AKHONA MOSIANE: A DRIVING FORCE IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

Q: Who is Akhona? I was born in Odendaalsrus, Eastern Cape, South Africa, and completed my education in Nqamakwe. I went to the University of the Free State to pursue my BCom Accounting degree. I attended public schools and had teachers who were very intentional with getting the dedicated students ahead. My father worked as a Machine Operator underground in the mines. He raised four children, three of whom attended tertiary institutions.

Q: How did the decision to open a dealership come about? I started working as a bookkeeper in a dealership. There I grew in different leadership roles. However, I wanted to work in operations an opportunity presented itself in the form of a Trainee General Managers program pioneered by Barloworld I took it and never looked back. The plan was to ensure that I wasn’t working at age 35 because I wanted to make a meaningful difference. In 2020, I began talking with a colleague about opportunities in the automotive industry. When it came we were fortunate enough that it was with a brand that we both love.

Q: Can you say you’ve changed the automotive industry? Yes, because when I joined the Automotive Industry you could count female managers on one hand. Even the ones that made it through had to work 10 times harder. My role has been to show young girls that there is a career in Automotive. Is it hard? Yes, it is but it can be done.

Q: What difficulties did you encounter when you first started out? I was 23 years old when I became a manager. In a team consisting of a 57-year-old, a 48-year-old and a 45-year-old. The other team members were young but older than me. There were only two women on the team, myself and a finance and insurance manager. Every decision I made was questioned by the senior team members. It was tough but I never thought about quitting, I always thought I have to be there and be vocal. If it means losing my job then so be it. I have always stood up for the truth and treated every situation objectively without relying on emotion. In addition, I’ve always protected my team and made sure no outsider can disrespect my team, and in doing so I’ve earned the respect of almost everyone I work with. For me, fairness and toughness go hand in hand.

Q: What are your business’s long-term goals? We want to hire as many Black females as possible, groom future business leaders, and encourage entrepreneurship. God willing, the goal is to acquire more businesses to effect meaningful change in the Black community.

Q: What adv ice would you give young women following in your footsteps? If you have a dream that scares you, it is simply not big enough to stop you from pursuing it. Challenge the status quo, don’t settle for anything less than what you want, and trust in God in everything - there is no such thing as too much ambition.