Rooted, Rising & Responsible
Simangele Violet Mathibeli’s leadership journey is a story of seasons, from storytelling and voice to strategy and enterprise. Rooted in ancestry and guided by purpose, she leads with an African consciousness that centres service, courage, and the responsibility to uplift others.
I was born in Soweto, a place where languages, cultures, and dreams meet. IsiZulu shaped my confidence, Sesotho and isiXhosa shaped my warmth, and township language taught me to listen beyond words. From the very beginning, my life has been a conversation between roots and possibility.
Acting Crew from Zone 14
Before the boardroom, I was a storyteller. Acting was my first introduction to the world. It gave me presence, discipline, emotional intelligence, and the ability to read a room before a word is spoken. It taught me timing, when to step forward and when to step back.
When the season shifted, I knew it was time to leave the stage, not because a dream had died, but because purpose was calling me elsewhere.
I teach my children that language carries ancestry. When someone speaks their mother tongue, they summon history. We rise, but we remain rooted.
My Umemulo – coming of age ceremony
My praise name is Nkunzi Kayihlehli. It is not a title; it is a spiritual identity. It reminds me that the strength, courage, and resilience of my lineage walk with me, especially in moments of doubt.
After acting, I moved into South African radio, where I found my voice in a different way. Radio sharpened my communication skills and taught me about influence, responsibility, and the power of words. It was there that my leadership abilities began to emerge naturally.
From radio, my journey expanded into communications, brand strategy, and content production. These spaces taught me how organisations tell stories, reach audiences, and create impact. Every chapter from acting, radio and strategy shaped my voice, my resilience, and my direction.
What motivated me then, and still motivates me now, is to build a life rooted in purpose, possibility, and impact.
My educational journey mirrors that same spirit. I attended school in Soweto, where my foundation was built on resilience, discipline, and the belief that education is a pathway to freedom. I later pursued Media Studies and Marketing, which supported my work in acting, radio, and brand communication.
My Graduation
As my responsibilities grew, I completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management and am currently on my journey toward completing my MBA. Education shaped me in three ways: it expanded my worldview, gave me the confidence to lead in boardrooms with clarity, and taught me discipline, the kind that sustains you long after motivation fades.
“When someone speaks their mother tongue, they summon history.”
Radio gave me voice.
My career unfolded in stages. Acting gave me confidence and presence. Brand strategy and communications taught me how to think bigger and lead creative teams. Co-founding Ester Noir was a turning point, allowing me to merge creativity, strategy, and business.
Stepping into the role of Group CEO of Calvin and Family Group marked a defining chapter. Today, I lead a proudly African conglomerate with interests across security, communications, agriculture, hospitality, logistics, property development, and more.
My leadership is grounded in African values of Ubuntu, integrity, courage, humility, and service.
The achievements that matter most to me are not the headlines, but the impact created quietly and consistently. As Group CEO, I have focused on building opportunities for others, driving skills development, improving operations, and creating sustainable growth.
This work has contributed to the company’s recognition across platforms such as the National Business Awards, Forbes Africa, and Impumelelo, among others.
Personally, I have been honoured through recognitions including the MTN Radio Awards, Standard Bank Top Women Awards, and the Fabulous Women Awards. These moments matter because they affirm that women can lead, scale, and transform industries with both compassion and courage.
What defines my career legacy is how I have shown up. I want to be remembered as a woman who built with heart, led with intention, and created opportunities where none existed. My success has always been about service to my people, my teams, and the communities we touch.
One of my greatest challenges was leading through a season of deep uncertainty in business and in life. Contracts were under pressure, teams looked to me for direction, and I was balancing leadership, motherhood, and growth. That season taught me that leadership is not about having all the answers.
It is about staying steady through the storm, embracing vulnerability, and trusting God’s timing. The challenge did not defeat me; it refined me.
A defining turning point came when I realised that my growth no longer lived in spaces I had already mastered. I wanted to create, not just contribute. Lead, not just participate. Build, not just perform.
That realisation pushed me into entrepreneurship, a bold step that required courage, risk, and leaving behind familiar identities. It taught me that purpose will always call louder than fear.
If I were to summarise my journey in one sentence, it would be this: a woman guided by purpose, who turned her voice, her roots, and her resilience into a legacy of meaningful leadership.
Women who shaped me.
I am shaped by women who carried strength quietly, my grandmother, my mother, and the women of my lineage. They taught me dignity, discipline, and the power of standing firm in who you are. Professionally, I have been guided by mentors, colleagues, and even strangers whose lives and work challenged me to stretch further.
Impact, to me, is measured in transformed lives. The security guard whose job brings stability to his family. The young woman who finds her voice in our creative agency. The children who see new possibilities because their parents were empowered.
Looking ahead, my vision is to build a legacy of opportunity, dignity, and meaningful change. Through Calvin and Family Group, I want to grow companies that do not merely operate in communities, but uplift them.
I want to create pathways that make success accessible, not exclusive, especially for young people from townships and rural areas.
At the end of it all, I hope people will say: She built with purpose. She uplifted others. She made us believe we could do more. That is the legacy I am building, one generation at a time.
