Liz Sangion, Executive Chairman
Liz Sangion is the founder and chairman of Awevest and AWCI, two broad based women owned and managed investment companies. Having studied communications and public relations it was no surprise that Liz ventured into this sector when she decided to follow her dream to become an entrepreneur.
This was after her stint in the corporate sector working for companies like Liberty Life and Commercial Union where she was one of the founders of the direct marketing division of the latter.
She was the first black woman to establish her own advertising agency and went on to initiate and successfully negotiate with a multinational one of the first BEE transactions in the advertising industry. Having identified the lack of black creatives in those days, she together with Gordon Cook set up the Black Advertising Student Trust at the Vega School of Advertising.
Liz’s other achievements include, being one of the people that assisted the FSB to develop its economic literacy programme as well as being nominated to serve on its advisory board.
Liz is also current chairman of Status Hotels and is a past board member of Protea Hotels Group, National Small Business Council, The South African Tennis Association and several BEE companies.
This was after her stint in the corporate sector working for companies like Liberty Life and Commercial Union where she was one of the founders of the direct marketing division of the latter.
She was the first black woman to establish her own advertising agency and went on to initiate and successfully negotiate with a multinational one of the first BEE transactions in the advertising industry. Having identified the lack of black creatives in those days, she together with Gordon Cook set up the Black Advertising Student Trust at the Vega School of Advertising.
Liz’s other achievements include, being one of the people that assisted the FSB to develop its economic literacy programme as well as being nominated to serve on its advisory board.
Liz is also current chairman of Status Hotels and is a past board member of Protea Hotels Group, National Small Business Council, The South African Tennis Association and several BEE companies.
Vivien Laverge, Executive Director
Executive Director, After spending a year at North West Missouri State University in the USA studying Drama and Broadcasting Vivien returned to South Africa and joined the financial services sector as a trainee Broker Consultant.
She spent the next 14 years in Financial Services as a Broker Consultant and then Pension/Provident Consultant. In 2007 she completed her BA Languages and Literature through UNISA and made the career shift to freelance writer and politician.
She also spent more time with her 5 children. Vivien’s subsequent involvement in a project called Climb against Crime, raising funds to develop school media centres and sports facilities, gave her insight into the core reason for economic instability and crime in South Africa, being the breakdown of the family unit – headed mostly by women. She, therefore, has a very clear calling to improve the lives of women in her country, hence her dedicated and determined involvement with WIFAH.
Qualifications: BA Languages and Literature (Specialisation in Creative Writing)
She spent the next 14 years in Financial Services as a Broker Consultant and then Pension/Provident Consultant. In 2007 she completed her BA Languages and Literature through UNISA and made the career shift to freelance writer and politician.
She also spent more time with her 5 children. Vivien’s subsequent involvement in a project called Climb against Crime, raising funds to develop school media centres and sports facilities, gave her insight into the core reason for economic instability and crime in South Africa, being the breakdown of the family unit – headed mostly by women. She, therefore, has a very clear calling to improve the lives of women in her country, hence her dedicated and determined involvement with WIFAH.
Qualifications: BA Languages and Literature (Specialisation in Creative Writing)
Fredah Mojapelo, Executive Director
With over 12 years experience in the marketing, advertising and publishing industry. In 2003 she founded a Below the Line Agency focussing on PR and Communications. She was later appointed as Operations Director and Executive Director of African Women Co-ordinated Investments Pty Ltd (AWCI), a broad base investment organization dedicated to the economic empowerment of women and to participate in the mainstream.
She is responsible for managing the company’s day-to-day operations. Fredah is an established strategist whose areas of expertise in Management and Operations together with communications, branding and marketing add value to WIFAH.
She is also a member of the board of Directors at the African Women Co-ordinated Investments, and is the Director of Gauteng African Women’s Alliance (Pty) Ltd.
Qualifications: Diploma in Sales & Marketing Management and Media Relations, BA Communications
She is responsible for managing the company’s day-to-day operations. Fredah is an established strategist whose areas of expertise in Management and Operations together with communications, branding and marketing add value to WIFAH.
She is also a member of the board of Directors at the African Women Co-ordinated Investments, and is the Director of Gauteng African Women’s Alliance (Pty) Ltd.
Qualifications: Diploma in Sales & Marketing Management and Media Relations, BA Communications
Sindiswa Dastile, Executive Director
Primarily an educator, Sindi eventually moved to become the founder and Executive Member of Chakatsa Cooperative Pty Ltd, which is a recognized legal entity registered with DTI. Sindi is also in partnership with Ekurhuleni Municipality in the iFood programme where they source food parcels for distribution to the needy.
Due to her wealth of experience, she was engaged by ABSA bank to co-ordinate its development micro finance programme with its focus on group lending methodology. Sindi also sits on several boards and has represented South African community groups in a women co-operative forum of India, Brazil and South Africa which was hosted in 2007. She is Executive Director of the African Divas Group, where the main focus is the empowerment of women. Her contribution to WIFAH in light of her tireless and dedicated work on the ground is both tangible and essential to its growth and sustainability.
Due to her wealth of experience, she was engaged by ABSA bank to co-ordinate its development micro finance programme with its focus on group lending methodology. Sindi also sits on several boards and has represented South African community groups in a women co-operative forum of India, Brazil and South Africa which was hosted in 2007. She is Executive Director of the African Divas Group, where the main focus is the empowerment of women. Her contribution to WIFAH in light of her tireless and dedicated work on the ground is both tangible and essential to its growth and sustainability.