Fonder of Hakem Energies Refilwe Sebothoma is nominated for the Bold Future Award category in the 2024 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman awards. Picture: Supplied
Businesswoman Refilwe Sebothoma firmly believes that through entrepreneurship, women can make a meaningful return to their communities and create a positive influence.
Born and raised in the mining community of Marikana, in the North West, Sebothoma, who is the founder of Hakem Energies, which produces liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), said poverty was an ongoing reality in their life.
“I was raised by a single mother who worked tirelessly with the support of my grandmother to see us through school,” she said.
Every morning, she woke to the deafening roar of mining machinery and saw locals head off to the nearby mine. Sebothoma, one of a set of triplets, understood that lifting herself out of poverty would require her to sweat.
“From an early age, I understood that my path out of poverty would require determination and hard work,” she said.
Despite coming from a family entrenched in poverty, she said that both her mother and grandmother were community builders and made a significant impact.
From that moment onward, she viewed business as a powerful tool to empower herself to become a community leader and make a meaningful impact, following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother but in a manner suiting her own path.
“I have seen first-hand that when women are positively impacted in their careers, they would go back to the communities and replicate that impact,” she told IOL.
Without hesitation, as the years passed, Sebothoma established her own company, Hakem Energies, comprising seven subsidiaries, one of which focuses on producing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
LPG is a safe and cleaner energy solution accessible to marginalised communities for cooking and heating purposes.
“It produces LPG in small portable 5kg cylinders while offering ‘pay-as-you-use’ refills. We have partnered with local businesses as part of their business model. Through Hakem Energies, I am determined to change the world, one life, one family, and one community at a time,” she said.
She expressed her belief in the significance of bold women in business, seeing entrepreneurship as a transformative tool capable of positively impacting lives.
“I have seen first-hand that when women are positively impacted in their careers, they return to their communities to replicate that impact.”
Sebothoma has been nominated for the 2024 Veuve Cliquot Bold Woman Awards, in the Bold Future Award category, which celebrates upcoming female leaders. This award recognizes individuals who have shown a burgeoning record of success and have demonstrated transformation and advancement in their respective fields.
When asked what prompted her to enter for the 2024 Veuve Clicquot Bold Women she said: “For my team, it was honouring me, I guess. They said ‘this award explains and stands for everything and more than we know you are and have been to us,” she said with a smile.
“For me, it's about representation - empowering women to dream of starting their impactful businesses by providing an example of how someone like me began from scratch and built substantial businesses, changing lives along the way.”
She said that if named the winner of the prestigious award, her plan is to address energy poverty, highlighting its significant impact on marginalised communities and the associated socio economic challenges.
“As we plan and implement the Just Energy Transitions strategies, we cannot afford them behind.”
Sebothoma said that experiencing energy poverty during her upbringing is not just her personal narrative, as it reflects a broader African reality that continues to impact millions of people.
“I hope that winning this amazing award will help amplify, extend, and accelerate our ability to advocate for, fight for, and change the lives of those who can’t fight for themselves,” she said.
The prestigious Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman awards will be taking place for the third time. They aim to shine a spotlight on remarkable women in business. The winners will be announced on Wednesday, July 17.
IOL