You were obviously born in the late 80’s (80’s kids
are the coolest) meaning you experienced your childhood years in the 90’s, how
was growing up like for you?
I grew up with 2 loving
parents and 4 siblings in a little town in Northern KZN called Empangeni.
Apparently we didn’t have much, I was unaware of this for most of my life. My
parents did well to ensure that I always had what I needed when I needed it. I
was an active young girl, and in hindsight, quite the little achiever!
Sounds like you were quite the busy body, where have all your achievements brought you to now?
Right now I work in the
Regulatory and stakeholder management department of a multinational.
What did you study and are you using it at all in
your current role?
In my undergrad, I read Law and graduated with an LLB degree.
Thereafter, I picked up a few post grad diplomas in Economics, Media Studies
and Intellectual Property Law. I am not using my formal training much. My role
requires a lot of business acumen and is not a traditional legal role as would
be understood by most.
How long have you been working and now that you’re
working, are there any things you miss about being a student?
I have four years post
admission experience, however if one considers my 2 years as a Candidate Attorney,
I have been in the labour market for 6 years.
I miss the lack of
responsibility and accountability, I miss the long holidays.
Time for second base - tell us about your work
typical day.
My typical day entails being
in different countries in a single day as the portfolio under my care is all
the countries in the SADC region! Thank God for technology because most things
I am able to action from my desk in South Africa. For these countries, I
would be involved in negotiations, telecons, putting together parliamentary
submissions, regulatory risk management, training of younger staff etc and
general massaging of egos :)
Do you encounter any challenges that specifically come with being a
young black woman in corporate SA?
Yes I do. Being in the
technology space, I am often surrounded by senior, white men. When I was a
little younger and wet behind the ears, I was tempted to be a “man in a skirt”
at work. I thought this was necessary in order to avoid being overlooked or undermined.
It was a continuous effort to be tough and assertive. However, with age, I have
realized that being a woman in the workplace is my absolute strength. My
femininity affords me a different perspective to issues and I bring a different
skills set altogether, either than my formal training of course. In negotiations
I have an intuition that I find lacking in men. I know when to push, when to
relent or to simply be quite.
Three tips for people keen to join
your line of work?
Honestly, I would love to
see more young women of colour breaking into other disciplines. I would like to
open my Sunday paper one morning and read about a Mbali Khuzwayo who has just
returned from space. However, for those who insist on being lawyers, my single
biggest tip is that the best lawyer is one who is able to think like a businessman.
Once you understand your client, you are better equipped to assist and advise.
Further, never stop equipping yourself, success is simply a meeting of
preparation and opportunity. Let your moment find you ready!
*names and faces have been omitted purposely
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