Sibongile Rejoice Sambo

Sibongile Rejoice Sambo,

(CEO OF SRS Aviation Ltd, First black, 100% Female-owned Aviation Services Company in South Africa)

A pioneer in female aviation, Sibongile Rejoice Sambo is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of SRS Aviation Ltd, the first 100 percent black, all female-owned aviation services company in South Africa.

Launched in 2004, SRS (which stands for the initials of her name) is an integrated provider of private aviation services offering South African and international clients professional and personalised flight options including VIP Charter, tourist charter and helicopter services, to destinations around the world.

Today, the company also provides maintenance, sales and fleet management services to private jet owners.

Sibongile’s pioneering entrepreneurial spirit has earned her a string of accolades and awards. She is also passionate about mentoring young women, helping them become pilots, leaders and entrepreneurs.

Born in 1974 in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga, South Africa, Sibongile Sambo showed an interest in aircraft from an early age, watching planes flying overhead and wondering one day if she would fly in those planes herself to different countries, meeting different people. Although her early career took her into the human resources environment, with companies such as De Beers and City Power, her dream of being involved in the aviation sector never left her.

In 2003, with the South African government passing Black Economic Empowerment Act enabling people from previously disadvantaged backgrounds to enter and participate in economic life as entrepreneurs, Sibongile saw an opportunity to fulfil her aviation dreams. However, having no prior experience in the sector, nor the capital to purchase an aircraft, this posed an initial challenge, but not one that would deter Sibongile from realising her dreams.

The entrepreneur holds a BA in administration and majored in political science and industrial psychology. 

Sibongile’s first taste of success in the aviation sector came as a result of the winning of a tender issued by the South African government for aviation firms to bid on a contract for cargo transport. Her company, SRS Aviation (which she founded with loans from her mother and aunt), was part of a joint venture with another firm. Although this collaborative project offered a golden opportunity to enter the industry, the other company soon withdrew, leaving Sambo to learn the contracting process on her own.

In 2006, following an inspection of her company’s infrastructure by the CAA, which satisfied itself that SRS Aviation had safe and airworthy aircraft among other requirements, her company was issued with a formal Air Operating Certificate, making her company the first black operational enterprise in South Africa to be given full rights to undertake commercial flying activities. Six years later in June 2010, SRS Aviation opened its first shop at one of South Africa’s city airports and since then has opened a chain of retail shops across the country’s airport network.

“I decided to go for what lies within in me, and this is the passion for airplanes and being around the airport,” she said to CNN in 2016. In another interview, the 44-year-old said that she initially noticed a high volume of flights to and from Africa, especially by people working in the mining industry, via France. ''Somebody needed to provide direct charter flights.''

Over the years, Sibongile has built a reputation for identifying new opportunities and maximising them for the benefit of her business. Her ability to network has also helped her to become a successful entrepreneur in the highly competitive South African aviation industry.

Aside from being an entrepreneur, Sambo doubles as a Motivational Speaker. She mentors youngsters, as well as other business men and women in Africa, whilst generating much needed job opportunities and empowering women from previously disadvantaged backgrounds.

Sibongile Rejoice Sambo said,‘’I have the philosophy that I am where I am today is because someone invested in me. It’s my opportunity now to invest in other people.’’

(Source: Westerwelle Startup Haus Kigali Facebook, mymediaafrica.com)