“I made sure that I give opportunities to other women and youth because I understand how difficult it was for me to get into the sector.”
Faith Tshepiso Mabena
In this insightful conversation, Faith Tshepiso Mabena, a leader in South Africa’s construction sector, shares her unexpected journey into infrastructure development, the challenges women face in male-dominated industries, and the deep sense of purpose that fuels her work. From financing her first project “by chance” to building an 11-year-strong construction company that uplifts communities. Mabena’s story offers a rare, honest look into what it takes to build not just houses but hope, opportunity, and sustainable growth for women, youth, and local communities.
She is also a finalist for the PAWES 2025 Awards under the Infrastructure sector.
Introduction
Faith Tshepiso Mabena
My name is Faith Tshepiso Mabena. I’m from a company called Nokhanya Services PTY LTD, which is a construction company based in Cape Town, South Africa.
Our main focus is construction of what we call low-cost houses or Breaking New Ground (BNG) units and schools. We also do renovations, maintenance, and a bit of civil works. The company was registered in 2012, and we started construction in 2014.
From CIDB, which promotes construction regulatory and developmental frameworks in South Africa. We started off from Grade 1 general building (GB), and now we are Grade 7GB, 6CE. We’ve been in construction now for over 11 years.
Inspiration to Join Construction
Joyce Nwezeh
What inspired you to pursue a career in infrastructure, in construction? And what was that moment that made you decide that it’s this or nothing else?
Faith Tshepiso Mabena
So I got in by pure chance. After I had left my previous job, I decided that I was not going to go back into employment. I wanted to start my own company and basically didn’t know what I was going to do. After doing a bit of work here and there, supply and all sorts of things which were not working out, I was approached by a friend who had a construction project but unfortunately didn’t have funds to start the project.
That’s how I was roped in to finance the project. But the only way I could continue with it was if I got involved, especially in the finance department.
So that’s how it started. I came in, I had opened a company already, so I was buying through my own company, paying staff, building a credit record for my company.
After the project was completed , because it was PHP (People’s Housing Process), where beneficiaries select their own contractor to build for them, I was approached by other committee members who were interested in our services . They were very happy with the outcome of the previous project, but they wanted me to run with the project.
That’s how it all began. After that project, I had built a solid credit history, which helped us move forward. It deep nose dive into the unknown , something I had planned for. I just ended up there by chance.
Meaningful Impact
Joyce Nwezeh
What meaningful contribution or impact have you made in your career, particularly in driving change or uplifting others?
Faith Tshepiso Mabena
What made me stay in construction was the moment we handed over houses to the owners. One beneficiary cried and said she had been praying for a house after being on the waiting list for years. That’s when the penny dropped, that maybe this is what one is destined for.
That was a turning point for me.
Being a woman in construction is challenging. You have to work twice, sometimes three times as hard as your male counterparts to be recognized. You constantly have to prove yourself. Once you’re established, it’s important to uplift other women. Recognising the difficulties I faced, I focused on creating opportunities for women and youth, especially given the high unemployment rates.
We partnered with the Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA) to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with business registration, compliance, tender information, marketing, and mentoring. Additionally, I collaborated with the Master Builders Association (MBA), where I served as an ex-co member, to offer entrepreneurial training for subcontractors and to address Health & Safety compliance as well as legal and contractual matters.
Our projects include the Expanded Public Works Program (EPWP), which brings unemployed youth onto job sites. We also support students seeking in-service training in their final year before graduation, with some even starting their own businesses after completing our training.
We also support localization, empowering local businesses by buying materials from them, hiring local subcontractors from the community, and keeping funds circulating within the community. We also involved in CSI projects to assist those in need.
That’s what we basically do.
Using the PAWES Platform for Impact
Joyce Nwezeh
Should you win the PAWES 2025 award, how would you use this platform to influence people and drive change in your country and sector?
Faith Tshepiso Mabena
I believe one has already started. You don’t need to win to influence others. But having this platform would amplify the message.
It’s really difficult to be in construction in South Africa, especially in the Cape. We are competing with companies that have been in the industry for 20, 30, 40 years. Competing on price, material, or equipment is almost impossible, so women often end up subcontracting, meaning they cannot run their own projects.
This platform would help advocate for other women.
As women in construction we are often remembered only on Women’s Day. Promises are made but nothing materializes. It is important that government is held accountable for the promises they make, like the 40% set-aside for women.
As an ex-co member of the MBA, I also want to explore what opportunities can be opened for women. It would also be great to learn how other African countries are doing it and see what we can learn from each other or even collaborate.
Her Growth Strategy
Joyce Nwezeh
My last question—what’s your growth strategy to ensure sustainability and minimize risk in what you do?
Faith Tshepiso Mabena
Scaling and balancing growth is essential. At Nokhanya Services, we focus on quality, compliance, and community trust. Diversifying services within construction ensures we don’t depend on one client.
Strong financial discipline is key, savings are important because payments can come late, and you need funds to pay suppliers and workers.
We invest in staff through training and maintain an open-door policy.
We also share risk with clients, especially government. They help with project registration, timely payments, and supporting us when we have subcontractor issues.
Success should not be measured only by profit, but by the difference one makes and how one improves livelihoods within the community.
