In the company of women
Building a better society for the people of tomorrow requires the transformation of organisations, writes KGAUGELO MAPHAI.
M
y journey as a leader in the corporate sector started at the tender age of 25, and I’ve had the opportunity to work with various teams that were led by extraordinary men and women. My greatest takeaway is to embrace and encourage diversity and inclusivity, and that the workplace must be equitable for teams to thrive. Havin grown up in a largely abnormal country that advocated and encouraged our society to be discriminatory and divisive, I’m vigilant about doing the right thing and very intentional in the way I lead. At the heart of leadership is embracing simple principles around fairness and giving everyone an honest chance irrespective of race, gender, age, religion, culture or sexual orientation. These are the principles I hold dear to my heart, and I believe that if many more leaders embraced them, we could really help this country transform itself into a progressive society. I’m passionate about empowering others where I have the power to, particularly when it comes to women and young people. Corporate South Africa (shareholders, boards, excos, c-suites) is still largely white and male-dominated, and that is a
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problem, especially in a country that is majority black, young and female. This is obviously a result of the historical privilege that came with being white, including having access to capital, better education, and opportunities within the private and public sectors. The direct impact is that we are not taking advantage of the power that diversity brings, especially in our organisations.
CORPORATE SOUTH AFRICA (SHAREHOLDERS, BOARDS, EXCOS, C-SUITES) IS STILL LARGELY WHITE AND MALE-DOMINATED, AND THAT IS A PROBLEM FROM THE BOTTOM UP
In the first business I co-founded, in 2009, Dream Team Talent Management, 90% of our staff were young (under 30) and the majority were black females. For many of them, this was their first formal employment, so we took the time to nurture and develop them. Today I’m proud that many of them have gone on to do great things as entrepreneurs or in corporates, and are leaders in their own right. themediaonline.co.za
When I joined media giant The MediaShop as Johannesburg MD in 2017, the management team were in their 40s and 50s. When I left we had a more racially diverse team of managers in their 30s and 40s, reducing the average age considerably. When I started the Matrix Communications Group (Matrix Group) in 2020, I was clear that I wanted a female MD and, if possible, one from my home town of Pretoria. Fortuitously, Dineo Mahloele and I found each other, and she ticked both boxes – an experienced corporate communications specialist who is originally from Mamelodi in Pretoria. Two months later we were joined by Tumi Makwela, our client service lead. The universe was listening to my thoughts. When considering which companies to partner with and acquire, I approached African Response, a research company I had worked with for many years, which is led by the experienced marketer and researcher Mamapudi Nkgadima, and Integer\Hotspot, led by the passionate shopper marketing guru Diane Wilson. Both ladies have been running their respective businesses for well over a decade, building sustainable operations that got
