Although Women’s Month is almost over, there is always good reason to celebrate the exceptional women leaders who are associated with BLSA and contribute to its success in different ways.

BLSA member and CEO of Bidvest Group, Mpumi Madisa, talks about her commitment to creating a warm and joyful home for her family, shares the best advice she’s ever received, and addresses South Africa’s major issue of unemployment.

What made you decide to become a member of BLSA?

I joined BLSA around 2017 and at the time, as is still the case now, BLSA was a strong voice for business and was making tangible progress in building government/business working relations. BLSA was intent on creating one voice for business that would enable us to cohesively and collectively work with government to address some of the structural issues facing the country, and work towards a country programme centred around inclusive growth and development.

What do you consider your greatest achievement/s?

I strive to be best the mom and wife daily. Building a stable, warm and happy home is not easy when one is also faced with the responsibility of running a large organisation. I never want my career success to be at the expense of my family. My family comes first and Bidvest second. One day when I look back, I want to say, my family is my greatest achievement!

What keeps you awake at night?

I worry a lot about guiding my children to achieve their best. I believe that people who make a living from their natural talent and/or gift are so blessed, because there’s so much more fulfilment when one is pulling strength from a natural place. So, I spend a lot of time watching and listening to my children, trying to help them figure out their purpose in these early stages of their lives.

What is the best advice you were ever given?

There’s no substitute for hard work!

Please name a woman you particularly admire and why.

I have a lot of respect and admiration for Indra Nooyi, the former CEO of PepsiCo. Born in India, she rose to CEO of one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world. You can imagine what it takes to transition from India to the top of one of the most successful listed companies in the United States. If you follow her story, some of the lessons from her journey include the value of hard work, sacrifice, self development and learning, the importance of truly understanding your customer, and more. She’s really amazing.

What advice would you give other women aspiring to positions of leadership?

Be authentic. The worst thing you can do is to pretend to be someone you are not because you are trying to fit or assimilate into a team, division or business. Cultural and values alignment is therefore very important when you are in leadership.

What is the single biggest problem you think needs to be addressed in South Africa and why?

Jobs, jobs, jobs. We need more people employed, generating an income, capable of looking after families and societies. The unemployed youth worry me even more. We need to focus on running our organisations well and driving inclusive growth that prioritises job creation.

Ms Madisa is married, with two children.