| 00:10 | Hello, and welcome to the Standard Bank CIB |
| 00:13 | Why She Leads podcast. |
| 00:15 | My name is Nzinga Qunta, |
| 00:16 | and I'm so pleased to be hosting conversations |
| 00:19 | with some of the most successful deal makers |
| 00:21 | inside Standard Bank CIB. |
| 00:23 | The women that we are interviewing really are changing the face of banking |
| 00:27 | and what it means to be an investment banker with an innovative and fresh thinking. |
| 00:32 | Joining me today, |
| 00:34 | Executive Head of Strategic Partnerships |
| 00:35 | at Standard Bank Group, |
| 00:36 | Lindeka Dzedze, |
| 00:37 | thank you so much for your time |
| 00:39 | on Why She Leads today, |
| 00:40 | So excited to speak to you. |
| 00:42 | Whenever people speak to you, |
| 00:44 | the one thing that you're so proud of |
| 00:46 | is where you come from and how that shapes you, |
| 00:49 | Tell us about that. |
| 00:50 | Thank you Nzinga for having me. |
| 00:54 | I often introduce myself as |
| 00:59 | a child from the dusty villages of the Eastern Cape, |
| 01:03 | but a proud child of Africa. |
| 01:06 | I think I'm proud of my roots |
| 01:08 | I think I'm proud of my roots |
| 01:08 | because of the people that have raised me and the sacrifices that they've made |
| 01:14 | and also the talent that comes from the most unexpected places, |
| 01:19 | especially in the world of today, where the expectation is that |
| 01:23 | for those that succeed, I probably would have had to go onto |
| 01:29 | expensive private schools, have come out |
| 01:32 | from Ivy League universities overseas |
| 01:35 | and also expected to speak the Queen's English. |
| 01:39 | I like the element of surprise of knowing that actually |
| 01:42 | we come in all shapes and sizes and people from everywhere |
| 01:46 | actually have a chance to succeed. |
| 01:49 | It's not an easy route though, |
| 01:51 | If you're saying |
| 01:52 | coming from the dusty villages or from a township, |
| 01:56 | if you don't have a lot of resources behind you to make it up |
| 02:00 | to be the Executive Head of Strategic Partnerships |
| 02:03 | or similar positions, what's that journey like? |
| 02:06 | I guess firstly, to get to university, it is a struggle |
| 02:11 | in terms of you have to, you uproot yourself from the rural areas |
| 02:15 | to the metropolitan areas where the universities are. |
| 02:17 | Often times you have to look for resources financially to be able |
| 02:21 | to afford your education. |
| 02:23 | And I guess in my space when I started, there were no internships |
| 02:27 | or graduate programmes, and back in the day, there was no BEE, |
| 02:31 | so you didn't have to employ someone like me. |
| 02:34 | So you have to make it happen for yourself. |
| 02:37 | I guess I always say from every hardship that I've gone through, |
| 02:41 | there's been learnings that I've actually used them |
| 02:44 | as a stepping stone to where I am, |
| 02:46 | So I went to university in KZN, and I first worked there in tourism. |
| 02:52 | I enjoyed it very much. |
| 02:54 | I get tipped in foreign currency, at the time |
| 02:58 | I don't think there was any regulation at the time in terms of certificates, |
| 03:03 | they came after. |
| 03:04 | I'm telling my age now, |
| 03:06 | so I enjoy meeting people, I enjoy talking to people, I enjoy learning, |
| 03:10 | and you get exposure to people from across the globe, |
| 03:12 | from across different cultures. |
| 03:14 | It was a big, |
| 03:17 | enjoyable experience for me and it opened up my world. |
| 03:21 | Moved to Johannesburg, while I was starting, |
| 03:24 | I got exposed to, I guess, financial markets |
| 03:27 | and that was of big interest to me, especially if you realise if you look at |
| 03:31 | who controls the power or who gets to make the decisions. |
| 03:34 | And at the time, |
| 03:36 | you know, we were still very much in the early stages of our democracy. |
| 03:40 | So it was important for me to make it in the space where I could make a difference. |
| 03:44 | I guess finance was the natural, |
| 03:47 | I guess, route for me to take. |
| 03:49 | And I came to Johannesburg. |
| 03:53 | At the time, |
| 03:53 | I don't think you will remember, you had to work with recruitment companies |
| 03:57 | and you have to, you know, put your CV in and they'll send you for roles. |
| 04:02 | And that's how I find my job by actually asking to be placed at the reception, |
| 04:06 | reason being that I've got the gift of the gab. |
| 04:09 | Everybody, the CEOs come in and that's genuinely how I landed my job. |
| 04:13 | Okay, so there's an aspect of tenacity in your rise, |
| 04:18 | and then there's also a quote that you said you like from Einstein |
| 04:21 | about opportunity coming from difficult circumstances. |
| 04:25 | Tell me about that. |
| 04:26 | I always say my journey was not linear. |
| 04:29 | As I said, there were no graduate programmes, there were no internships. |
| 04:33 | And when I found my niche, I started in corporate finance |
| 04:37 | and we worked with some of the best people from across the globe. |
| 04:41 | The company that I worked for was a merchant bank at the time, |
| 04:44 | and I remember the guy who headed up private equity was a drama major, |
| 04:49 | and the guy who headed up capital markets, I think was a literacy major, |
| 04:54 | and at the time I was working with |
| 04:57 | people from across predominantly the UK, Europe somewhere, |
| 05:01 | and were based in Sandton. |
| 05:03 | And one of the key things that they drummed into us was that |
| 05:07 | if you've been to university, if you've got a university degree, |
| 05:11 | youve basically been taught critical thinking. |
| 05:14 | youve basically been taught critical thinking. |
| 05:14 | To think, internalise is a result. |
| 05:17 | We're all... nothing is rocket science. |
| 05:18 | We're all... nothing is rocket science. |
| 05:19 | Everything can be learned, |
| 05:20 | and we got into that space where it was really not necessarily |
| 05:24 | just your background in education, |
| 05:26 | it is what you make of the opportunities in front of you, |
| 05:29 | Okay. |
| 05:29 | and that's really how I found my role during the Asian crisis, |
| 05:33 | if anyone remembers that, the Asian crisis in 1998, |
| 05:37 | working with people that were doing major deals |
| 05:39 | on the continent, and that was the opportunity for me. |
| 05:43 | Yeah. |
| 05:44 | You studied law. |
| 05:45 | Yes, I did. |
| 05:46 | Then you went to tourism? |
| 05:48 | No, there was a gig just to gig just to keep employed. |
| 05:50 | So you studied law and ended up... |
| 05:52 | In finance. |
| 05:53 | in finance. |
| 05:54 | And I think there's a lesson in that that just because you do one thing, |
| 05:57 | you're not limited to do that thing. |
| 06:00 | What's the lesson there and how has that helped you throughout your career? |
| 06:04 | I think we often think, and I think this is for me |
| 06:08 | is important, because I was listening to... allow me to please digress a little bit. |
| 06:12 | to this show on the radio |
| 06:13 | when I was driving to work the other day and they were talking about |
| 06:16 | the professions that exist today may not exist tomorrow, |
| 06:20 | and teaching our kids to find things that they lean towards |
| 06:24 | because you may go and study a certain degree |
| 06:27 | and you may not end up in that field, you find in our spaces now, |
| 06:31 | you've got engineers, you've got doctors. |
| 06:33 | And I think for me it is... and everyone at the time |
| 06:36 | was telling me that, they only employee in the space that I want to be in, |
| 06:39 | in finance, that only looking for people with accounting degrees |
| 06:42 | and I didn't have one. |
| 06:44 | And I guess at the time, the perspective that I had |
| 06:48 | was that if I could get in, I know the stuff that I've got, |
| 06:52 | capabilities that I have that I know will get me far. |
| 06:55 | And I guess I really got into that space |
| 06:57 | and I end up having those people working for me right here. |
| 07:01 | If you're talking about listening to the show on the radio |
| 07:04 | and the careers of today, I know you're also a mom, so you're not just |
| 07:07 | thinking about yourself, you're thinking about your son. |
| 07:10 | My son. |
| 07:11 | What kind of a world he's going to be in, what kind of a work |
| 07:14 | environment he's going to be in. |
| 07:16 | How do you balance that alongside your career? |
| 07:18 | It's funny, I always say, |
| 07:20 | tell people my son, is possibly he's actually my greatest achievement. |
| 07:25 | Raising a balanced young man in today's world, |
| 07:28 | knowing exactly what our boys are faced with is actually a great challenge. |
| 07:33 | I've raised a person that I like. |
| 07:36 | You know, you love my kids, but I really love like my son. |
| 07:39 | And funny enough, we're talking about studying one thing and doing another. |
| 07:43 | My son, went to university, he was doing economics |
| 07:47 | ended up doing his master's in that, |
| 07:49 | and he decided that he doesn't like anything about our environment, |
| 07:52 | his hobby is coding, |
| 07:54 | and I told him that I'm not going to pay for coding, |
| 07:57 | and he wanted to go back and I said no, this is what we paid for. |
| 08:00 | If you really like coding, find a way to make it an employment opportunity for you. |
| 08:05 | He's a self-taught coder, is a software engineer. |
| 08:09 | He's working at Investec and he loves it. |
| 08:12 | So it that's not what he went to university to study. |
| 08:15 | He's a software engineer today |
| 08:17 | and I guess it speaks to, it is the skills that you pick up, |
| 08:20 | what is important to you, how you are able to craft that, |
| 08:24 | just be, you know, be an advantage. |
| 08:26 | So one of the things that they liked about him |
| 08:28 | is that he's got the financial acumen, |
| 08:30 | the business acumen to understand the environment |
| 08:33 | and the solutions that hes providing at Investec, the financial institution, |
| 08:37 | but in a coding or developed works. |
| 08:39 | You are helping mold him |
| 08:41 | and shape his journey to success, |
| 08:44 | who did that for you? |
| 08:45 | My mom. |
| 08:47 | My mom passed away at 39. |
| 08:49 | You know, it's funny because she doesn't age in my head |
| 08:54 | and she was a very, very strong woman. |
| 08:58 | I laugh now because I realise I'm just |
| 09:01 | like her, which I didn't think was going to be the case. |
| 09:03 | But in all honesty, I've been surrounded by very strong women |
| 09:08 | in my life. |
| 09:09 | And also my dad was a very important influence, in that |
| 09:15 | I guess there were no roles for girls or roles for boys |
| 09:19 | when I was growing up. |
| 09:21 | I was telling the story the other day that I used to do banking, |
| 09:25 | not banking the way you think it is now, |
| 09:27 | but literally go and pay debit orders for the cars that we own. |
| 09:32 | There were no debit orders, |
| 09:32 | you have to go make a monthly payment at Toyota, |
| 09:36 | yes, at the dealership. |
| 09:37 | Go to the bank and deposit the cash, go there with a big canvas bag, |
| 09:41 | paper clips, silver packets |
| 09:43 | I don't think people even relate to what I'm talking about. |
| 09:46 | But that was banking. |
| 09:47 | But that actually taught me a lot in terms of being entrepreneurial |
| 09:50 | at a very young age. |
| 09:52 | So I started doing that when I was six, seven because we had a business at home. |
| 09:56 | So it's amazing the little things you pick up along the way |
| 09:59 | that shape your thinking. |
| 10:00 | So I grew up in a space where my dad was working, my mom was working, |
| 10:05 | and we had our little supermarket and that was my life. |
| 10:09 | Every day after school, I went and helped at home and it was fun. |
| 10:13 | I used to have a, because I was too short, on the counter, |
| 10:17 | I used to stand on a stepladder |
| 10:19 | and I'll be cashing in money making payments, |
| 10:21 | I guess that's where the love of the things that I do now comes from. |
| 10:26 | You speaking about how in the beginning of your career |
| 10:29 | it was also the beginning of democracy, |
| 10:32 | and so when we are looking at the financial services sector, particularly at that time, |
| 10:38 | I imagine there were not a lot of people who looked like you? |
| 10:41 | No, which is why |
| 10:43 | I always say to people, representation matters |
| 10:47 | and the role of mentors is actually incredibly important. |
| 10:51 | And I often tell people it doesn't have to be a person that you know and see, |
| 10:54 | it could be an inspirational story or someone that you read about |
| 10:58 | in the book. |
| 10:59 | So when I started, it was I mean, it was way back in the day, |
| 11:05 | I was the only person of colour, |
| 11:07 | I was the only female and I was the youngest. |
| 11:10 | But I worked with some incredible people, |
| 11:13 | and I think that's where my DNA |
| 11:15 | from a sales and trading environment, because trading |
| 11:20 | is predominantly like a male dominated field, |
| 11:25 | and it's also like |
| 11:28 | sink or swim, its very competitive |
| 11:32 | and also being in a trading space and especially I was in equities, |
| 11:36 | being able to see your PNL and what you make immediately, |
| 11:39 | so there's a bit of a drive in there, |
| 11:41 | there's fun and also youre driven to do things, |
| 11:45 | are driven to find an opportunity to look for ways |
| 11:49 | to work with your clients, to solutions, so that you can get more of their business. |
| 11:53 | So it was not it, was not, I guess at a time when BEE was a thing, |
| 11:59 | it was, I think the only thing that I can think of that I always say |
| 12:04 | when I think of the hardships being an advantage, |
| 12:06 | is that, I really had to prove myself, demonstrate my worth |
| 12:13 | and actually get clients wanting to work with you, |
| 12:16 | and I think for me that's the best currency when it's not |
| 12:21 | your colour, its not your gender, but it's really what you're able |
| 12:24 | to deliver that draws people to want to do business with you. |
| 12:28 | At the time, if you look back, I mean, I was in equities, all the clients were |
| 12:31 | predominantly, if you look at the asset managers back in the day, |
| 12:36 | were predominantly white males, and the only women that were there.. |
| 12:40 | I remember Jackie Tetlow at Old Mutual, |
| 12:43 | Heather at Foords Asset Management, but predominantly it was males, |
| 12:48 | and I actually had an amazing time. |
| 12:51 | So not a lot of pressure psychologically then |
| 12:54 | and then your job now also, I imagine, very high pressure as a dealmaker. |
| 12:58 | How do you deal with that? |
| 13:00 | Aaah...my son always says I don't |
| 13:03 | have a switch-off button, |
| 13:07 | but the role |
| 13:11 | that I currently occupy, I crafted, |
| 13:15 | because I saw an opportunity and I saw a gap, |
| 13:19 | and it is the most fulfilling thing that I do. |
| 13:23 | And I always say, for me, it's almost like purpose-led banking in that |
| 13:28 | the solutions that we craft and the investments that we work on |
| 13:32 | have a huge impact, in that |
| 13:36 | I think that's the biggest differentiator. |
| 13:38 | There also is a solution that we as commercial banks wouldn't be able to do on our own. |
| 13:44 | So there's a blended finance element in that |
| 13:46 | working with DFI, where we can find opportunities on the continent |
| 13:50 | as far as reduced cost than we would and for longer data tenets, |
| 13:53 | but these are things in student accommodation in agriculture, |
| 13:57 | and that's the stuff for me that has a real impact. |
| 13:59 | You talking about food security, you talking about education, |
| 14:02 | so soft and hard infrastructure, and for students. |
| 14:07 | And so to me that is, its hard work |
| 14:10 | but at the same time is fulfilling, is rewarding, |
| 14:14 | so you working towards something that you know genuinely has an impact in someone, |
| 14:19 | or changing |
| 14:21 | making a difference in a space that matters |
| 14:24 | that will not only be felt by you, but for others to come. |
| 14:28 | Do you think your background plays a part in your |
| 14:31 | crafting that role and trying to make sure that more people |
| 14:35 | who may have a background like you have access to opportunities like you? |
| 14:40 | I come from a place where there are people |
| 14:43 | who are potentially were better academically than I am, |
| 14:49 | but I was lucky enough to be raised by parents that prioritised education. |
| 14:55 | It doesn't mean others didn't, but maybe as a person |
| 14:58 | have the resources to do so. |
| 15:01 | So those people, it's heartbreaking, because I've got people |
| 15:03 | that I grew up with that are looking for work for me to clean my house. |
| 15:07 | So I'm always mindful that whatever we do has had to be an opportunity |
| 15:12 | to generate jobs, |
| 15:14 | to be able to afford people |
| 15:17 | education, afford people homes. |
| 15:20 | So it doesn't feel like work when you look at it that way |
| 15:26 | because you're fighting for something that I wish I had |
| 15:28 | or somebody else that I knew that somebody else is desperate for. |
| 15:32 | So that's the rewarding part, and as the background |
| 15:36 | because, I mean, you know, I always say to people, |
| 15:39 | when I go home, |
| 15:42 | I always get filled with so much gratitude. |
| 15:45 | I mean Johannesburg, I'll complain about the potholes, I'll go home |
| 15:49 | I mean, I'll have to stop my car, |
| 15:51 | there's a big rock, |
| 15:53 | it takes me forever to get where I need to. |
| 15:56 | Most people don't have electricity, during COVID and during lockdown, |
| 16:01 | kids in metropolitan areas, were studying off-line, |
| 16:05 | kids in the villages do not have access to education. |
| 16:08 | So if you think about that and you think about if you're doing it, |
| 16:14 | you have an opportunity to change something. |
| 16:17 | So there's a lot that we can do in terms of bringing about |
| 16:20 | economic empowerment for people, and opportunities. |
| 16:23 | And I always say those of us who are educated, |
| 16:26 | we were educated for many, and to those much is given, much is expected. |
| 16:31 | So I don't take the opportunity to be here lightly. |
| 16:34 | I don't take the infrastructure that is Standard Bank |
| 16:39 | lightly, because I won't be able to do what I'm doing. |
| 16:42 | I wouldn't have the platform that I have right now if it wasn't for Standard Bank. |
| 16:46 | And also what is incredibly important to me, is the leadership at the top. |
| 16:52 | I always tell people I choose to work here. |
| 16:55 | I'm privileged to actually be able to choose where I work, |
| 16:59 | where I am right now, and Standard Bank to me is the boat that I choose. |
| 17:03 | It's purpose-led bank. |
| 17:06 | They call it Africa, we call it home and we drive it across. |
| 17:09 | There are no blue little people. |
| 17:11 | We are the people that have to drive that growth. |
| 17:14 | You and I know exactly what it's like to go without, |
| 17:18 | so I cant come here and think that the only thing that I'm going to want to do |
| 17:22 | is the nice and the easy. |
| 17:24 | The companies that already meet the criteria, |
| 17:26 | how about we walk the journey with the companies that we want to build, |
| 17:30 | to be the companies that we see here. |
| 17:32 | In South Africa, we're lucky, every time |
| 17:36 | when I travel and people ask me, What do you love about Africa? |
| 17:39 | My answer is, its people, |
| 17:42 | we are the most resilient, |
| 17:45 | the most vibrant nation. |
| 17:47 | Think about the way we dance, the way we move |
| 17:50 | our music, |
| 17:52 | the colours, our dress, the way we do things. |
| 17:57 | You can find people in the most appalling circumstances. |
| 18:00 | They'll be laughing. |
| 18:01 | You can find kids today |
| 18:03 | who don't have toys, play with plastic bottles that they've crafted. |
| 18:06 | And there's always this resiliency, |
| 18:08 | you'll find women carrying |
| 18:09 | big firewood on their heads with kids, and they are talking and they're laughing, |
| 18:14 | and people are always looking for opportunities. |
| 18:16 | South Africa we have social grants, in the continent |
| 18:19 | there's no such, you have to make do. |
| 18:21 | But I think that's also what's driving people to be creative, |
| 18:25 | to be entrepreneurial. |
| 18:26 | We've got, I think unemployment's around 32%. |
| 18:29 | Not everyone's going to be finding jobs |
| 18:30 | in the financial sector, in the private sector. |
| 18:33 | Look at the cases |
| 18:34 | when I was literally saying the other day, beginning of the year, universities, |
| 18:39 | there's some universities that had 150,000 applicants. |
| 18:42 | Only 4000 were taken. |
| 18:44 | What's going to happen to that? |
| 18:45 | So the creativity of the people is what will drive the solutions. |
| 18:51 | I always say solutions for Africa by Africans, |
| 18:54 | because we know what the challenges are. |
| 18:55 | So that's why I have a responsibility to not just be banking |
| 19:00 | for, you know, it's nice and it's something that I enjoy, |
| 19:03 | there's a responsibility as to how we were doing, |
| 19:05 | how we're making a difference when we come into the office, |
| 19:08 | and I think for me that's the biggest challenge, |
| 19:11 | but it's also the biggest draw in terms of reward and being able to |
| 19:15 | look at, do something that you can actually look back and really be proud of. |
| 19:19 | And you may know that we've built 50,000 |
| 19:22 | or we've provided 50,000 new beds for students. |
| 19:25 | Those students don't know that, but we do. |
| 19:28 | And that means there's more kids that are staying in decent places, |
| 19:33 | accommodation. exactly, |
| 19:34 | and are able to go to school without having to worry about safety |
| 19:37 | and all sorts of things, |
| 19:38 | so that is there, you know, there's great pain, |
| 19:41 | but then also in the midst of all that, |
| 19:44 | there's a great opportunity. |
| 19:45 | It may look hard, but if you scratch beneath the surface, |
| 19:49 | there's an opportunity there. |
| 19:56 | It sounds like your job |
| 19:57 | isn't something that you do for the sake of |
| 20:00 | No. |
| 20:01 | No. |
| 20:01 | you know, I have this job, I want to get paid |
| 20:04 | at the end of the month or in the middle of the month, whenever, |
| 20:07 | it sounds like you are speaking about the purpose-led vision of the bank, |
| 20:13 | and that's something that aligns very deeply to what you do, |
| 20:16 | and it's not a thing that you are going to stop now. |
| 20:19 | Tell me about that and mentorship, |
| 20:21 | the people who are coming after you, the people who are watching, the people |
| 20:24 | who just want an opportunity to be close to where you are. |
| 20:29 | Yesterday, we had a call with Madam Diop, Her Excellency Madam Diop, |
| 20:34 | she's in the office of the Special Envoy |
| 20:38 | for Women on Peace and Security in the AU. |
| 20:38 | for Women on Peace and Security in the AU. |
| 20:40 | We started the African Women Impact Fund |
| 20:44 | and that's mainly to create a sustainable platform |
| 20:49 | to, you know, to bring about more women led and women owned |
| 20:53 | fund management business, so that women can make decisions at a macro level. |
| 20:57 | We can put money into women's hands to be actually investing and doing more. |
| 21:01 | And I was looking at this lady. |
| 21:03 | I mean, she is continuously |
| 21:06 | busy, packed, traveling everywhere, yet |
| 21:10 | the role that they play in terms of the fund as the AU and the UN |
| 21:14 | in the African Women Leadership Network. |
| 21:16 | These are all the current female presidents and former, okay, |
| 21:19 | all five of them. |
| 21:20 | We still have that place. |
| 21:21 | But the support that we receive for them |
| 21:24 | in terms of advocacy, creating visibility, |
| 21:27 | going out there to fundraise with us, these women are busy. |
| 21:31 | So you look at what they are doing today, |
| 21:33 | they've done so much to bring about so many things, yet they are still with us. |
| 21:38 | We stand on the shoulders of giants. |
| 21:39 | We have a responsibility, you and I, to make sure when we rise, |
| 21:43 | we lift others up and we create more opportunities. |
| 21:46 | So for me, the what next is, as long as there's so many, so much need |
| 21:52 | for infrastructure on the continent, we have not even started yet. |
| 21:56 | There's so much more to be done in terms of the work that we do. |
| 22:00 | So there's still a lot more for me that I think |
| 22:01 | a role that I can play in this space, |
| 22:03 | but from a mentoring perspective, I'm very passionate about |
| 22:06 | women, |
| 22:08 | the gender |
| 22:10 | and making sure that there's more women in our space. |
| 22:12 | Because I always tell people it's like, if you leave women behind, |
| 22:16 | its like leaving half of the workforce, |
| 22:19 | and the greatest opportunity is knowing that |
| 22:22 | if we actually have more women in terms of diversity and perspective |
| 22:26 | we would actually be able to lift the GDP on the continent by 10% |
| 22:31 | in 2025, next year, next year. |
| 22:34 | So there is genuine that |
| 22:35 | and that's not just from a nice to have or just we need to be inclusive, |
| 22:40 | no, there's a very empirical data in terms of value creation and performance, |
| 22:45 | when you have women led and women owned businesses. |
| 22:48 | So if you look at where we are, there's so much more work to be done. |
| 22:52 | So I don't think what next necessarily changes. |
| 22:56 | It just may be the shift in terms of how I do it, |
| 22:59 | but there's still a lot of work to be done. |
| 23:01 | You and I are still here. As long as we talk about women inclusion, |
| 23:05 | until it's not a thing, we have a lot of work to do. |
| 23:09 | Okay. The face of investment banking is changing, has changed you, |
| 23:16 | one of the people who's contributed to that, |
| 23:18 | theres perceptions about how |
| 23:20 | you need to show up as a woman in this space. |
| 23:23 | Youre in a suit, you look gorgeous. |
| 23:25 | But there's |
| 23:29 | perceptions about what a woman in a certain space looks like. |
| 23:33 | How do you have to behave? |
| 23:35 | How do you have to show up? |
| 23:36 | What kind of a leadership style you have? |
| 23:38 | Tell me about those preconceptions |
| 23:41 | and how you navigate those and which ones are like, yeah okay fine, |
| 23:45 | this might work, |
| 23:46 | and this might not work. |
| 23:48 | I don't think anyone who's ever met me will ever think I fit in anywhere |
| 23:52 | in terms of conforming to any particular look. |
| 23:56 | I think people think of us in suits, |
| 23:59 | in fact, the only reason I'm wearing this is because I was in a training. |
| 24:03 | I would have been wearing my flamboyant clothes, |
| 24:07 | vibrant colors from Ghana, from Lagos, beads around my neck, |
| 24:12 | is a representation of my culture its intentional as well, because I want |
| 24:16 | my nieces to know that we don't only wear our traditional clothes at a wedding, |
| 24:21 | Im Xhosa, I carried that with me. |
| 24:24 | So how I show up, I show up as Lindeka Dzedze, |
| 24:27 | that's me. |
| 24:29 | That's the Lindeka Dzedze with the way that I speak, the way that I talk, |
| 24:33 | because we have to normalise that, |
| 24:34 | we don't have to look like somebody else. |
| 24:36 | I don't have to behave and look like a man. |
| 24:39 | The reason that is, is that by virtue of being who we are, |
| 24:43 | there's a uniqueness that you bring. |
| 24:45 | There's a diversity of perspective, of thinking, the ideas that you bring. |
| 24:49 | And I always tell people that |
| 24:51 | I possibly have much more in common with my colleagues |
| 24:54 | all the black, and white and brown males that I work with |
| 24:57 | than the woman sitting somewhere |
| 24:59 | in Alex maybe, because this is my environment, |
| 25:02 | this is what we think about. |
| 25:03 | This is what I do, we socialise. |
| 25:05 | So I always want to make sure that |
| 25:08 | everyone who knows me in the bank knows I'm loud, |
| 25:12 | I always forget, and I speak Xhosa to everyone. |
| 25:15 | I mean, my team now even understands, |
| 25:17 | my colleagues from everywhere because it is, I'm proud of that, |
| 25:23 | and I also want to normalise that. |
| 25:24 | There's eleven official languages in South Africa. |
| 25:27 | And it's important that we actually learn each other's languages, such as cultures, |
| 25:31 | that's how you relate to someone. |
| 25:33 | So you don't have to be something else. |
| 25:35 | You have to be you. |
| 25:37 | Being authentic, build who you are, |
| 25:39 | that's the best representation of yourself and what you can bring to the table. |
| 25:43 | Not having to fit in. |
| 25:44 | I think, |
| 25:45 | I've never been able to be anything else, and I think for me I'm proud of that. |
| 25:49 | I think it's so interesting because I would have assumed that in a bank, |
| 25:53 | in a space like a bank, Africa's largest lender, by assets, you know, |
| 25:59 | you have to, not conform but |
| 26:01 | there's a kind of a, we behave like this because we're in an institution, |
| 26:05 | and you're saying that's not a thing. |
| 26:08 | No people do, |
| 26:09 | I think it's a thing if you want to do that. |
| 26:11 | And I think it speaks to who you are. |
| 26:14 | I travel a lot, and I remember when I bring investors |
| 26:17 | to the continent, I work with MEDA, which is an investment |
| 26:22 | implementation partner for the US government, for investment and trade. |
| 26:26 | And we bring investors to the continent, |
| 26:28 | we educate them, we show them opportunities |
| 26:31 | so they can go and advocate for Africa as an investment destination. |
| 26:35 | I remember the first time I met them in 2019 and I intentionally, |
| 26:39 | I always wear African prints, for me its more than normative to have something on my head, |
| 26:44 | and actually wear my African prints because I think there's so much diversity. |
| 26:47 | Like look at every I mean, have you been to the fashion show |
| 26:51 | Fashion Week in Nigeria? |
| 26:53 | The clothes are amazing, |
| 26:54 | so why would I limit myself to one thing when I have so much more to choose from? |
| 26:59 | And I really find that all of them are just, for me, inspiring. |
| 27:02 | It is just something else. |
| 27:04 | But what I, the story I was telling you about is |
| 27:07 | I met all these investors |
| 27:08 | I was wearing one of the dresses that was made by a lady who makes my clothes |
| 27:12 | her store is called Chicken Posh, |
| 27:14 | Agnes, and I did that intentionally because I know women, and I was wearing that |
| 27:18 | and everyone was asking, Where is that from? |
| 27:20 | I was like, you want to know I can take you, in fact, I'll call her to come right here. |
| 27:24 | You know is interesting is that those women bought out the entire store. |
| 27:28 | When we went to Naas, which is this big investor conference |
| 27:31 | that they hold in the US its got insurers, pension funds, everybody, |
| 27:36 | there was African week and everyone was, wearing, how interesting is that? |
| 27:39 | So you bring Africa to the world. |
| 27:42 | You know, we're not the Brazil, we're not China, |
| 27:45 | and were made up of 54 countries, |
| 27:47 | I always like to say my DNA is from across the continent, I didnt create borders. |
| 27:52 | So I possibly have Nigerian blood in me, |
| 27:54 | so for me, I have so many cultures to choose from in terms of clothes |
| 27:54 | so for me, I have so many cultures to choose from in terms of clothes |
| 27:55 | so for me, I have so many cultures to choose from in terms of clothes |
| 27:58 | and everything else. |
| 27:58 | So why limit myself? |
| 28:00 | And I think by wearing it with pride and showcasing how diverse it could be, |
| 28:05 | how versatile the fashion can be, I mean, banking and fashion, |
| 28:08 | are not mutually exclusive. |
| 28:10 | And you go to these places and people love it, |
| 28:12 | and the more you go and the more people |
| 28:15 | wear our clothes, in fact, they |
| 28:16 | thought I was in fashion, that I know, |
| 28:20 | that's the beauty. |
| 28:21 | There was a time when it was straight male suits and everything else, |
| 28:26 | I think that has evolved. |
| 28:27 | It's been so incredible learning from you. |
| 28:30 | I know that there's other people who've learned from you, |
| 28:31 | I know that there's other people who've learned from you, |
| 28:32 | so we are going to hear from them now. |
| 30:08 | That's such a beautiful testament |
| 30:09 | to the kind of leader that you are. |
| 30:13 | Anyway now, |
| 30:15 | you've just messed me up so bad. |
| 30:17 | I think that the impact, I always say as you rise, bring others with you, |
| 30:22 | make the circle bigger. |
| 30:26 | And it is seeing her grow |
| 30:29 | and achieving things that she never thought possible. |
| 30:33 | And I was just reminded, |
| 30:35 | that in the mentoring programme in the bank, |
| 30:37 | she was my mentee. |
| 30:38 | I was very involved back then and she's actually, most of my mentees |
| 30:42 | have ended up becoming almost like my daughters. |
| 30:46 | One of them has joined us back in the bank |
| 30:48 | and now she heads up mining in CFS in the bank. |
| 30:53 | She is the head of mining and we actually tried to remember the other day |
| 30:58 | how did we connect? |
| 30:59 | But I used to have quite a lot of them. |
| 31:01 | But I just, I'm inspired and I learn from them |
| 31:05 | and I learn from her every day and I'm inspired and I just think it's |
| 31:10 | more what I, every time when I hear and I see them do what they do |
| 31:14 | and I think where theyre starting from is way better than where I was, |
| 31:19 | and I always tell them that whatever we've done, |
| 31:22 | they can go so much further and it makes me feel |
| 31:27 | so encouraged, so inspired. |
| 31:30 | Sibusiso Xaba is the CFO for TXB, |
| 31:34 | invited me to, |
| 31:37 | they call their junior mentor, |
| 31:40 | in fact, they changing the name to a developmental banker |
| 31:43 | for the finance division. |
| 31:44 | And I was just |
| 31:46 | meeting these young people |
| 31:50 | and I was just thinking, the future is so bright. |
| 31:53 | People don't know what's coming. |
| 31:54 | The continent, |
| 31:56 | if you look at just the value, the people, the future leaders that we have |
| 32:00 | and I see of how so aware, |
| 32:04 | how plugged in, how alive they are to the possibilities. |
| 32:08 | And I always think I wish I could, you know, live long enough |
| 32:11 | to see them do all these amazing things. |
| 32:14 | And it makes me feel so happy, so encouraged, so inspired, |
| 32:20 | because I know that we, you know I hope we do something that leaves the world |
| 32:24 | a better place for them and they can change all the narrative about Africa. |
| 32:29 | Thank you so much for your time and just being so open |
| 32:32 | and for your leadership, for the things you're doing, |
| 32:35 | for the people who are coming after you and sharing your insights. |
| 32:38 | This felt like a masterclass you know, 25 minute masterclass. |
| 32:42 | I love that I'm looking at you and you've got your doek on, |
| 32:45 | look at us, who would have thought? |
| 32:47 | Thank you. |
| 32:48 | No, thank you. |
