LYT | About Us

About Ligugu Ya Taifa

OUR NAME “LIGUGU YA TAIFA - LYT”

Ligugu Ya Taifa (LYT) is a non-profit company that wants to start a bank that would love and serve our people for who they are, sons and daughters of our continent, and proud to be African. Up until today we feel our people have been marginalized and treated as second class citizens wherever they are in the world. We believe it's the right time to change this narrative.

As captured in our name, we believe our people are the true treasure of our nation, Africa. Ligugu in siSwati (Nguni language spoken mostly in the south) means "treasure or highly valued" and Ya Taifa in Swahili (language spoken mostly north of our continent) means "of our nation". We have chosen the Republic of South Africa as our base, so within the context of RSA the road map to starting a bank starts with getting a CFI (Cooperative Financial Institution) license. The process is well documented in the CFI start-up guide.

OUR DIRECTORS

Mrs. Chikondi Gurira (nee Dlamini)

Profile Summary

Chikondi trained as an Agricultural Engineer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The recipient of a Golden Key Award. She managed a consulting engineering office for MESCA Agri Engineers (previously EVN Africa Consulting Services), where she designed and managed the construction of Civil, Structural and Agricultural infrastructure across the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) until March 2020.

Equipped with an ESTP personality, a lineage of multiple Southern African countries and the unique perspective of a female immigrant in South Africa’s male-dominated agricultural and engineering industries. Chikondi has managed to thrive in her industry while delivering services to government and private sector clients.

She has invested over 7 years of service promoting interactions between student and practicing engineers, through the South African Institute of Agricultural Engineers (SAIAE). She was the first Black Female to sit on the National Council of SAIAE as chairperson of its KZN Provincial Branch and is now the Institute’s Business Manager.

Engineering Works

Having followed in her Agricultural Engineer father’s footsteps, she has worked on various types of projects that require different engineering principles. Her works has involved creating specifications for agricultural machinery and equipment, design irrigation and water supply schemes along with structures for crop storage, animal handling, agro-processing, and the supervision of the associated construction processes and is now focused on promoting Agricultural Engineering as a profession across South Africa.

Her projects have included dairy farms’ steel structures and water pipelines, sawmill steel structures, boreholes, dip tanks and some small agro-processing facilities. She assists clients with sourcing contractors and oversee agricultural projects from feasibility studies to completion.

Problem Solving

The works requires an interest in solving problems and passion for learning – there are so many aspects to agricultural engineering. You need to keep researching and understanding how policy, climate change and economics could affect the agricultural space.

Community Impact

“I love the impact that agricultural projects have, they can benefit communities and whole food chains. Agriculture is an industry that sustains the livelihood of every living person somehow, so you always have a sense that you are making a significant impact” _ Chikondi Dlamini.

Ms. Oscarine Shingange

Profile Summary

Oscarine is a well-seasoned African female Industrial Engineer, who acquired her Bachelor of Technology degree at the Nelson Mandela University. Her background is in continuous improvement, business process re-engineering, and Project management. She holds diverse certifications in problem solving techniques (Lean, Six sigma, Business Processes Modeling and Supply Chain).

Currently occupying a Program Manager role at Ecolab SA in the Senior management team, she leads the Enterprise Excellence department portfolio of Sub-Saharan Africa, responsible for delivering strategic projects to turnaround the SSA region to profitability, the countries in scope include Nigeria, Kenya & South Africa. As the Blackbelt in the region, she is responsible for training & coaching Greenbelts candidates who aspire to follow in her footsteps of problem solving within Ecolab.

The past 9 years she spent in Industry have diversified her career, Oscarine has climbed the corporate ladder through leading multi-disciplinary projects within Automotive, FMCG & Railway, continuously challenging status quo in these male-dominant industries by demonstrating the capabilities of delivering the same results (if not better) as her male equivalents. Her goal is to be an independent consultant and expert advisor to establish world class manufacturing practices in local businesses by age 40.

Career Highlights

As Industrial engineer in training at General Motors South Africa in the Port Elizabeth plant, Oscarine was part of a successful project in the body shop (shadowing a lead Engineer) in building an assembly line for the Chevrolet 2013 spark model. On her exodus from Automotive, she went to the Railway Industry where she pioneered the development of key processes and procedures to govern daily operations, leading to optimal favourable financial savings. In her current position at Ecolab, the biggest impact among projects executed to delivering her $1.5M yearly savings target was product portfolio rationalisation, aimed at localising the manufacturing of key products in East, West & Southern Africa to reduce dependence on Europe, Asia, America etc.

Community Involvement

Leader in the South Africa E3 chapter, which is a platform where women in leadership are raised and involved in community project such as “Girl child” in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. Prior to that, under Ministries I have invested resources to help in providing basic needs for disadvantaged families & children stationery in the surround East Rand areas.

What does when she is not working?

As a family-oriented person who would grab any chance to fellowship with loved ones, especially my 3year daughter who lights up our living space. Contrary to that, I love my own space and read a lot in the evenings.

“I’m an academic addict if there such a thing, I pursued my postgraduate studies in Project Management at University of Stellenbosch & MANCOSA, now finishing her Postgraduate Diploma Industrial Engineering at Witwatersrand University in a space of 3 years. I have ambition to become a doctor in my field because I simple love solving problems.”

Mr. Siphamandla Masuku

Siphamandla Masuku is a dedicated audit and financial accounting specialist with more than 5 years in the audit and finance fields. Sphamandla's dual expertise in both these fields has been valuable to the company and to his professional development. Born and raised in Newcastle, Sphamandla attributes his early interest in accounting to an affinity for all things numbers "I was fascinated" he laughs.

Brief description of achievements

Sphamandla was named Achiever of Continuous Excellence (2012 and 2013) for exemplary management and administrative excellence at Truworths.

He was also named IFRS specialist while serving his articles for showing in depth knowledge and passion for the accounting field.

Areas of expertise and interest

Sphamandla has a flair for IFRS technicalities and specializises in tax law and audits. He envisions a future where technology can play a greater role in bringing about accounting excellence and hopes to play a role in bringing about this reality.

Qualifications

Sphamandla holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting (UJ) as well as an Advanced Diploma in Accounting Science (UNISA). He is currently pursuing a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Accounting at the (UNISA).

Inquiry Form

Inquire Now