for them into Africa, and I also do the game count, capture and
culling for Ezemvelo Wild Life in KwaZulu-Natal. So we’ve got a helicopter
that’s based in that area. We use it to do darting. About two or three weeks
ago, we also did slinging, airlifting of black rhino’s with MIH Russian
helicopters – big ones.
MONEYWEB: So your job is to source the helicopters
and the crew and put the two sides together, almost?
SIBONGILE SAMBO: Yes. At the moment, I can say I am
brokering, because I go out to look for the clients and then source the aircraft
and use it. As and when I get a contract, I get the aircraft and manage it
myself. I’ve got a crew based in South Africa from Russia. I use those guys with
their aircraft, and then supply to my customers. We at the moment are applying
through the Department of Transport to get our own air service licence, which
will make us fully bona fide operators in the industry. That’s when we can look
at buying one or two aircraft and also a helicopter and then have those in our
fleet.
MONEYWEB: Lots of ambition going forward. You did
accompany the President on a trip to Gabon. Gabon is in West Africa. Why Gabon,
of all places?
SIBONGILE SAMBO: Well, I was invited by the Chamber
of Commerce to travel with the President to Gabon. The two countries were
signing a trade agreement, a bilateral trade agreement. So I went there to
witness that. I did that as well at Congo and Kinshasa, and I was accompanying
the Minister of Trade and Industry. And last week Saturday, I just came back
from Germany, I accompanied a whole lot of delegations – SAFA, the Minister of
Transport was there as well, the CEO of tourism, Moeketsi Mosala was there … .
So it was a big delegation.
MONEYWEB: How do you get onto those delegations, a
young lady like yourself?
SIBONGILE SAMBO: Well, I go out and look where I can
fit in. Basically about business, you cannot just sit and wait for opportunities
to come to you – you need to go out, network with the relevant people, look
where the opportunities are and fit yourself into that. So, yes, through the
Chamber of Commerce I get to know about those opportunities and get invited –
and I take those opportunities.
MONEYWEB: And are they worth anything – did you
generate any business, say from Gabon?
SIBONGILE SAMBO: Yes. There’s definitely business
that I’m generating. There’s a company called AFS, they specialise in medical
evacuation – that’s an area that I’m moving into with them, and also I’m looking
at involving them in my business in this area.
MONEYWEB: Good luck and all the best to you,
Sibongile Sambo from SRS Aviation – there’s a young woman in a hurry.
IMTIAZ AHMED: Absolutely. And we wish her everything
of the best, Alec.
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