Koussou Koubia Sakou Gali, a Chadian success story
Starting with equipment taken in lieu of severance pay, she built SG Makila Groupe, active in construction and services in Chad, Niger and Mali.
Translated from French. Lire en français
In a country where women’s entrepreneurship and leadership are beginning to take off, Koussou Koubia Sakou Gali’s success story commands admiration. As managing director of SG Makila Groupe, she is an emblematic figure of Chadian business. Her journey, marked by perseverance and boldness, inspires younger generations.
Early days
Born and raised in N’Djamena, she showed an entrepreneurial streak from a young age, helping support her family by selling fritters and okra leaves while studying diligently. After a technical baccalaureate (G1) in 1989, she won a scholarship to study in Mali, where she earned a higher technical diploma in executive secretarial studies.
A rich and varied career
Back in Chad in 1992, she worked on the Regional Small Ruminant Research Project, then on the Safe Motherhood project, and at Société Générale Routière, where she became assistant to the managing director. There she discovered her passion for construction, a traditionally male-dominated sector.
The birth of SG Makila Groupe
In 2002, when Société Générale Routière closed, she made a remarkably bold move: instead of a cash severance payment, she asked to be paid in kind, taking office equipment and site tools worth about 500,000 CFA francs. With them, she founded SG Makila Groupe on 22 July 2002.
The beginnings were modest: she worked in the mornings and prospected for clients in the afternoons. Through her network she won a contract with the French embassy, then diversified into staffing services (nannies, cleaners, security guards).
In 2011, after nearly ten years juggling her job at Bolloré and her company, she devoted herself fully to SG Makila Groupe. “I wanted to create jobs around me and be useful to society,” she says.
A committed entrepreneur
Today the company operates in Chad, Niger and Mali and has become a key player in construction and services. A strong advocate of women’s entrepreneurship, she plans to expand to other countries in the region. “We want to go further. All over the world, big groups have emerged this way,” she says.
- Published on:
- Tuesday, 1 April 2025
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