About Dr. Snowy Khoza
COUNTRY OF BIRTH
South Africa
INDUSTRY
Business
TOP ACHIEVEMENTS
Dr. Snowy Khoza became the chief executive officer of Bigen Africa in 2010 and in 2016 was promoted to executive chairperson of the company. Bigen is one of Africa's leading infrastructure development solutions companies, and Dr. Khoza has played a key role in shaping its motto: “Doing good while doing business.” Under Dr. Khoza’s leadership, Bigen Africa has been recognized as a company with high standards of quality and one that also gives back to communities. Dr. Khoza is known as a social activist and is deeply involved in initiatives geared toward improving the quality of life for disadvantaged people and marginalized communities.
EARLY LIFE & EDUCATION
Dr. Snowy Khoza grew up in poverty in apartheid South Africa, but despite these struggles, she managed to graduate from high school and then went on to pursue higher education. She has an M.A. in social science, a PhD in social policy, an MBA, and has completed various financial, economic, and management courses.
EARLY CAREER
Dr. Khoza started out as a group executive for over ten years at the Development Bank of Southern Africa. During that time, she held many positions, including the founding chair of Knowledge Management Africa and chair of the Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority, the Water Research Commission, the Centre for Social Development in Africa, and more.
ACHIEVEMENTS AT BIGEN AFRICA
In 2010, Dr. Khoza was appointed CEO of Bigen Africa, the first female non-engineer to lead the company. In 2016, the shareholders promoted her to executive chairperson with the task of overseeing the expansion of Bigen Group throughout the continent. As executive chairperson, she has solidified Bigen as a thought leader in the infrastructure industry as well as a prominent service provider and agent of socio-economic change. At the same time that she leads Bigen expansion and social enterprise activities, Dr. Khoza continues to hold many chairs, including the Audit and Risk Committee of SekelaXabiso Audit Firm, the Social & Ethics Committee of ANSYS, SNOKHO Investments, and others.
RECOGNITION
Dr. Snowy Khoza has received numerous personal and industry rewards, including:
- 2014 Continental Lifetime Achievers Award
- 2015 SA Top Performing Business Leader
- 2015 South Africa Lifetime Achievers in Business and Government
- 2015 Top Infrastructure Development Company of the Year (Bigen)
- 2016 International African Women Award
Additionally, in 2014, Dr. Khoza was invited to present at the mostly-male Infrastructure Development Conference in Sudan. That same year, she presented two papers at the International Federation of Consulting Engineers Centenary Congress in Barcelona.
ADDITIONAL FACTS
- When asked how people would describe her as a leader, Dr. Khoza said: “People call me Mama Snowy. I believe they will say, ‘she is courageous and resilient, a visionary leader with a great heart. She is compassionate, loves humanity, and wants to improve the lives of others.’”
- Dr. Khoza is a devout Christian and is president of Agape Christian Women’s Network (ACWN International).
- Dr. Khoza has named her grandmother as her biggest role model. “Her wisdom is unparalleled by any book I have ever read.”
