Businesswoman Norma Mngoma is beaming with excitement after news that she will be honoured at the 2021 Women Of Magnitude Awards.

Mngoma will be honoured for her work through the Norma Mngoma Foundation, a non-profit organisation which “assists schoolchildren with career guidance and offers bursaries to deserving young academics from previously disadvantaged backgrounds”.

The award ceremony is to take place at the end of the month in New York.

According to Mngoma, the foundation was started with an aim to help children learn and further their education, and ensure more women have equal rights and opportunities in their workspace.

Reacting to the news of being honoured as an icon, Mngoma said the award was proof of “when God says yes to your name, no-one can say no”.

“The past few weeks have been filled with a lot of inspiring words from great people who consistently speak positivity to my life from different countries. Thank you for choosing to see good in me and my NGO,” said Mngoma.

She also hinted she might be relocating to New York. “Looking forward to the big day and relocating to New York ... there is more to life and bigger things,” she said.

Speaking to TimesLIVE, Mngoma said the move would not be permanent, but would be  travelling for business. 

“I’m not relocating there permanently but I have few projects to run, because I’m part of the Brics CCI [Chamber of Commerce and Industry]. Now and then I need to be in SA for meetings,” she said. 

“Brics CCI requires one to travel to five countries, including India, Russia, China and Brazil for economic development. But I also want to invest my time to travel for business growth, especially for the youth I’m mentoring and those who are under my foundation.”

Mngoma is the estranged wife of former home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba.

Last week, Mngoma withdrew from testifying at the state capture commission at the 11th hour, saying she was not pleased with how it had handled her matter.

Mngoma was set to testify regarding her previous allegations against Gigaba, which supported his former bodyguard's testimony that Gigaba received money from the Gupta family.

However, through her lawyer Gcwalisile Makhathini, she alleged that her proposed appearance at the commission had been mishandled by its staff.

“This letter sets to inform the commission that as of late yesterday we received instructions from our client informing us of her personal concerns with regards to how various aspects of her proposed appearance at the commission has been handled or allegedly mishandled by the commission,” said Makhathini.

The commission's chairperson Raymond Zondo said a summons would be issued for Mngoma to appear.