She is a Founder and Director of Myezo Environmental Management Services (Pty) Ltd (Myezo), a professional advisory services company on sustainability and environmental engineering matters across various sectors. She is a registered Professional Natural Scientist with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions and is also registered as an Environmental Auditor, with Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, Lincoln, United Kingdom. She holds Master of Science (cum laude) from University of Witwatersrand, where she received an award for advancement of science for producing the best master’s theses across all South African Universities in the faculty of science in 1999. She has 20 years combined experience in the professional services and mining sector, having been part of SRK Consulting: Scientists and Engineers and a diamond mine, before she established Myezo, in 2005.
She also holds BA Arts, Global School of Theology, USA. This has balanced and sharpened her leadership view and principles on Environment, Social and Governance, especially pertaining to climate, biodiversity and pollution world emergencies and is as such inspired by United Nations Environment Programme on Making Peace with Nature as captured in their scientific blueprint report.
Babalwa was born in South Africa in a rural village called Dukatole under Jumba Traditional Council which falls under King Dalindyebo Local Municipality.
Her inspirations are about God, a human soul, universal value systems, ethical as well as authentic leadership. Her late grand-mother, Nonceba also inspired most of her value systems. Her, mother, Ncediwe, modelled to her sacrificial love, a truly motherly devotion and courage. Her family, husband, children, and friends, and the world around her, also inspire her writing.
She is an author of poetry books: Greetings from My Core; When Mulberry Trees are Uprooted; and Hlahl ’indlela Nohombile. These books promote sustainable means of unlocking the natural resource capital while upholding coexistence with nature principles. They address themes of sustainability, heritage and legacy, social cohesion, and economic emancipation. She is a “performer” when there is a message to be delivered in that form and her books are published in audio as well. She uses poetry as a voice to challenge certain stereotypes, unjust practices or norms such as gender inequality and advocate for paradigm shift within various socio economic development thematic areas and as such she plays: an advocacy role; cultural role through expressing and advocating for recognition of indigenous knowledge in scientific settings, along with preservation of universal values, which influence ethical behaviours; civic role by empowering, capacitating and, fostering civic engagements through her work as an environmental advisor and stakeholder engagement strategist. Hlahl’ indlela Nohombile is about preservation of our indigenous languages and values systems, which are mostly embedded in these languages.
The book was funded by National Heritage Council and their support is intended to act as a catalyst to support, encourage and inspire people to take pride in our national identity, which is cemented together by cohesive diverse societies. The book production project was endorsed by the Jumba Traditional Council. Traditional Leadership and Governance Framework Act (No 41 of 2003), governs traditional leadership, such as the Jumba Traditional Council as such operates within this legislative framework.
Babalwa has shared her sustainability insights at various scientific knowledge sharing national and international platforms and published in scientific journals. She has co-authored scientific research papers and published in Australian Journal of Botany, Journal of Arid Environments, amongst others
She chose the environmental, social and governance path in the mining sectors, amongst others, to inspire other women to forge forward and dare to lead in sectors that are still in transition when it comes to “gender” equality matters. She also was involved, together with the Department of Environmental Affairs task team for the development of the South African Fourth national country report in the implementation of the United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification.
She is also spear-heading industry succession planning and unlocking human capital value through mentoring, as a founding director of Myezo Growth and Development Institute, a non-profit organisation dedicated to this conviction. Her vision has supported several scientists to attain their core competencies required for professional scientific registration in terms of South Africa’s Natural Scientific Professions Act (No.27 of 20023). . She is the vice chairperson for Ladies of all Nations International , South Africa, along with other business and scientific accreditations and affiliations. She has been recognised as a philanthropist and was honoured with Doctor of Humanitarianism, honoris causa by the Global International Alliance , USA.
She is a multi-award winner from various highly esteemed organisations and a few of these are listed below.
- First runner up for Black Business Quarterly Awards (BBQ- October 2016): South Africa’s Premier Black Business Awards.
- Standard Bank Tshwane Business Awards (2016) . Women Entrepreneur of the Year
- CEO Global Pan African Awards (2019 ): Regional Winner in the SME sector of CEO’s Most Influential Women in Business & Government. The awards are the leading African recognition programme honouring excellence in the private and public sector.
- CEO Global Pan African Awards (2019 Awards): Country Winner in the SME sector of CEO’s Most Influential Women in Business & Government.
- Standard Bank: Top women Leaders (certified in 2021)