SOUTH AFRICA: How Rejected Flight Attendant Started First Female Owned Aviation Company In Africa

Sibongile Sambo dreamt of being a flight attendant, but she failed to meet the minimum height requirement and was turned away by South African Airways.

Instead of accepting defeat, she started her own company, even selling her car and using her mother’s pension in order to set it up.

But it’s all been worth it, as she’s now laughing all the way to the bank.

Sambo officially started SRS Aviation in 2004, and it’s the first aviation company in Africa set up by a woman. She started off brokering contracts for aviation services, and by later that year had scored a lucrative cargo transport contract with the South African Government.

Later, her focus turned to private aviation services, and now the company offers VIP charter flights, tourist charters and helicopter services with the Johannesburg-based crew flying around the world including to the US and Germany.

Ms Sambo says it was tough at the beginning, but the rewards have been totally worth it.

“Getting to learn the language, you know alpha, bravo, oscar, it was a challenge but we managed to get over it,” Ms Sambo says.

“What I’m proud of about our company is that we have managed to penetrate the male dominated industry. On average we do 10 charters per annum, and that varies, it could be a tourist charter for $1000 or could be a head of state travelling on a VIP aircraft to the US, which could be about $200,000.”

The company also provides private jet owners with maintenance, sales and fleet management services.

While SRS Aviation’s exact earnings aren’t published, a company source told Forbes in 2013 that annual revenue was “several million dollars”.

Sibongile Sambo is the founder and managing director of SRS Aviation – the first 100% black female owned aviation company that offers clients professional and personalized flight options to destinations around the world.

She can best be described as Businesswomen; Entrepreneur and a Motivational Speaker.Her life is marked with high achievements and hard work which can be traced in her education history and work experience.

Sibongile holds a Bachelor of Administration from the University of Zululand, Bachelor of Administration Honours from Unisa, Advanced programme in Organisational Development from Unisa, a Marketing certificate from Institute of Marketing Management, a Mining Executive Preparation Programme from Wits. Sibongile is currently working on her Masters of Science Degree in Management of Technology and Innovation in Aviation.

Prior to establishing her own company, she worked for organisations such as Telkom, City Power and De Beers to name a few.

Added to her achievements, Sibongile is the 2006 winner of the BWA’s Regional Business Women of the year award for the Star-up category,
Sibongile is a winner at the BIBA (Black Woman in Business Awards) 2006 in London, and she is the 2006 winner of the Impumelelo Top Female Entrepreneur of the year and a Finalist at the Cosmopolitan Movers of the year 2007.

Sibongile is a recipient of the 2008 BMF (Black Management Forum) Presidential Award in the Category of Youth Business Leadership and in 2010 Sibongile is a recipient of the International Women’s Entrepreneurial Challenge (IWEC) 2010 held in Cape Town.

Sibongile has a global perspective to establish her company all over the African continent and to promote youth and women empowerment globally to this end she is affiliated with the South African Entrepreneurs Network (SAWEN), Business Women Association (BWA) and she is part of a team that is establishing the Southern African Woman in Aviation a non profit making company that will encourage women to enter the field of Aviation in different levels; offer bursaries and scholarships towards Aviation related training etc. Sibongile is a board member of SAWIA.

Sibongile has a strategic relationship with Women of Color in Aviation & Aerospace in the United States of America. Sibongile is also a member of Women in Aviation International (WAI).

Sibongile plays a vital role in mentoring young girls and boys; and business man and women in Africa; Sibongile is a beneficiary of the month-long mentorship program in the United States for international businesswomen, featuring a mentorship assignment with one of FORTUNE’s Most Powerful Women with the Honourable Hillary Rodham Clinton as one of the founders of the programme.

Sibongile is a former member of the National Small Business Advisory Council that advices the Minister of Trade and Industry on Small Business; Advocates for interest of small business and Monitor Impact, she focused more on fostering the culture of entrepreneurship for Youth and Women.
Sibongile is a Member Think-Tank of the World Entrepreneurship Forum (WEF), founded in France by The State President of France Mr. Sakorzy and EMLYON Business School

In 2007 Sibongile has been named a Leader of Tomorrow by the Fortune Magazine.
Sibongile has in 2008 been featured on the World Banks reports: Doing Business Women in Africa. In 2009 she has been nominated for the Queen Victoria Memorial Award (International Socrates Award) by the Europe Business Assembly in London.