Nicola Scott
Nicola Scott, Managing Director of Siyaduma Auto Ferriers, has been awarded the Top Young Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the 2010 Top Women Awards which took place at the Sandton Convention centre on Thursday 9th September 2010.
Siyaduma Auto Ferriers also won Top Women-Owned Company and Top Gender Empowered Company in the Transport sector on the night.
The Top Women Awards were originally established to recognize and celebrate individual entrepreneurs, government departments and corporate entities for advancing female gender empowerment within the workplace. This year, a panel of judges chaired by Manola Sanchez Aragu from WITS Business School evaluated candidates across twenty one categories from across Africa, with an impressive ninety five finalists.
Nicola says, of winning Top Young Woman Entrepreneur of the Year: “I’m so proud to win this award! Initially I tried to rationalize the event; from my competitors to the event itself, until I arrived at the venue and the impact of the evening hit home. With all the challenges you face as an employer and all the knocks along the way, your self-esteem and ego take a pounding. Many of us have signed so many sureties and have invested large sums of money into our businesses and the pressure of owning a company today leaves you feeling or even doubting why you put yourself through it all. It is also often very lonely at the top of your industry, as everyone becomes your competitor. The recognition of being at the top of your game is truly inspiring and invigorating. It has given me the motivation to do more this year.”
Nicola founded National Auto Ferriers after she was offered a six month contract to start her own business by a car rental company. What started out as a simple labour brokering company turned into a service delivery business. By 1998, three years after opening the company, Scott was a major supplier to 80% of the car rental companies in four cities. She also held contracts with a number of groups to move their brand new vehicles from dealer to dealer; a service that was usually only managed by the Car Carrier companies. In 2000 Scott changed the company’s direction into commercial transportation and changed its name to Siyaduma Auto Ferriers to meet BEE requirements.
Nicola acknowledges the unique challenges faced by women today who try to balance families and careers: “I know this comment is somewhat controversial, but it is my opinion that very often women have not defined what they truly want for themselves. They are living up to expectations of family and friends and when they find themselves climbing the corporate ladder or becoming successful in business they begin to doubt themselves. Decide what you want for yourself, create the infrastructure around you that will allow you to achieve these goals and maintain a balance. One of the toughest decisions we will always face is our role as a homemaker/mother versus employer or top achiever as guilt pertaining to possible neglect in one of the areas tears you down. I have never worked in a corporate environment but in my business it has not been difficult gaining the respect and admiration of my male colleagues and customers.”
Finally, Nicola has sound advice for aspiring female entrepreneurs: “Don’t wait for an opportunity and don’t wait to be noticed. It is ultimately up to you to create your own opportunities. As long as you have the very basic ingredients of business, anyone and any industry can be challenged. Everyone is looking for something special, for a supplier to take the pressure off them and ultimately complement their businesses. Success is totally in your hands.”
Nicola, we salute you!
