Women in finance and Entrepreneurship Series

On the 8th of August 2023, as a way of inspiring and empowering the next generation of women leaders, Innocentia Mmule Pule joined the Bagaka Team to share her journey and wisdom being a woman in a Leadership Role.

Background of the Speakers

Innocentia Pule is a founder and Director of Mwaloni Holdings, a consulting company which specialises in strategic finance, procurement, and risk management advisory. She has recently been appointed a trustee on the Volkswagen B-BBEE Initiatives Trust; and a member to the University of Cape Town Council, where she serves on the Finance Committee. Innocentia has been serving at Executive level specifically in financial services for over 15 years.

Lessons learned from our guest speaker.

While there are many women in the work force in both Private and Public sector in South Africa, most leadership roles are still held by men. Below are some key steps that women can take to get into those leadership roles.

• Let the opportunity find you ready; there is a quote that says “luck is what happens when opportunity meets preparation; this means that one must equip themselves with relevant knowledge. This can be achieved through attending courses that assist in enhancing the understanding of the operational environment of the industry.
• Be intentional about pulling others into the room; it the responsibility of women who occupy leadership roles/boards to recommend other women for the leadership roles. This ensures that more women enter leadership positions.
• Attitude, aptitude, and preparedness; even when not prepared, displaying ability to do something can go a long way together with the attitude. Be willing to learn and adapt.
• Grab every opportunity: the attitude required is a solution attitude, where you learn as much as you can. At some point, something will resonate, and doors will open based on the opportunities.
• Networks: networks built throughout your career are important, create and nurture networks.  Be open to engaging others and indicate what your capabilities are. As more people know your capabilities, they can advocate for you in their absence.

With the number of women in leadership roles very low, improving gender diversity at work is not a short-term goal, therefore it is imperative for women already in leadership positions to represent women well.  This will in turn assist in that women’s capabilities will be recognised thereby opening more opportunities for more women leaders.