Mentor Session with Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

We kicked off the session with a brief introduction of Mbewu and ourselves as members of the group.

Having been a Teacher, Lecturer, Deputy Minister, Minister and Deputy President, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka shared with us her background, her path to success and where she is today. She is currently involved in the Umlambo Foundation which she founded in 2008 after she moved away from politics. The purpose of the Foundation is to contribute to the professional development of principals through coaching and mentorship programs with the aim to have the ability to lead schools in impoverished areas by producing learners to have the ability to beat poverty through education. She is also currently finalising her PhD which she enrolled with through Warwick University in the UK.

When asked what advice she would give in order to succeed:

• Know what you want and be able to identify who offers it.
• Make communication a hobby through networking (e.g. professional bodies) and make yourself heard in forums.
• Expose yourself to a network of well-connected individuals.
  • You get to where you get to with someone who believed in you and who stretched you.
  • Tag along to meetings with the right people. You may question why you are there at that point in time, but there is a reason why they wanted you to attend.
  • Find a mentor closest to the field you want to be in and ensure you give feedback to the mentor on a regular basis.
  • Never be afraid to ask a question.
  • Always be mindful that success is built on collectives. Success requires inter-dependency.
• Create a path that has never been walked by leaving your own footprint. Be able to raise the bar.
• It is extremely important that you lift others as you climb to the top, as the top can be lonely if you are by yourself.
• Don’t forget to create memories for yourself personally. If you have to decide between work or personal life, choose personal life (in moderation).
• Aim for your pinnacle by your 30’s.

Mlambo-Ngcuka would like to leave two more things as a legacy before she retires. She would like to be a part of something significant within Education and empowering Women.

Mentor Session with Mandla Msimang

“You are educated. You are liberated. You have the responsibility to define what lies in the box and what stays outside of the box.” – Mandla Msimang

Mandla Msimang has a passion for finding ways in which ICT can be used for development, from both a policy and implementation perspective. As the founder of Pygma Consulting (an advisory firm dealing with policy, regulation, strategy and training, particularly in information and communication technology), Msimang creates spaces for the ICT ecosystem to thrive and ultimately be used for socioeconomic development. Her work is as diverse as the needs of the sector itself; ranging from developing cyber-security awareness frameworks in South Africa to rolling out a broadband network in Tanzania.

It was an evening where winter was approaching the Johannesburg shores when the ladies of Mbewu gathered for a session around a boardroom table with Mandla Msimang. A couple of weeks before delivering her first born baby girl, Mandla shared her life and career journey with us. The recurring theme in the session was what Mandla calls “winging it.” What this means is, always trust and believe in the fact that things will work out. If you are constantly doing things (school, work, relationships) from the best part of yourself and your heart, then things will work out.

“When you do what you enjoy and are passionate about, it stops being work.”

Mandla can be caught working at absolutely any time and any day of the week because she is soo immersed in her enjoyment of the fascinating ICT sector on the African continent.

Mentor Session with Sisonke Msimang

Sisonke Msimang is the Senior Programmes Director for Sonke Gender Justice Network. Msimang works on human rights, good governance and transparency issues in Africa. She has global, regional and national experience, having worked for the United Nations as well as within the civil society sector and in private philanthropy. Until November 2012, she led George Soros’ philanthropic efforts based in Johannesburg as the Executive Director of the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA). She now directs the Rights and Democracy programme at the Sonke Gender Justice Network, which has been a leading advocate of working with men and boys in promoting gender equality.

Young, African, Female, Educated, Liberated.

Daughter. Sister. Wife. Mother. Career woman.

Human Being.

Labels?… Highly suited for a strong-headed woman who agreed to sit in with the ladies of Mbewu Movement for their second mentor-mentee session. The idea behind the meet was to have a “formal-informal” conversation. “Formal” in the sense that the ladies of Mbewu had prepared questions that would guide the conversation and “informal” in the sense that folding your arms, putting your legs up and dancing were completely allowed. Sisonke made the session light and fun as she responded to serious and not-so-serious life and career questions.

She shared tales about her travels, gender, leadership and about her experiences when all those social constructs are played out in various social settings, i.e. the home, the work place, and society at large. She reminded us that “your existence, your success will not always be accepted nor welcome by others but continue being the best you and never move your foot off the accelerator/gas pedal.”

Family life – Sisonke was frank about the fact that women who pursue success had to have a strong a support system; a husband and a nanny who are involved and present with the children when she is not.

Sisonke has written for a variety of well-known newspapers in South Africa- City Press, Mail and Guardian and (currently) the Daily Maverick.

Mentor Session with Dr. Vuyo Mahlati

Dr. Vuyo Mahlati is the current President of the International Women’s Forum South Africa. In May 2010 she was appointed by the President to serve as one of the inaugural members of South Africa’s National Planning Commission for five years. Vuyo obtained her PhD from the University of Stellenbosch – her thesis focusing on the role of value chains in mainstreaming rural entrepreneurs into global markets.

Vuyo’s leadership draws from vast experience as a policy specialist trained in the UK London School of Economics as well as her corporate leadership and entrepreneurship. She has served two terms as the Chairperson of the South African Post Office Board of Directors which includes the Post Bank.

As a recognized global thought leader, Vuyo participates in global think tanks on corporate diversity leadership and inclusive development.

Dr. Vuyo was approached by Mbewu’s founding members to contribute to the development of the group as a guardian. As a women who has dedicated most of her life to women empowerment and gender equality and other developmental initiatives, it was a great match for her to add some valued input from the inception of Mbewu Movement.

Dr. Vuyo has continuously shared great insight into strategies that could be applied to the Mbewu and its direction as well as suggestions involving the day-to-day running of our group. Sharing stories from her personal endeavors over the years, including challenges and successes that have made her who she is today.

An important take away that resonated with all Mbewu members was to revisit the definition of a mentor as we know it and particularly in light of Mbewu. We tend to think that mentors are those who have walked the steps ahead of you and have been successful, and are likely to have a made a great name for themselves in doing so. She stressed that society overlooks the mentors in our everyday lives; our aunts, our nannies, our teachers, our colleagues and friends. In this regard, she encouraged Mbewu Movement to take heed and adopt a holistic perspective of mentorship and coaching.

Our Formation

Mbewu Movement began because of a number of similar conversations occurring across a group of diverse young women. These women were each hungry to share their ideas, eager to take their career ambitions to the next level, and network with and learn from business, political and social pioneers. After a conversation with Dr Vuyo Mahlati, the founding Mbewu members were inspired to organise a group of friends into a collective focused on personal and social development.

Once the Mbewu members began putting pen to paper and developing their thoughts, they felt the potential of the collective was large enough to become a movement, aimed at developing mentorships and career opportunities, promoting political and social debate amongst young people and making a positive impact on the community.