Know your worth

“The only limits you have are the limits you believe”
-Wayne Dreyer.

Did I break the glass ceiling? Yes indeed! As we grow and evolve, I can conclude that it is possible to keep breaking those glass ceilings we get challenged with.

I grew up in the dusty streets of Kanyamazane, a location just outside of erstwhile Nelspruit now named Mbombela in the beautiful province of Mpumalanga. When I think about my journey I can only say “Wow, God’s grace is sufficient for all of us and your dreams are valid Black child.” My first ceiling I broke was finishing high school and making it to university, as I was raised by a single mother and very supportive family structure. That dream became a reality amidst the statistics that one in every three girls can get pregnant in high school, which destroys their career ambitions.

For me, it all began with a dream which birthed a career expo in high school, where I got introduced to the idea of being a Chartered Accountant (CA(SA)). At the time there was no Black female Chartered Accountant in my immediate space that I could reach out to, from a role model and mentorship perspective. However, I was inspired by a female leader CA(SA) from Nelspruit who was announced as the chairperson of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. Whilst pursuing my undergraduate studies through Unisa, she became my mentor and paid it forward in terms of skills and network to me, and I remain forever grateful to her. My mother also continues to be my biggest cheerleader to this day. It therefore becomes so imperative to have the right women and mentors around you who have broken the glass ceiling in areas where you also wish to have an impact.

It also becomes especially important to do research in any area of work or life that you have identified, as an enabler to making your dreams come true. At the time of studying Accountancy to eventually become a CA(SA) there were about 30 000 CA’s of which only 2% were Black females (out of a population of fifty million people in South Africa at the time). I was determined to be a part of the change I wanted to see, even if I was only a drop in an ocean on those statistics. I was determined to be that which seemed impossible. To this day there is still a shortage of CA’s. Amongst 47 889 registered CA’s now in 2023, as few as 7 094 (14.8%) are Black and of that percentage, Black women are still below 10%.

In an article published in 2014, the Chartered Accountancy profession has long been a male dominated profession and according to statistics, African (black, coloured, and Indian) women CA’s were making up just about 8.7% of the number of registered CA’s that were classified as African, including males.

That was another glass ceiling that I was determined to break and that I did. I added to the statistics of female Chartered Accountants when I qualified more than 13 years ago, with the support of the strong women that surrounded me.

The odds are still against us. Compared to the demographics of South Africa as a whole, Black women are still sorely underrepresented in our profession and in leadership positions in the private and public sector. This accounting profession is very broad, and CA’s have a significant impact to play in the economy of South Africa. It gives you flexibility to be in any sector of your choice since it cuts across every business, because every business does need that financial acumen. It’s a driver of whether the company can account for its money, put in very simple terms.

I started my career in the private sector in one of the then big four audit firms and I was given the opportunity to work across different clients which also included the public sector. I developed a passion for the public sector and wanted to change the situation in that challenging environment making a case to turn around non-performing or undesirable audit outcomes that ruined the image and confidence of our people in state owned institutions.

With all these great and ambitious plans and passionate to be the change I wanted to see, I was challenged by the fact that I was a young female having to lead teams with older men who were old enough to be my “elders” culturally as it were, and I ought to tell them what to do and how to properly account on policies and procedures I would have developed. This was a very tricky situation and it was imperative to overcome those cultural barriers. You need to quickly develop a thick skin, trust your expertise, and know what you bring to the table regardless of your youth and background. These are the experiences that shaped me and gave birth to a phrase I always use that says “#KnowYourWorth”. It is in quickly being able to adapt and betting on yourself to be the change you want to see, that you develop the courage to stand against patriarchy and take up the space and leadership opportunities to start unravelling the systemic and gender disadvantages as they present themselves.

Some tips that have helped me in the leadership roles I occupy and the glass ceilings that I keep breaking in the space is to:

• Surround yourself with a strong professional and personal network. It may not be where you grew up or where you live. Find your tribe of positive and resourceful women.
• Two of Coco Chanel’s quotes that inspire me are “A woman should be two things – who and what she wants” and “In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different”. Therein lies that magic and sparkle that you, and only you can bring to the table.
• There is a saying that reads “If not me then who?”. I have learned that there is no secret formula to work/ life balance. We are just winging that element of our journey in life. So, take those opportunities that will inspire others and bring about the change you want to see in every space or circle you occupy.
• With God on your side, nothing is impossible.
  

Navigating Motherhood through this journey:

I am a single mother of twins who are navigating the world of work/ life balance with me.

It’s not as easy as one might articulate it to be, but it is certainly doable when you have a consistent and supportive structure. My support structure is made up of family (more especially my mom and younger sister), friends who understand my circumstances and extended family (relationships that were built or found along the journey of life).

First is to radically accept that you are a single mother and the burden of providing for your children financially, emotionally and spiritually is yours. Build that mental resilience attitude. Secondly, you need to embrace the idea that you are not alone. The circle of people that you surround yourself with become even more important as they can either build you and make your burden lighter or break you into to thinking this is an impossible journey.

What helped me and continues to do so is to get external paid help. It will save you the hours of investment in time that you do not have. This is between transporting the kids to their next soccer match or extra-curricular activities, which makes having a driver or an au pair a necessity rather than a nice to have. A stay in nanny / house manager also helps in creating a balance and stability for those home cooked meals and making sure the house is kept and the children are taken care of. You will need to have a mommy group who have the same aged kids or navigating the journey of life as single parents. It goes a long way for those play dates and making sure you spend quality time with your young ones and having a little bit of adult time because the guilt of not being fully present as a mother does creep in from time to time.

For me the spiritual balance continues to be a very necessary and critical pillar in navigating this journey of motherhood whilst being an executive.

I CAN REALLY FACE ALL THESE CHALLENGES WITH THE STRENGTH AND WISDOM AS I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THAT WITH GOD ON MY SIDE, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.

• Thembelihle Mbatha