Tsoabelo Security Solutions is a young, growing black-woman-owned company that is proving itself with excellent service, professionalism, and technological know-how – and it’s headed by a Lioness of Africa, Ntsoaki Sibiya.

Lionesses of Africa is a Public Benefit Corporation that empowers, celebrates and showcases leading women entrepreneurs across the continent to create game-changing impact.

Ntsoaki says opportunities broadened for Tsoabelo when she was invited to showcase her business at the Absa Lionesses of Africa Demo Day in November 2019. “Following our exposure at the Absa Lionesses Demo Day last year and our affiliation with the Lionesses of Africa, we signed a two-year contract with Business Partners to provide physical security guards at one of their industrial office parks in Germiston. This is going well and we are now in talks to secure new premises in Pretoria for them. We’re excited because this is the start of a relationship that will yield massive business growth and many more opportunities for us.”

This year, the Absa Lionesses Xpo is being presented on a technologically advanced virtual platform which launches for several months on Thursday, 29 October, and will connect corporate buyers and decision-makers with successful women-owned businesses on a professional platform with great exhibition features and benefits, including ready access to the Lioness exhibitors.

Tsoabelo specialises in security guarding services, the installation of access control biometric systems and CCTV surveillance systems. It set a high benchmark for itself right from the start when it achieved a turnover of R1m within a year of start-up, empowering over 25 families and making a meaningful contribution to job creation, skills development, and to the economy of South Africa.

Ntsoaki, who describes herself as “a purpose-driven, tenacious and focused young woman”, started the company in 2017. She had joined the security industry in 2013 and then identified a gap in the market for women-owned security companies founded on adding value to others. She says, “We don’t exist to run after every government security tender or exploit entry-level job seekers in the industry. We understand the value chain and the critical importance of safety and security, and we ensure value-added solutions for our clients, our stakeholders, and the industry at large.”

Tsoabelo intelligently uses technology and people to improve perimeter security and all facets of access control, ensuring extremely high levels of reliability and service across the board for their customers.

Ntsoaki adds, “The pandemic has brought a shift in the mindset of our clients and consumers in general. Before Covid-19, clients were very comfortable with conventional security services, and most were not looking for digital or technology solutions because of the costs associated with it. But this period has opened the eyes of the world, and businesspeople are now inclined to invest in technology solutions for security.”

The company is anticipating a positive response from industry buyers at this year’s online Absa Lionesses Xpo. “I’m really excited that it’s a virtual expo and will be running for longer than a day, which means potential buyers can take their time to find out more about our businesses without rushing. I am very grateful to Lionesses of Africa for constantly giving us opportunities to accelerate our business growth.”

Ntsoaki says that being a Lioness of Africa has given her company a boost in terms of its online profile. “I’ve been approached by industry leaders to participate at relevant speaking events, which is positioning me as one of the leading women in security in the country. We’ve also benefitted a lot through the Lionesses of Africa Accelerator Programme that has given me invaluable business growth strategies, and contributed to the development of our internal quality assurance processes and systems that set us apart from our industry peers.”

Speaking about Ntsoaki’s success trajectory, Lionesses of Africa Founder & CEO, Melanie Hawken, said: “Ntsoaki and her business, Tsoabelo Security Solutions, are a great example of what can happen when women entrepreneurs join the Lionesses of Africa community and take full advantage of all the support and opportunities available to them. It has been wonderful to be part of Ntsoaki’s and Tsoabelo’s growth journey and to see this high growth potential business thrive and move to the next level.”

She has powerful words of advice and support for young women contemplating a career in the security industry that she is now passionate about. “Don’t be intimidated by male-dominated industries, be brave enough to challenge the status quo and take up your place in them. I am a firm believer that young women must play a greater role in security, not only to rectify a social injustice, but more importantly, because there is an economic and business imperative to use the talents of young women to solve issues that the world faces.”

Ntsoaki has many family members – including her grandmother, father mother and siblings – who encouraged the entrepreneurial spirit within her from an early age. “They are my best role models. But I also have much admiration for many women who've built incredible businesses and proved that it’s possible for women to achieve amazing things, such as Basetsana Khumalo, Amanda Dambuza, the late Dr Thandi Ndlovu, Connie Ferguson, and others. They’re an inspiration to all in Africa.”

To find out more about Tsoabelo and to engage directly with Ntsoaki Sibiya in the Absa Lionesses Xpo interactive web-based ‘e-exhibition’ experience, which launches on Thursday, 29 October and runs for several months, go to https://www.lionessesxpo.com. Participants will have the opportunity to network with Ntsoaki at the Tsoabelo stand, enabled by WhatsApp via 1-1 chat, video call, or chat room, along with women-owned businesses in a variety of industry sectors.

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ISSUED ON BEHALF OF ABSA LIONESSES XPO BY STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT VANESSA NAUDE ON 083 271 6000 OR This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or DALLACE RICKSON JOLLY ON 083 629 1823 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Lionesses of Africa - The Pride of Africa’s Women Entrepreneurs

Launched on 19 November 2014 on the first-ever Global Women Entrepreneurship Day.Lionesses of Africa’s mission is to drive large-scale change so that Africa's women entrepreneurs have an opportunity to achieve their start-up dreams.Lionesses of Africa Public Benefit Corporation is a social enterprise working to advance Africa’s women entrepreneurs, by building and delivering entrepreneur development programmes, mentoring programmes, business tools, digital media channels, community platforms, networking events and information resources. Delivered at scale to women entrepreneurs, always free of charge.Lionesses of Africa creates impact by growing the next generation of women entrepreneurs across Africa. By supporting women to achieve their start-up dreams, we empower them to generate economic prosperity, to improve their communities, and to become game-changers Africa needs to solve pressing socio-economic problems.Lionesses of Africa has over one million users across 54 African countries and reaches tens of thousands of users in the Diaspora in Europe and North America. 

About Absa Group Limited

Absa Group Limited (‘Absa Group’) is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and is one of Africa’s largest diversified financial services groups. Absa Group offers an integrated set of products and services across personal and business banking, corporate and investment banking, wealth and investment management and insurance. Absa Group has a presence in 12 countries in Africa.The Group’s registered head office is in Johannesburg, South Africa, and it owns majority stakes in banks in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa (Absa Bank), Tanzania (Absa Bank Tanzania and National Bank of Commerce), Uganda and Zambia. The Group also has representative offices in Namibia and Nigeria, as well as insurance operations in Botswana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia, and an international Representative Office in London and New York.For further information about Absa, please visit our website www.absa.africa