Young Difference Makers S2 E6 - From Medicine to Metrics: Mathabo's Ascent in Accountancy and Leadership

Imagine the career you thought you wanted taking an unexpected turn, leading you to uncharted territories that not only redefine your future but also impact thousands of lives. That's the journey Mathabo took, trading potential scrubs for financial statements, and we get an insider's look at her ascent to a pivotal role in accountancy. From Soweto to the chairperson of investments at Manowakas Providence Fund, Mathabo tells us of the grandmotherly wisdom and a fortuitous newspaper article that shifted her gaze from medicine to the world of numbers—a move that would bring transformative change to her life and to the communities she serves. Her story is a vivid portrayal of the power behind aligning one's career with their passion, a strategy that not only fuels personal growth but also enables accountants like her to shape industry policies and the fate of pension funds.

Navigating the corporate landscape without a blueprint can be daunting, especially for first-generation university graduates such as Mathabo. In this episode, she opens up about the necessity of mentorship and the tenacity required to carve a successful path with little guidance. Our discussion is a treasure trove of wisdom for young professionals, offering a glimpse into the resilience needed to tackle challenges head-on. Mathabo's anecdotes are a beacon for those finding their way, proving that with purpose-driven perseverance, individuals can rise above the odds to lead and inspire. So buckle in, and prepare to be propelled by the force of Mathabo's experiences, a testament to the remarkable difference one can make with dedication and the courage to follow an unanticipated call to leadership.

Transcript

Mathabo: 0:00

as the chairperson of investments at the Pension Fund, at Manowakas Providence Fund, you're impacting 70,000 members' lives every day with the decisions that you make In ensuring that you have their best interest at heart. For me, stands out as a difference maker moment. My name is Matabo. I'm originally from Soweto, which is a large township in Johannesburg, south Africa. The chartered accountancy journey for me actually just happened by chance. I did my primary schooling all the way until high school in a township and I think you know resources were very limited, didn't grow up very comfortable, so I really didn't have a lot of options. And you know, one day my grandmother, who used to love reading newspapers, just came up and said to me hey, you know, I've been reading in the newspapers. These chartered accountants seem to make a lot of money. So I think you should do this. You know, and that was actually the first time I was hearing about it I was 18 years old, you know, about to go into university, and it was the first time. Initially I thought I wanted to become a doctor. I had applied for that and I wanted to help people. I thought that was my purpose. Yeah, and I guess the universe and destiny sort of pushed me into that chartered accountancy journey and I applied and I got into it and, yeah, here we are.

Mathabo: 1:48

Yes, I think that that's always been the perception. I think I mean we've been called bean counters for centuries. But I think in reality my experience, especially the past six years, I always say that I actually lift the numbers, I actually don't count much. You know, in my day to day work and the opportunities that I've been afforded has been opportunities in strategy setting. You know, some of the things that I've done in the organizations I've worked with is around policy setting, really impacting industries, particularly the financial services industry in South Africa with, I guess, new policies that address how we try and drive investments into the continent instead of out. So a lot of the work really has not been every day sitting down and crunching the numbers. It's been laying the foundation to put in structures in place in the industries that I work in to ensure that business happens seamlessly. So it's quite easy. The transition I guess, to move transition from, you know, being a bean counter every day out is something that's very feasible, that is well within reach for chartered accountants, because you can literally go in anyway.

Mathabo: 3:14

So I think the concept of being a difference maker. For me, it just says, as an accountant, the work that you do, how does it impact yourself, your company, your community, the industry that you work in. It's really looking just beyond self. How do you positively make an impact with the work that you do in people's lives? And I think, if I can think of a moment well, I think as one of the difference makers in South Africa at the moment. There's probably multiple instances that I can think of, but I think for me, in my role as the chairperson of investments at the pension fund, at my work as a Providence fund, I think just coming in looking at how can we drive better investments into impact investing, how can we invest where our people live, how can we protect their livelihood, how can we ensure that when they retire, they have adequate funds and that their families are well looked after.

Mathabo: 4:24

I think all of that work that I was doing there for me felt like you know, you're impacting 70,000 members' lives every day with the decisions that you make and ensuring that you have their best interest at heart For me stands out as a difference maker moment. I would say that being authentic to who you are is quite important. Being an authentic leader is something that is very, very important. But I think for me one of the things that stood out was that don't wait until later to become a difference maker, and I think that there'd always been this perception that one day, when I'm a CFO of a large listed company, I'm going to do this. And actually that's not how I've seen it work out.

Mathabo: 5:18

Start as early as possible. I think I mean as early as when I was 23 years old. I was already running community projects at my old high schools, in the townships, in the villages, etc. So you really can just influence where you are at and as you grow, then your influence will grow with you. So I would say start as early as possible to figure out your passion and ensure that the work that you do is very much aligned with your passion. And don't wait because tomorrow is not promised. Maybe I get to 50 and I'm tired, but if you start early, then your influence grows as you grow.

Mathabo: 6:07

I mean I always say that again, if I have a personal reflection for me, when I moved to Harmony five years ago, that's when there was a strong alignment between my work and my passion and my purpose. I've always had a passion for people. I always knew that my education has to mean something more than for myself. It has to mean something for my community, and that's just how I'd always carried myself. But to be in a space where I was influencing every day the lives and the health of 45,000 people with my decisions, with projects that I undertook to make their life better, that for me was such a strong alignment to what I believe is my purpose that it stopped feeling like work and I just thrived in that environment. So it's an intentional, conscious decision that one has to make, even within the profession. I don't think it just comes to you. You sort of have to seek it to say, yes, I'm a Chattera accountant, but where will my purpose align with the work that I do? And in that spot then I believe everybody can thrive. So the earlier you seek it, the better.

Mathabo: 7:28

And I think the profession as a vehicle for change, absolutely. I mean, if you think about the numbers, the Chattera countants and the kind of influence that we have on organizations, resources around the world, policies in the public sector, just as a collective, if you think about the kind of power that we wield as a collective and if we came together and we said let's drive this for good. Just the amount of influence that we have and how that could start to move the needle, I think, for the world, you know, on issues of sustainability, on issues of, I guess, eradicating poverty, you name it anything we are in these spaces and we have a voice and we are powerful. Why not use it as a collective? So definitely, I think, yeah, the profession wields quite a lot of power that can be used for good.

Mathabo: 8:37

I think, if I just reflect on my own personal experience, I started working very much in large, I guess, listed companies in South Africa, but you know, across various industries FMCG, manufacturing. Now I ended up in a mining company and but I was looking after health, you know, the health of the people. So it's you learn quite a lot of various things At the same time. I was then placed on a board in a financial services industry wearing multiple hats. I think you can do that. You know you can be at harmony in strategy and you can be at mine workers in financial services at the same time, because the chartered accountancy profession and our training in particular, I think, equips us with analytical skills and thinking and problem solving skills, in particular, where you're able to solve problems across multiple industries in public, private sector we're able to really think outside of the box and bring about solutions that impact business, impact government, you know, and the society as a whole. So you can, you can literally work anywhere, you can be at home but, you know, get a lot of global exposure where you get to go to other countries and, I guess, share ideas, like we're here now in Belfast, share ideas between other like-minded individuals. So there really is no limit to to the broad variety of things and you know and industries that you can be exposed to as a chartered accountant, including geographical boundaries. You know that it's not there. Literally the world is your oyster.

Mathabo: 10:26

Yeah, I think, as I touched on a little bit earlier about my upbringing and how difficult that was, I think going to study at university not having the resources, not having the school fees, you know I had to get a scholarship, work very hard to maintain that scholarship and I think, even with when I started working as well, not having proper guidance, not having a mentor, a sponsor, you're trying to navigate the corporate world with no guidance whatsoever. And also, you, you actually don't have a reference point where you can mimic. You know from somebody that you live with as a first-genre. In South Africa we have this concept of first-generation graduates, so you're the first person in your family to get a bachelor's degree. So that was very difficult.

Mathabo: 11:18

I think a lot of the things that you do is very much trial and error in the beginning and it's quite difficult. So my advice to to, I guess, younger people that are starting out the journey is that it's a difficult journey, it's not easy, but with perseverance and commitment it can be done. And I guess if you can find a mentor, find a mentor very early on in your career. That helps a lot. Yeah, that's my advice. Yeah, find your purpose. I think that's very important. Find your purpose and follow that relentlessly.