THE WOMAN who got into Forbes

Successful against the odds – that’s how you could describe Miranda Naiman. The 43-year old founder of consulting firm Empower in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar has a lot to say about common business traps, Zanzibar and women careers in Africa.

We want to photograph her at her desk but she laughingly declines: “I don’t have one.” We settle for the Yana Garden Bakes café in Fumba Town and Miranda Naiman brings her eight-year-old niece along. Radiating a casual vibe and a focused attitude at the same time, Naiman’s secret to success quickly becomes obvious. She certainly delivers the impression that she’ll solve a client’s problem, whatever it is, with or without a desk.One of Africa’s best head hunters, experienced staff trainers, most sought-after company consultants and  a member of several corporate boards, Miranda Naiman, who is married with two kids and originally a teacher for adult education, is the only Tanzanian woman to hit the new Forbes Africa list of the continent’s  most influential women aged 30 to 50. “These women are united by one defining trait, the willingness to take risks”, the magazine says of them.

How does one become a “most influential African woman” with Forbes? “To be honest, I am still asking myself the same question”, Naiman answers with a smile. “I was genuinely surprised because I have spent the last 17 years rather with my head down, focussing on the road ahead.” Calling herself a “patriotic Tanzanian”, she believes that African institutions can and should be “operating at a global standard while remaining rooted in our own context.” Investing in people, building up people is a big part of her job. Empower has operated in 17 African countries partnering with over 320 organisations, and has trained 2,000 leaders and professionals. Naiman is a board member of the CRDB bank, the Global AI council and several other institutions – that adds up to a good amount of influence for a 43-year old. But it is not the career aspect, which drives her: “Success, for me, is peace of mind”, she says.

Key tools of Empower’s activities are “leadership development” and “strategy execution”. Marinda Naiman has observed: “Strategy is rarely the problem in companies. Most leaders know what needs to be done but struggle to maintain discipline and pace.” That’s where Empower comes in: “We push when required, support when needed, and hold execution to account until delivery is complete.”  How does this play out in practical terms? Naiman runs the firm of 45 employees together with her sister Ella and her brother  Joshua. They are not just rendering a diagnosis and suggesting solutions – like classic consultants – but are going right into companies “to drive the change.” “It always starts with defining the problem”, Naiman says. Define, design, drive is her motto. In Zanzibar, for example, she developed a “robust sales and tracking system” for a real estate company. An energy company called her when leadership became stagnant and team leaders needed a push to step-up. “We created for them a test phase of challenges and projects”, she explains, “that brought the  desired push.”

Africa has its special challenges. “Many countries are evolving rapidly against a backdrop of infrastructure gaps”, the entrepreneur says. And there’s the gap between education and employability.  In Tanzania, 50 per cent of the population is under 18.  In partnership with six leading universities, Empower has developed a one-year skills development training.  “We have a collective responsibility to equip young people with 21st century skills”, the consultant firmly believes.

Zanzibar especially needs a talent pipeline – qualified people ready for the labour market or to set up business.  “There is exciting momentum but the rapid growth must be supported by the system”, says Naiman who signed a co-operation with the university of Zanzibar last month.

Women’s progress is another matter close to her heart. “Luckily we are seeing more and more women step into spaces historically closed to them”, she says. “Women in Africa have become decision makers.”

THREE WOMEN WHO MADE IT IN FUMBA

Sultana Mazrui, 29,

Architect

She has applied henna on her hands to celebrate her 3rd wedding anniversary – and her 14-month old son. But family has not stopped Sultana from having a career. By now, the fledgling architect has designed and partly built a Sheha’s office, a fish-market and a new luxury villa prototype in Fumba Town. “Receiving professional guidance at the beginning of my employment was the most important”, says Sultana.

Epiphania Lawrence, 26,

Security CCTV operator

“I monitor security guards, a CCTV camera system and take emergency calls.” Epiphania is the only woman in a control room with four male colleagues serving 2,000 residents. Two stars on her uniform identify her as a senior controller of Fortitude Total Security (FTS). “It’s unusual for a woman to work in security”, she says. Since starting, she resolved several incidents: “I might seem fragile but the work has boosted my confidence.“

Simmi Mulla Hassan, 38,

Construction Leader

She knows how to hold a drill, to operate a grinder and – importantly – how to guide a team of mostly male construction workers “I’ve built kitchens, cabinets, windows and doors”, the mother of four proudly says. Simmi started with a three-month training in 2018 at the woodwork firm Volkshouse. “I’m happy to do these things as a woman”, she says. “Male colleagues were skeptical at first, now we work shoulder by shoulder.”