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

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 . 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 . 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 . 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 . 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 .

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 .

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 . 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

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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 . 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 .