By Shumirai Chimombe
Nisha Kostas, founder and CEO of Niche Integrated Solutions, was the proud recipient of the Top Women Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 Award, sponsored by Standard Bank, for her visionary leadership, tangible achievements, and unwavering commitment to gender. Empowerment. The prestigious awards ceremony took place on 2 December at the Sandton Convention Centre. The honour outstanding women and Organisations that have made significant strides in gender empowerment, creating inclusive and equitable workplaces.
The Standard Bank Top Women Awards honour outstanding women and Organisations that have made significant strides in gender empowerment, creating inclusive and equitable workplaces.
“Nisha’s career is a testament to the principles of excellence, ingenuity, and integrity, establishing her as a true inspiration within her field. Her unwavering commitment to innovation and leadership has not only driven the remarkable growth of her company but has also created a powerful platform for gender empowerment.” – Niche Integrated Solutions
Niche Integrated Solutions is a 100% women-owned tech firm specialising in cutting-edge, scalable technology solutions tailored to meet the evolving needs of businesses across diverse industries. Its expertise spans Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), banking & FinTech, and digital and emerging technologies, enabling businesses to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital world. Nisha is a strong advocate for technological innovation and believes it is key to solving multiple problems.
READ: Employees who feel valued, inspired, and empowered
A collaborative, visionary and empowering leadership approach
As a demonstration of her belief in enabling a culture of shared ownership and continuous learning, where every team member is empowered to contribute to the company’s vision, Nisha initiated a cross-departmental task force to address a key market challenge. This strategy to decentralise decision-making and empower the company’s team leads created a sense of ownership that resulted in a 40% increase in project efficiency, and almost a 100% growth in turnover compared to the entire financial year of 2024.
This inclusive leadership style has had a profound impact on Niche Integrated Solutions, and has developed a resilient team that is not only dedicated to excellence but also deeply aligned with the company’s core values.
In a bold innovative move, Nisha championed the integration of robotics, AI and IoT (Internet of Things) into the company’s core business. This resulted in the company being the first to go live on an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation project within a record-breaking five months, compared to the traditional 12-18 months cycle – a feat which Nisha is particularly proud of.
Expanding an empire – the power of strategic partnerships
Nisha has developed successful partnerships with global technology leaders to introduce solutions to South Africa, which has resulted in the company winning bids with major South African banks.
She single-handedly established two companies as subsidiaries of Niche Integrated Solutions. She is a director at Billion Systems and at Heritage Growth Partners
Billion Systems, which she launched in partnership with Billion Group, is a dynamic enterprise which drives technological advancements and business efficiencies across Africa. Together with founders Dr Sisa Ngebulana and Ayanda Ngebulana, She has helped the company position itself as a key player on the continent’s tech landscape. Billion Systems’ commitment to empowering businesses through tech aligns well with Nisha’s own vision to bridge technology gaps on the continent.
Heritage Growth Partners, which was established in partnership with OptiGrowth, specialises in growth equity investments. The business focuses on partnering with owner-managers to accelerate business growth. While the primary focus of the firm is on investing in sectors like industrial, consumer goods and services, Nisha’s directorship role involves guiding investment strategies, particularly in the technology and financial sectors where she has extensive expertise. Her position with Heritage Growth Partners allows her to support a wider range of businesses, contributing to economic development and transformation.
It is a remarkable achievement for a small business like Niche Integrated Solutions to form subsidiaries with such established players, as well as a partnership with the Gauteng African Ex-Political Prisoners(GAEPP), which is part of the Association of Ex-Political Prisoners (AEPP) from Robben Island.
It shows that the business brought something of significant value to the table – whether it’s Nisha’s reputation as a “tech radical,” specialised technology, or a unique market insight. In addition, her partnership with groups such as GAEPP indicates that she is not just growing her business but she is also using technology as a tool for social and economic empowerment.
Small businesses often face significant challenges, including limited capital, a smaller talent pool, and less brand recognition compared to large corporations. However, Nisha’s ability to create these subsidiaries shows she’s been able to leverage her personal brand and expertise to overcome these hurdles. This type of achievement is a powerful example of how a leader’s vision and personal network can compensate for a company’s small size.
Feedback from the judges
“Nisha has led Niche Integrated Solutions through almost 100% turnover growth, launched multiple subsidiaries (Billion Systems, Heritage Growth Partners), and expanded
operations across Africa. This demonstrates high scalability, innovation, and measurable business growth.”
“Nisha is a renowned leader in the ICT sector, widely recognized and award-winning
for her contributions to the tech industry. Under her leadership, the business has not only achieved significant growth but has consistently improved its margins year on year. Her visionary leadership positions the company to thrive within the 5IR (Fifth Industrial Revolution) digital economy agenda.”
Interested in entering an award?
The date has been set for the Standard Bank Top Women Awards 2026. The event will take place on 3 December at the Sandton Convention Centre.
These awards stand as one of South Africa’s most prestigious platforms recognising outstanding leadership, innovation, and commitment to gender empowerment across business, public service and social impact.
Entering the awards positions your brand as a credible leader in gender empowerment, boosting your reputation across industries.
Visit the official awards portal, view the criteria and enter here
For enquiries and submission assistance, contact Quarnita Jumat at quarnita.jumat@topco.co.za
