Full Name: Bulelwa Mhlongo

Position: Financial manager at Multotec

Main Activity of the Company: Multotec is a leading supplier of mineral processing equipment

Date and Place of Birth: July 4, 1979, Boksburg, Ekurhuleni

Schools and Tertiary Education: National diploma in cost and management accounting, Vaal University of Technology; BTech degree in cost and management accounting, University of South Africa (Unisa); postgraduate diploma in applied accounting sciences, Unisa

First Job: Trainee accountant at WKH Landgrebe & Co

Career History Prior to Current Position: I had worked at WKH Landgrebe & Co only before I joined Multotec

Size of First Pay Packet: R1 200 a month

First Job with Present Group: Internal auditor

Number of People under Your Leadership: 16

Management Style: I am an empowering leader and prefer to give team members tasks and leave them to perform those tasks. I have an open-door policy to allow for the brainstorming of ideas and the ironing out of problems

Personal Best Achievement: Obtaining a BCom (Hons) degree in 2018 and later qualifying as a chartered accountant while working full time and when I already had three children

Professional Best Achievement: Being promoted to group financial manager

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: A lot of people have had a positive influence on me, but my family has had the biggest impact

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: When I started working, I was at a small auditing firm in Randburg, and at the time I didn’t know that I wanted to eventually become a chartered accountant. The partner at the firm motivated me to move in the direction of becoming a chartered accountant

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: My maternal grandmother. Sadly, she passed away when my mother was still young. She is said to have been an amazing woman

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: There are two people who have incredibly impressed me: my current boss, Multotec FD Johan Robertse, and Multotec CEO Thomas Holtz

Philosophy of Life: Always show up and try your best

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Being promoted to group financial manager (a big achievement because Multotec is a huge group of companies) and being made a director of Multotec Services

Biggest Ever Disappointment: I can’t think of anything. If something goes wrong, I believe one needs to find a solution and move on

Hope for the Future: There is so much to be done in South Africa, and my hope would be for the country to find great leadership for our children, so that they can thrive in this beautiful country of ours. I also hope that our young generation will be able to drive the leadership agenda when the time comes

Favourite Reading: Academic literature and children’s books dominate my time, but I am currently reading a book called Pause by Thabo Mokwele

Favourite TV Programme: I don’t watch a lot of TV, but when I do I enjoy action films

Favourite Food/Drink: I like gin and tonic. While I love Italian food, I also enjoy samp and beans

Favourite Music: Hip-hop, RnB and gospel (but it must be upbeat gospel)

Favourite Sport: Watching martial arts. In 2019, I started running – it’s a tough sport, but I make an effort to attend races and have built up to running 10 km. I also watch track and field races on TV

Favourite Website: Beauty on Tap

Hobbies: Running

Car: I drive a BMW 420 convertible

Pets: None

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Papaya and watermelon, and when loadshedding interrupts a meeting

Favourite Other South African Company: All the mines – they are our prized customers

Favourite Foreign Company: Dior

Married: To Benya, since September 11, 2010

Children: Simphiwe, 21; Leago, 12; Bogosi, 6

Clubs: Mamelodi Sundowns and Multotec Athletic Club