Lindiwe Nkuna-Kgopa heads sanitary pad production, becoming the first major women-owned enterprise in Africa

Lindiwe Nkuna-Kgopa turned rejection into one of the most inspiring entrepreneurial success stories in South Africa by creating a business that has changed the landscape of female manufacturing in Africa. She founded and leads Lindiwe Sanitary Pads (LSP), which is the first large-scale sanitary pad production in Africa entirely owned and managed by women.

More than ten years ago, a comment at a women's event fundamentally changed Nkuna-Kgopa's life. Today, the founder and CEO of LSP received the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award 2026 for reimagining the achievements of women in African manufacturing. She recalled that the speaker at the event noted that there had never been a female president in South Africa, nor had any woman owned a sanitary pad factory on an industrial scale. Despite the audience continuing the movement, Nkuna-Kgopa remained determined to change this situation.

She emphasized: 'The entire industry, built on women's bodies, supported by women's needs and bought with women's money, has never belonged to a woman on an industrial scale.' It was this gap between who the industry served and who owned it that prompted her to start LSP. Today, LSP, founded in 2018 in a home kitchen, has grown into a 4000 square meter factory in Centurion, Gauteng, capable of producing 800 pads meeting South African Bureau of Standards standards every minute.

The business now exports products to 11 African countries and employs women from previously underserved communities. Through partnerships and donation programs, the company provided free sanitary products to over 100,000 schoolgirls in South Africa this year.

Building a Business Against Adversity

Nkuna-Kgopa was born and raised in Limpopo and became a mother while studying at university in Pretoria. Instead of letting circumstances dictate her future, she focused on creating a business that she felt Africa needed. However, winning over investors proved much harder than developing the vision itself.

She recalls how banking experts told her that she simply did not fit the profile of someone who could succeed in manufacturing. 'I remember telling them I would succeed, and that the real question was whether they would be part of this success story or not,' she said. 'I also asked what exactly this profile entailed, and instead of giving up because I didn't meet the requirements, I built myself and my business until I met the profile.'

Access to funding became one of the biggest hurdles for the nascent company. As the first producer entering a traditionally male-dominated industry, Nkuna-Kgopa struggled to convince lenders and investors to support her venture. Instead, she relied on business development programs, disciplined financial management, and relentless perseverance. 'Every failure—a delayed delivery, a difficult overdraft period, or stalled negotiations—was treated as a problem to be solved, not a reason to stop.'

One defining moment occurred during one of the company's toughest periods. With little money, suppliers demanding payment and the business's future hanging in the balance, Nkuna-Kgopa invited potential sponsors to visit her factory instead of relying solely on presentations and documents. This decision changed the company's future. She secured R27 million in funding, allowing the business to transition from home operations to a modern production facility capable of supplying retailers, wholesalers, and the National Dignity Programme in South Africa.

'Beyond the numbers, it was confirmation that women's business in this sector could be entrusted with serious capital and could secure it,' she noted.

Purpose-Driven Production

Today, Lindiwe Sanitary Pads has 36 permanent employees and another 93 workers during peak production periods, most of whom are women from previously underserved communities. For Nkuna-Kgopa, the greatest success of the factory lies not just in what it produces, but in the opportunities it creates. Through a partnership with Young Women of Africa, the company has expanded to 11 African countries, helping women entrepreneurs launch and own their own sanitary pad brands, creating new pathways to economic independence.

The partnership also supports programs that help save girls from child marriage and gender-based violence, allowing them to return to school and build independent futures. Closer to home, government partnerships and the company's 'Buy to Give' initiative allowed over 100,000 schoolgirls in South Africa to receive free sanitary products this year, helping to reduce menstruation-related poverty and school absenteeism.

'The sanitary pad industry exists because of women's needs; however, for decades, the side of production has been predominantly male,' she said. 'Creating an enterprise owned and run by women was about closing that gap, ensuring that the value created by an industry serving women is also captured by them as owners, decision-makers, and industrialists.'

Redefining the Profile

As South Africa celebrates Women's Month, Nkuna-Kgopa hopes her journey will inspire more women to enter industries where they have traditionally been overlooked. 'I would say: don't wait for someone to tell you that you fit the profile—build a track record that redefines what that profile looks like,' she stated. 'Expect to be underestimated, and let that be fuel, not a demotivating factor. Deeply study the technical and financial foundations of your industry because competence is the strongest answer to doubt.'

At 43, Nkuna-Kgopa stated that her ambitions extend far beyond expanding one company. She wants to leave behind an industry transformed by female leadership, where ownership ceases to be the exception and becomes the norm. 'I want to leave behind an industry that is fundamentally different from the one I entered—an industry where African women are owners and industrialists in the menstrual economy, not just consumers,' she said. 'I want the LSP model of production, mentorship, and market access for other women-owned brands to be replicated across the continent long after I am gone.'

If she succeeds, Nkuna-Kgopa's greatest legacy will not just be the factory she built, but the women who follow in her footsteps. It will be proof that industries built around women's needs can also belong to, be run by, and be transformed by them.

iol.co.zaAugust 10, 10:00

Sivananda World Peace Foundation and Sulabh International collaborate to support women in KwaZulu-Natal

The Sivananda World Peace Foundation has announced a new partnership with Sulabh International from India. The goal of this collaboration is to launch local production of sanitary pads for rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal.

This initiative is part of the Foundation's ongoing Aid and Wellness Programs, which are based on the principles: Serve. Love. Be Kind, Do Good.

Sanitary Products

The project aims to achieve several key objectives. Firstly, ensuring access and dignity: guaranteeing that women and girls in rural areas have access to affordable and hygienic products. Secondly, health and well-being: promoting education on menstrual health and raising hygiene awareness.

Furthermore, the project focuses on empowerment by creating local opportunities for skill development and jobs in manufacturing, as well as strengthening social cohesion by improving the health, dignity, and self-sufficiency of families and communities.

Prince Ishwar Ramlutchman Mabeka Zulu, President of the Sivananda World Peace Foundation, emphasized that 'Menstrual health is a fundamental human value. No girl should miss school, and no woman should suffer in silence due to lack of access.'

He added that through the partnership with Sulabh International, India, they are implementing a sustainable solution for their rural communities, which serves as an example of practical aid.

Abha Kumar, representing Sulabh International, India, expressed gratitude: 'We are very pleased with the partnership with Sivananda World Peace Foundation in this vital initiative.'

Both parties stated their shared commitment to ensuring dignity, health, and empowerment for women and girls in rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal.

Sulabh International, a globally recognized organization in sanitation and social upliftment, provides technical expertise and proven models to support the project's implementation. The production unit will primarily focus on serving underserved rural areas.

The Sivananda World Peace Foundation and Sulabh International will closely collaborate with local leaders, schools, and public health workers to ensure the distribution, training, and long-term impact of the project.

foodformzansi.co.zaAugust 7, 12:00

Women's cooperative in East Cape transforms communal lands into successful retail business

A women-led cooperative is transforming communal lands into a profitable retail business. Bukeka Bukwana and four other women in Sterkspruit, East Cape, are turning communal land into a growing enterprise through their primary cooperative, Zakhe Youth Development.

Using crops such as spinach, cabbage, ready-to-cook vegetables, and sorghum products, they find various ways to increase crop efficiency despite constant challenges from drought.

Like many South Africans seeking entry into the job market, Bukwana spent two years looking for work after qualifying as an electrician at Ekurhuleni East College in 2008. Having grown up in Johannesburg, she decided to return home to Sterkspruit. Initially, she started a home garden to feed her family, but when neighbors showed interest in her produce, she began selling the surplus.

In 2022, Bukwana founded Zakhe Youth Development Primary Co-operative with four other women: Ntombikize Mabuyahulu, who oversees financial oversight; Nomawethu Mhithika, who handles human resources, research, and innovation; Nokusiza Mtshazo, who manages marketing and business development; and Nompiliso Bukwana, who supervises agro-processing, value addition, and risk management. Bukwana manages administration, strategic leadership, and agricultural production. She notes: 'Our goal has always been to create opportunities for rural communities while proving that communal lands can be commercially productive.'

The cooperative applied for communal land and was granted use of 139 hectares for a 20-year term. As demand grew, the women sought ways to make their products more convenient for buyers, especially households preparing for traditional ceremonies and funerals. They began washing, slicing, and packaging spinach and cabbage into ready-to-cook vegetable kits. These products are now sold in Boxer supermarkets and to local residents.

In the face of recurring droughts threatening production, the collective adopted climate-smart agriculture. They invested in producing shade nets, drilled a borehole, and installed drip irrigation to improve water use efficiency. Furthermore, they collaborated with the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) to study local and drought-resistant crops, including their nutritional value.
The cooperative received funding from the Department of Social Development, the National Development Agency (NDA), the Eastern Cape Department of Agriculture, and the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC). Currently, 63 hectares are cultivated on the 139-hectare farm: 10 hectares for cabbage, spinach, and potatoes, 50 hectares for sorghum, one hectare for research and trials, and two hectares for indigenous maize varieties. However, limited irrigation remains a serious obstacle, leaving a significant portion of the land unused.
Bukwana reports that they are working with the Department of Water and Sanitation to obtain a water use license. This process requires compliance with environmental and technical standards before approval.
The cooperative also practices crop rotation according to seasons. In winter, they focus on cabbage, spinach, and potatoes, while summer production includes pumpkin and beans. Bukwana emphasizes: 'Crop rotation is one of the most important practices on our farm. It helps improve soil health, reduces the buildup of pests and diseases, and ensures better nutrient utilization in the soil.'
For Bukwana, access to water remains central to the future of the cooperative. She believes that as farmers, they all depend on water, so there must be a system that balances agricultural production with the protection of rivers and groundwater for future generations.

Bukwana told Food For Mzansi that funding remains one of the biggest challenges faced by emerging farmers, but she realized that building a successful farming business depends not only on attracting funds. She notes that every organization that invested in Zakhe Youth Development helped solve a different problem, which collectively contributed to transforming the cooperative from a small community garden into a commercial farming enterprise.
The Department of Social Development provided seed capital for drilling the borehole and purchasing agricultural resources, laying the foundation for more sustainable production. ECDC, through the Imvaba Cooperative Fund, supported the cooperative's transition to mechanization, while the Department of Agriculture provided a tractor and agricultural equipment. As production grew, NDA provided funding for scaling up the cooperative and moving towards commercialization.
Another crucial step was joining the Boxer Supplier Development Programme. Boxer helped the cooperative enter the formal market by providing access to LGAP training, agricultural resources, and mentorship regarding retailers' expectations of commercial suppliers. Bukwana stresses: 'This support gave us the confidence and knowledge to prepare for supplying the retail sector.'

Nevertheless, the transition from serving the local community to the formal retail market took three years. Bukwana emphasizes: 'It was not an instant success. We had to scale up production capacity, improve farming methods, and prove that we could consistently produce quality crops.'

Bukwana's plans include transforming Zakhe Youth Development into one of Mzansi's leading rural agro-processing cooperatives while demonstrating that communal lands can support commercially viable farming. The cooperative's plans involve establishing a fully operational agro-processing complex, completing the construction of a packing house, obtaining a Global G.A.P. certificate, and expanding the range of sorghum-based products.