Wendy Appelbaum is a prominent business figure in South Africa, as well as a generous philanthropist and one of the wealthiest and most influential women in Africa. She oversees operations at the Stellenbosch, South Africa winery and farm DeMorgenzon Wine Estate.
Wendy Appelbaum serves as a director at Victory Strategic Services Limited and as a trustee of The Tribune Trust, an investment holding trust. She is the head of De Morgenzon Estate, a winery and farm located in Stellenbosch, South Africa. holds the position of director of Sphere Holdings Limited, a black empowerment firm active in the banking and mining industries.
She credits her success as a filmmaker to the fact that she developed into a very competitive young woman thanks to her participation in many sports and activities. To earn her degree, Wendy attended the University of the Witwatersrand and majored in psychology. She followed her father into the workforce at the Liberty Group.
Appelbaum credits her father, Sir Donald Gordon, with instilling in her many valuable traits, including a keen eye for detail, a strong work ethic, and a calm disposition. On the other hand, he served as more of an example to follow than a guide for her.
Women’s Investment Portfolio Limited (Wiphold), which she co-founded and served as deputy chairman of, was the first company controlled by women to be listed on the Johannesburg Securities Exchange and had assets of over R1 billion ($150 million).
Appelbaum was the vice chairman of The Connection Group Limited, a major computer and technology retailer in South Africa. Liberty Investors is a holding company for the Liberty Group’s insurance and real estate operations, and she served as a director there.
In 2003, she and her husband, Hylton Appelbaum, purchased De Morgenzon, a wine vineyard and agricultural business in South Africa.
In 1990, she was a co-founder of Wiphold. Women in townships and rural areas benefit from Wiphold’s management team’s efforts to educate and empower them through basic financial and business training and by facilitating group share purchases.
She started the Wendy Appelbaum Foundation to help educate women in South Africa who are frustrated by the lack of options available to them. In 2011, she established the Wendy Appelbaum Institute for Women’s Health to improve healthcare for female citizens of her country.
Wendy is one of the wealthiest people in South Africa, and her estimated net worth of R2.6 billion (about $235.3 million) puts her at the top of the list of wealthy women in the country.
Achievements
In 2006, she was named one of the world’s most successful female entrepreneurs by the Leading Women Entrepreneurs organization.
Honoree of the 2012 South Africa International Women’s Forum Excellent Award for Exceptional Service to the Business and Community.
Successful Female Entrepreneur of the Year for 2015, According to Forbes
Presented with the 2015 Forbes Africa Woman of the Year Award
South Africa’s top ten wealthiest females
According to Forbes Magazine, these are the ten wealthiest women in South Africa at the present time.
Wealthiest American woman: Wendy Appelbaum (R 2.6 billion) (real estate and insurance)
Wendy Ackerman, second; R1.9 billion in wealth (business)
3 Irene Charnley, who is worth an estimated R1.5 billion (business)
Approximately R1 billion is Bridgette Radebe’s estimated net worth as of 2018. (mining)
The estimated wealth of Sharon Wapnick is R450 million (real estate investments)
The estimated net worth of Elizabeth Bradley is R332 million (hotel business)
It is believed that Judy Dlamini is worth R124 million (pharmaceutical business)
Estimated wealth of R94 million for number eight, Nonhlanhla Mjoli-Mncube (investments)
Mamphela Ramphele ranks ninth on the list, with an R55 million fortune (politics, medical career, business)
A R49.5 million fortune is predicted for Christine Ramon, who comes in at number 10. (business)
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