BOLD Veuve Conversations: Amanda Dambuza
Bold as a way of being:
Uyandiswa CEO Amanda Dambuza shares
her highlights from the Bold Conversations by Veuve Clicquot experience
As a panelist of the 2021 Bold Conversations by Veuve Clicquot experience in Johannesburg, Uyandiswa CEO Amanda Dambuza says she feels inspired and motivated by the discussions held around the findings of the Veuve Clicquot International Women Entrepreneurship Barometer. Led by dynamic chairperson and founder of Rekindle Learning, Rapelang Rabana, the Bold Conversations by Veuve Clicquot experience took place in the presence of 50 live and over 670 digital guests joining via live stream.
Passionate conversation around the findings took place in two panels of business leaders including Amanda Dambuza (founder of Uyandiswa), Adriana Marais (founder of Proudly Human), Erik Kruger (founder of Modern Breed), Matsi Modise (founder of Furaha Afrika Holdings), Mzamo Masito (chief marketing officer at Google Africa), Nomndeni Mdakhi (founder of Agenda Women), Nthabi Taukobong (founding member and MD of Ditau Interiors) and Dr Theo Mothoa-Frendo (founder of Uso Skincare), unpacked and debated the findings of the study.
We spoke to formidable businesswoman Amanda Dambuza about her participation in the Bold Conversations by Veuve Clicquot experience in Johannesburg and how the findings debated relate to her own inspiring entrepreneurial journey.
Q: Bold Conversations by Veuve Clicquot aims to embolden successive generations of audacious female leaders in South Africa, can you elaborate further around the purpose of the platform?
A: Bold Conversations is a platform which provides women entrepreneurs around the world with the opportunity to openly debate the state of women entrepreneurship, identify common prejudices, mental and structural barriers to be overcome and how to get beyond them. The aim is to break down preconceptions, remove structural and societal barriers and provide support and training to enable women to move forward in their entrepreneurial journeys. The Veuve Clicquot International Women Barometer study, which was conducted across 17 countries in 2020, has provided important data around women in the entrepreneurship space – critical to unpack and debate if we wish to advance women entrepreneurs around the globe.
Q: Madame Clicquot’s story is one of boldness, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit and she is known as one of the world’s first businesswomen. Please tell us a bit more about Madame Clicquot and how her legacy sets the stage for the brand’s support of women entrepreneurship, to this day?
A: Madame Clicquot is what we would today call #GOALS!! She was bold, audacious, determined and tenacious. She was ambitious and never let the obstacles along the way deter her from achieving her dreams. In 1805, at just 27 years of age, she took over the House of Veuve Clicquot business from her husband upon his death at a time when women were not allowed to work nor hold a bank account. She persisted in spite of the monumental challenges she faced. She pioneered so many innovations that have become the hallmark of champagne houses the world over. She was behind the first blended rosé champagne as well as the riddling table which led to crystal clear champagne. I am so fortunate to have experienced this technique when I visited Veuve Clicquot in Reims (France) in 2018. She was also behind the first recorded vintage champagne. She pushed to break every boundary and that kind of audacity inspires women entrepreneurs immensely. We don’t even have half of the obstacles she had, yet she was able to revolutionise an industry. It is with this backdrop that Veuve Clicquot continues to support, mentor, train and enable women entrepreneurs. It’s authentically embedded into the House’s DNA.
Q: The Veuve Clicquot 2020 International Women Entrepreneurship Barometer, conducted as the COVID crisis exerted pressure on global cultures and economies, updated the status of women entrepreneurs across the world. It has provided the community with a rare tool: a true understanding of the state of woman entrepreneurship. Which are some of the statistics that really stand out for you?
A: It was incredible to see that South Africa has the highest level of women entrepreneurship amongst all 17 countries measured. South Africa is a country where entrepreneurship is more the rule than the exception … we’ve seen that more than half of South African women (54%) consider themselves entrepreneurs. 92% of South African entrepreneurs started a business versus taking over an existing business. For me, this is testament to the undying spirit and risk tolerance of South African women who refuse to be boxed in and take ownership of their destiny as a key imperative in their lives.
We’re interested to hear your detailed views on the topics debated during the Bold Conversations by Veuve Clicquot experience held in Johannesburg:
TOPIC 1: Overcoming barriers to entry to women entrepreneurship and inspiring a new generation of women entrepreneurs
Barometer finding: 60% of women feel that it is much harder for a woman than a man to balance work and family life, as an entrepreneur (55% of men agree) as they face an age-old problem … balancing work with their other full-time job: caring for their family
Q: Do you agree that it’s harder for a woman than a man to balance work and family life? How do we overcome such an age-old barrier to entry?
A: Yes, I think it is largely harder for women to pursue their ambition whilst meeting the demanding needs of their families. This boils down to the traditional notion of roles in the family setting. If we openly challenge the preconceptions that caring for a family is a woman’s job, then we are well on our way to making progress. We as women also have to challenge our own mental models of what women can and cannot do. In our own homes we should drive towards a reality where caring for the family is not only a woman’s job. We should also be seeking more integration and a mutually beneficial relationship between our work and family.
TOPIC 2: Leveraging opportunity in times of crisis and the impact on leadership in times of challenge
Barometer finding: 59% of women entrepreneurs report growing more confident in their business dealings, and 63% say they're more professionally bold than before the crisis (male entrepreneurs agree about equally)
Q: Do you feel more professionally bold now than before the crisis? How did navigating the challenges build you as a leader?
A: I guess when you have had a “near-death” experience, you are more inclined to pursue your dreams with conviction. Your perspective of life changes. I resonate with this result of the barometer study because even I had to boldly adapt to changing circumstances. I had to start thinking about the long term longevity of the business which meant tough calls but calls that were what my business needed to survive and continue creating jobs. I had to trim down costs where necessary. I also felt bold enough to explore and invest in industries that I had not considered before. Industries that I believe will withstand shocks and play a critical role in the ecosystem.
TOPIC 3: The role of networking and mentorship in an increasingly digital business environment
Barometer finding: 90% of women and 90% of men agree: mentorship is key for anyone who aspires to entrepreneurship. Wantrepreneurs (92%) and entrepreneurs (92%) confirm this belief
Q: Did you have (or do you still have) a mentor? What impact did they have on your business journey? Please elaborate on the concept of mentorship and how it applies to you and your business.
A: I have never had a formal mentor. I did however have someone who was my husband’s best friend who would advise me on some of the business transactions I would embark on. He helped me understand how to structure my businesses and I truly appreciated his time and advice. He is no longer with us and may his soul rest in peace. He is missed every day. I take his lessons with me into every transaction I embark on.
I am a mentor to many women entrepreneurs as I believe I have amassed many valuable lessons over a long period of time. It is time consuming though and due to capacity constraints I no longer take on additional one on one mentees any more. In order to remain accessible and helpful, I created Vastly Sage on You Tube where I provide mentorship … people can access the channel on demand from anywhere in the world. I couple this with a talk show (on the same channel) where I invite amazing guests to tackle a worthy and often hard topics, which we then unpack. The idea is to provide practical solutions which viewers can integrate into their everyday to improve and transform their lives. Access is free and I encourage people to subscribe and get notified when new content is uploaded.
Once a year I also host an event, an uplifting brunch that supports all of these efforts and gives us an environment where we can have open debate and get inspired by people who have walked different paths. It is a ticketed event in its second year and it has proven to be a huge success with people travelling from all over the country who want to be part of an inspiring, educational and entertaining platform. There is huge interest from other countries as well however due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, plans have been impacted. The future remains possible.
So I could say I live to mentor. I am blessed to also learn from many people around me and I never believe you need a mentor to push on with your goals but it helps to have someone who can be empathetic to your journey and help you with clarity of vision. You still have to hold yourself accountable.
TOPIC 4: The importance of resilience and the ability to adapt in a new age of entrepreneurship
Barometer finding: Women increasingly say they're the ones in control of their professional destiny (+3% to 96% in this study), fewer report feeling undeserving of the professional situation (-6%), attribute their professional success to "luck" (-9%) or feel unappreciated for their leadership skills (-5%)
Q: How have you adapted over time to feel more in control of your professional destiny?
A: Nothing says I am in control of my professional destiny more than being an entrepreneur. Your reward and recognition is directly correlated to your own efforts. You own your time and can decide how to use it which allows flexibility to prioritise the things most important to you. You set your own agenda and nothing could be more empowering. Leaving a corporate job more than seven years ago was most certainly the first step towards owning my destiny.
I also made sure I set my business up such that it can continue to operate even when I am not around so I hired good people who can self-manage. It sure can be depressing to have a business that consumes you and is fully dependent on you.
From the onset my aim was to own my destiny and entrepreneurship journey, whilst challenging it has given me exactly the space I needed to drive an agenda determined by myself. This way I am clear about the direction my life is taking. My independence is everything to me.
