Bridgette Radebe, South Africa's first black female mining entrepreneur and one of the country's most powerful businesswomen, was honoured with the prestigious international Business Person of the Year Award on Sunday.

The award is presented to individuals who have made a difference in an ever-changing political and environmental landscape.

Radebe is one of the richest black women in Africa. She began her career with British Petroleum in the early 1980s before starting a business development company in 1987 to help entrepreneurs from the rest of Africa to set up business in South Africa.

She was closely involved in developing the Mineral & Petroleum Resources Development Act and the Mining Charter.

Radebe founded Mmakau Mining in 1995 and has turned it into a leading player in the mining management industry. Married to Minister of Transport, Jeff Radebe, Bridgette is currently the CEO of Mmakau Mining and the only woman to head a deep-level, hard-rock mining company in South Africa.

Mmakau is contracted to some of the major SA mining houses, including Goldfields and Randgold, and is expanding into Africa. It is active in gold, platinum, diamonds, copper, coal, and semi-precious stones.

She is also a founder and board of trustee member of the New Africa Mining Fund and founder and president of the SA Mining Development Association (the Junior Mining Chamber)

This award — whose past winners include former South African President FW de Klerk — was given to Radebe at a ceremony at Summer Place, Sandhurst.