Thandi Phiri

Background

About Thandi Phiri

Over the years, Thandi has developed her skills to lead, manage & influence meaningful & positive impact. Thandi believes in building strategic relationships to collaborate and coordinate resources to achieve set goals. She is passionate about the sustainable growth of the African entrepreneur as a catalyst that provides solutions, including addressing poverty. Through her work she makes her contribution to her passion. She has over 17 years of work experience in the development and the private sector. Thandi has over a decade of experience in Event and Project Management. Thandi has worked in management in the mine sector for 5 years. Key roles include the transformation of the mine's social assets to become self sustaining entities. This includes the successful transformation of two of the mine's large hospitals, with revenues currently (2024) covering 60% of cost from less than 20% in 2019. In 2021, her responsibilities shifted to Local Enterprise Development (LED) under Corporate Affairs which included engaging the local business communities, member driven organisations and cooperating partners in launching an Online Vendor Registration platform; a Women in Mining Programme & a Supplier Development Programme for increased participation of citizen owned & women owned businesses in the mine's supply chain. To reduce the dependency of communities on the mine, notable works in economic diversification interventions include positioning the mine as Coordinator for the Copperbelt Horticulture Consortium which promises to shift the current imbalance in horticulture products sourced outside the province. Thandi's extra curricular works include conceptualizing and hosting a 5-year non-profit market access platform which profiled 500 MSMEs (mainly Youth and Women) in the Creative and Cultural Sector in Gaborone, Botswana between 2011 and 2015. In 2023, Thandi founded Kupema Wellness - Bush Walks & Talks - a wellness focused movement centered around nature walks, forest conservation and personal development.