Xoli Moagi is a prominent South African entrepreneur and industry leader known for breaking barriers in the traditionally male-dominated sectors of construction and mining. She says she lives in a “house full of men,” which includes her husband and their two sons. She mentions that her husband is a mining engineer, and having him and other family members in the industry helped her feel comfortable entering the male-dominated mining sector, as it was a familiar environment to her.

Xoli Moagi holds several high-level leadership positions that bridge the gap between private enterprise and industry advocacy. As the Director of her own company, NMX Conglomerate, she operates directly within the construction and mining sectors, while simultaneously serving as the Deputy President of South African Women in Construction (SAWIC), where she champions women’s entry and sustainability in the built environment. Additionally, in her role as the CEO of the Northwest Chamber of Commerce, she focuses on local economic development by connecting grassroots businesses with corporate opportunities.

Xoli Moagi’s journey is the transition from a traditional employment role to becoming a powerhouse in the male-dominated sectors of construction and mining. Her story highlights that success isn’t just about technical skill—it is about the “soft” power of resilience, the willingness to start from zero (volunteering), the grit to survive financial and operational failures, and a leadership philosophy rooted in lifting others up rather than just building structures.

2. Her Background & Roots

• A “Miner’s Daughter”: She hails from Muzimuhle, a mining town. Her deep connection to the industry comes from her lineage—her grandfather and father were miners, and she is married to a mining engineer. This background gave her the confidence to view the dangerous mining environment as “home.”

• The “Builder”: She places great significance on her surname, Moagi, which means “Builder” in Setswana. She interprets this not just as building physical structures, but as a spiritual calling to build people, families, and leadership.

3. Her Business Journey

• From Volunteer to CEO: Her career did not start with capital; it started with volunteering. After facing unemployment, she worked for free at a parliamentary constituency office to build her network.

• Resilient Entrepreneur: She started her business cleaning rubble with a two-person team and scaled it to over 125 employees. She has weathered significant storms, including “seasons of silence” where contracts dried up, tax issues with SARS due to a negligent accountant, and labor disputes at the CCMA.

4. Her Leadership Style

• Faith-Driven: She is openly religious and attributes her resilience to her faith, viewing her business as a ministry to change lives.

• Advocate for Transformation: She is a vocal critic of “tick-box” exercises in the mining industry, arguing that women are often set up to fail by companies that hire them only for compliance scores without providing genuine operational support.

Xoli Moagi offers a very pragmatic and somewhat unconventional perspective on winning tenders. She moves away from the idea of simply “applying and waiting” and focuses on relationship-building, strategy, and understanding the grey areas of business.

What she said about getting tenders:

i. Don’t Rely on “Tenderpreneurship”

She advises against the common “tenderpreneur” mindset where you sit and wait for a government contract. Instead, she emphasizes creating your own opportunities by starting small.

• Start as a Subcontractor: She didn’t start by winning a massive tender. She approached a main contractor on a mall project and asked for a small piece of the work (cleaning rubble). By doing this well, she proved herself and was given more work.

ii. The “Brown Envelope” vs. “Finder’s Fee”

She touched on the controversial topic of bribery in tenders.

• Reframing the Narrative: She argued that when black businesses pay for a contract, it is stigmatized as “corruption” or “brown envelopes.” However, she pointed out that in the established private corporate world, this is often formalized as a “finder’s fee” or “consulting fee.”

• The Reality of Access: She suggested that paying to access a network or an opportunity is a standard business practice, provided it is done correctly and transparently as a business cost, rather than an under-the-table bribe. She implies that people should not be naive about the cost of access.

iii. Have a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

She stressed that the construction market is saturated. You cannot win tenders simply by being a “woman in construction.”

• Differentiation: You need to offer something specific—whether it’s technology, a specific manufacturing skill, or a specialized service—that makes you stand out from the thousands of other applicants.

iv. Use “Soft Power” and Networking

• Volunteering as a Strategy: Her first big breaks came from people she met while volunteering for free at a political office. She views networking not just as handing out business cards, but as serving others so they trust you enough to give you a contract later.

v. Compliance is Key

• The Tax Lesson: She highlighted that you cannot win or keep tenders if your house isn’t in order. She almost lost everything because her accountant failed to submit tax returns. Winning a tender is useless if SARS shuts you down shortly after because you are not compliant.