Growing up in a poverty-stricken home in the dusty streets of Mamelodi in Tshwane, Tryphosa Ramano made it her mission to be a catalyst for change, particularly for women and the youth. She started by heeding the advice of her late grandmother, who said that education is an equaliser, and studied to become a chartered accountant.
She is now a business consultant and a non-executive director for a number of companies, and she provides strategic guidance and oversight to the several boards on which she serves. These include the boards of the Solidarity Fund, GBVF Response Fund and the International Women’s Forum of South Africa. As a non-executive director, she plays a crucial role in shaping the strategic direction of various companies, ensuring they remain competitive and socially responsible.
Her initiative, Magommake Consultancy, provides tailored financial and business advisory services to emerging entrepreneurs, particularly women and youth, because she believes that empowering these groups is essential for societal progress. She hopes her initiatives provide skills that will enable people to realise their full potential.
Tryphosa has won awards from companies such as Forbes, the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants and Association of Black Securities and Investment Professionals, but she says her real achievement has been in making a difference regarding diversity and inclusion.
The name of the organisation at which you work
NED of Eskom
Public Investment Corporation
University of Pretoria as Deputy Chair of Council
Your educational background, listing your qualifications and institutions, if any:
- BCom (Accounting), University of Cape Town
- Post Graduate Diploma in Accounting, University of Cape Town
- CA (SA), Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative
Your greatest achievement
I have received a number of accolades and awards from professional bodies, including CFO of the year by African Women Chartered Accountants in 2019, being a finalist in SAICA Chairman’s Difference Makers Awards in 2023, as well as Forbes Woman Africa Award and ABSIP.
My real achievement has been in making an impact in society, especially regarding diversity and inclusion. Recently, at the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), I spearheaded the Transformation Charter, which seeks to have equal representation of men and women in companies in which we invest. PIC is a major contributor to the South African economy, so this charter was key. As chair of the investment committee, I oversee the implementation of the charter in line with client mandates and ESG. In my early career, I managed to restructure SAA, which was on the brink of collapse due to wrong hedging, and closed their R600 million hedge book to release liquidity.