Dr. Judith Nomzamo Dlamini, widely known as Judy Dlamini, is a prominent South African business leader, author, medical doctor, and philanthropist. Recognized as one of Africa’s most influential women, she serves as Chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), the first Black woman to hold this position in the institution’s history. As founder and Executive Chairman of the Mbekani Group, she has built a diversified portfolio spanning health, property, facilities management, and luxury fashion retail.
Profile summary
| Full name | Judith Nomzamo Dlamini (Judy Dlamini) |
| Date of birth | 10 July 1959 |
| Place of birth | Westville, KwaZulu‑Natal, South Africa |
| Nationality | South African |
| Province of origin | KwaZulu‑Natal |
| Partner | Sizwe Nxasana (former CEO of FirstRand) |
| Children | A daughter and a son (deceased) |
| Occupations | Medical doctor, business leader, author, philanthropist, Chancellor of Wits University, corporate‑governance specialist |
| Net worth | Estimated at around R124 million |
Early life and education
Judy Dlamini was born on 10 July 1959 in Westville, KwaZulu‑Natal, South Africa, into a family that valued education and hard work. She matriculated from M.J. Mahlangu High School in KwaMashu, Durban, studied medicine at the University of Natal (now University of KwaZulu‑Natal), and qualified as a medical doctor.
After practising as a family physician for more than a decade, she obtained a Diploma in Occupational Health, later earning an MBA from Wits Business School, a Doctorate in Business Leadership from UNISA, and a Certificate in Innovation & Entrepreneurship from Stanford University.
Career
Dlamini began her career as a medical intern at KEH VIII Hospital in KwaZulu‑Natal and later opened a private practice in eMlazi, one of South Africa’s largest townships. A traumatic mugging in 1996 prompted her shift from clinical medicine into business and corporate leadership.
She worked at HSBC Investment Bank in London in transport and energy corporate finance before founding the Mbekani Group in 1996, starting as an occupational‑health consulting firm and expanding into surgical equipment, facilities management, security, commercial property, and luxury fashion retail, as well as co‑founding the Sifiso Learning Group for early‑childhood digital learning.
She served as Chair of Aspen Pharmacare Holdings from 2007 to 2015 and has held non‑executive roles at companies such as Anglo American plc, Discovery Holdings, Woolworths Holdings, Northam Platinum, the SA SME Fund, and the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre.
Dlamini has been named one of Africa’s 50 Most Powerful Women and among “50 over 50” women leaders for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and serves as Chancellor of Wits University, a position that places her at the heart of higher‑education governance and transformation in South Africa.
Personal life
Judy Dlamini is married to Sizwe Nxasana, a former CEO of FirstRand Limited and a prominent figure in South African banking and corporate governance. The couple co‑founded the Mkhiwa Trust, a family‑run public‑benefit organization that supports rural development, health, and education initiatives.
The couple has two children: a daughter, Nkanyezi Makhari, who is a chartered accountant and business partner, and a son, Sifiso Nxasana, who passed away tragically.
Books and publications
- Equal but Different – a business‑focused book on leadership, gender, and the value of diverse perspectives.
- The Other Story – a narrative‑driven book exploring untold histories and marginalized voices, especially those of Black women in South Africa.
- Grow to be Great – a leadership and personal‑growth book drawing lessons from her journey across medicine, finance, and entrepreneurship.
- Academic articles on social justice, psychology, and gender‑based violence, including reflections on GBV as a twin pandemic to COVID‑19.
- Doctoral research on the intersection of race, gender, and social class in women CEOs’ career progression and how to drive gender transformation at senior leadership levels.
Net worth
Judy Dlamini’s net worth is estimated at around R124 million, reflecting her equity stakes in the Mbekani Group and related ventures, income from board positions at major corporations, and returns from property and retail investments, as well as earnings from her work as an author and speaker.
Awards and Recognition
- African Economy Builder Lifetime Achiever Award
- African Women Chartered Accountant “Woman of Substance” Award
- UNISA Leadership in Practice Award
- BBQ Platinum Award
- Gender Mainstreaming Role Model – Beacon of Africa Award
- EY World Entrepreneur – Lifetime Achiever Award
- Named one of Africa’s 50 Most Powerful Women
- Featured among “50 over 50” women leaders for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa
- Honorary doctorate from Nelson Mandela University
- Honorary doctorate from the University of KwaZulu‑Natal
