Dr Lulu Gwagwa

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Dr Lulu Gwagwa

Harnessing diversity and human capital towards effective transformation and economic empowerment

Dr Lulu Gwagwa is currently the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lereko Investments, a black-owned investment company, and Chairperson of the Tsebo Outsourcing Group, one of South Africa's leading black-owned hospitality services and facilities management companies. Lulu is also a member of the UCT Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB) Advisory Board, and a Non-Executive Director on the boards of First Rand (where she chairs the Transformation Committee), Sun International, the Development Bank of Southern Africa and Massmart.

Dr Gwagwa is no stranger to the transformation process. In 1995 she was appointed Deputy Director-General in the Department of Public Works to establish the National Public Works Programme. Her responsibilities included the establishment of an emerging contractor development programme as well as initiating the transformation of the construction industry.  She completed a five-year term as CEO of the Independent Development Trust (“IDT”), where she was tasked with the transformation of the IDT from a grant awarding agency to an implementation-management agency.

Lulu holds a Masters degree in Town and Regional Planning from the University of Natal, an MSc (cum laude) from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a PhD from University College, London. She was a finalist in the Nedbank Businesswoman of the Year awards in 2001.

Lulu’s passion for transformation is further expressed through her efforts in supporting vulnerable youth and the elderly in KwaZulu Natal. She has been involved in this work for more than a decade, making use of her own resources and expertise. She recently registered The Mhakazi Trust to coordinate this work.

Topics / focus areas

Transformation, Women’s Empowerment, Service Delivery and Delivery Capacity, Leadership Issues, Local Government, Community Development and Empowerment, Corporate Governance

Speakers Delivery Style

Lulu is a development planner by training and has worked at senior level in all sectors (public, private, NGO, academic, and research). Throughout her varied career, she has pioneered many transformation and change efforts. She is an informed and articulate speaker who brings this broad knowledge base and practical insights into delivering speeches that are characterized by her passion and engaging style. Lulu is able to inspire, motivate and provide valuable guidance to audiences in and outside the boardroom.

Why the audience should listen to this topics

Development issues are pertinent in South Africa and the continent in general. Unless we address these issues there is little hope for sustainable economic growth and social change.

Transformation is a business and development imperative in South Africa, the continent and globally. It is about the effective use of all the human capital at our disposal, and maximizing our impact through harnessing the value in our diversity.

Benefits for the individual

Insightful engagement with a leader who can impart valuable knowledge and share lessons learnt from both her professional and personal experience with regard to transformation and development.

Topics

Transformation
Women Empowerment
Service Delivery and Delivery Capacity
Leadership Issues
Local Government
Community Development and Empowerment
Corporate Governance

Speaks

English

Publications

Community Development and Empowerment
“Picking up the Gauntlet : Women Discuss ANC Statement" Agenda No. 8 (1990).
“Women in a South African Post Apartheid Local Government Structure : Prospects and Limitations”. Environment and Urbanisation Vol. 3 No. 1 (1991).
“The Family in South African Politics: Towards a Progressive Conceptualisation” in Bazilli (ed) Putting Women on the Agenda, Raven Press, Johannesburg (1991).
“Putting Gender on the Council’s Agenda”. in Reconstruct No. 6 (1992).
“Towards a Gendered Urban Policy Debate” 1994 in Maphai V (ED) South Africa : The Challenge of Change, SAPES Books, Harare
“Women as Homemakers and Men as Heads of Households : Who is Responsible for Housing Improvement” in Sithole-Fundire et.al. (ed.) 1995.
Gender Research on Urbanization, Planning, Housing and Everyday Life, Zimbabwe Women’s Resource Centre and Network, Harare
“Money is the Source of Tension in Household, The case of Inanda Newton” 1998 in Larsson A, Mapetla M, Schlyter A (ed) Changing Gender Relations in Southern Africa ISAS, Lesotho
“Empowerment through Public Works into the next millennium” in Khosa M. (ed) Empowerment through service delivery, Human Sciences Research Council, Pretoria.

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