A former public servant who worked for the Mpumalanga Provincial Government as a Personal Assistant, Mashaba ventured into business because she wanted to break the cycle of poverty in her family. “I remember walking to the bus stop one afternoon.

It was just after month-end, but I already had nothing in my bank account. A voice in side me said:‘Your grandmother was poor, your mother’s poor and you’re poor too. ’Aloud, I answered: ‘No – I wasn’t born to be poor!’”she says. Her first business venture failed because of a botched partnership, but she didn’t give up. Her tenacity saw her establishing Hula U Gude, whose turnover has since grown by 250%. The company specialises in civil engineering construction, as well as mining and industrial supplies, among other things. Mashaba’s currently in partnership with Ettiene Pretorius, CEO of South African Capital Partnering, in the construction of 40 units for an eco-estate east of Pretoria. Her clients include Eskom, Transnet, Impala Platinum, Pan African Resources, Anglo Coal and some provincial government departments. Through her extensive international business travels, she’s met influential entrepreneurs such as Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, George Ross and Stedman Graham. She was also recently appointed as a mentor for “Bring Change Lowveld”.