Full Name: Yolisa Tshabalala

Position and Company Name: Co-founder and director of Imizizi

Main Activity of the Company: Imizizi provides transformative people management, advisory and consulting services – from hire to retire

Date and Place of Birth: March 5, 1987, Mthatha, Eastern Cape

Schools and Tertiary Education: BCom, University of the Witwatersrand; Diploma in Management Accounting, Chartered Institute of Management Accounting

First Job: Graduate trainee at Nedbank, in 2008

Size of First Pay Packet: R12 000 a month

Career Path to Date: I joined Nedbank as a graduate trainee in the finance department, as I initially thought I wanted to be an accountant. During the programme, I was exposed to management information system (MIS) analysis and discovered my passion for analysis. I then progressed to be an MIS analyst. In 2011, I joined Accenture as a business and process analyst and thereafter worked as a consultant in the financial services industry, specialising in business analysis and project management. I then left the corporate world to start Imizizi

Value of Assets under Your Control: Not stated

Number of People under Your Leadership: 18 internal employees and more than 300 contractors and consultants

Management Style: I see myself as an enabler and adviser; so, I am very intentional in developing people and unlocking their potential

Personal Best Achievement: Founding Imizizi and making a success of it and, recently, being a finalist in the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award 2022

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My parents – I appreciate the sacrifices they made for my education and the values they instilled in me, which is what keeps me anchored

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: My business partner and friend, Mponeng Seshea, who has been my pillar throughout our journey in business. She is the one person who always cheers me on and motivates me to be a better version of myself every day

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Wendy Luhabe

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Amanda Dambuza – she is very authentic and genuinely loves sharing information with other women entrepreneurs

Philosophy of Life: Push through the uncomfortable moments; they may turn out to be the bold stories of tomorrow

Biggest Ever Opportunity: Being awarded our first contract at the BMW South Africa IT Hub to provide external workers in 2017

Biggest Ever Disappointment: Learning the hard way that laws and regulations in this country are not favourable for small businesses

Hope For the Future: That Imizizi becomes the go-to company for people insights and advisory services, and that it becomes a successful conglomerate that opens doors for other entrepreneurs, especially women

Favourite Reading: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R Corey; Therefore I Rose, by Amanda Dambuza; and Good to Great, by Jim Collins

Favourite TV Programme: I don’t watch a lot of TV but I enjoy binge-watching South African series and movies when I am on holiday. Recent favourites include The Queen and The Wife, and I am up for any Denzel Washington movie

Favourite Food/Drink: I am a lover of meat, especially lamb, and I enjoy making cocktails at home using cordials

Favourite Music: Gospel and African Soul

Favourite Sport: Volleyball

Hobbies: Hiking, travelling, playing volleyball and cooking

Car: I’m a Mercedes-Benz and BMW fan

Pets: I’m allergic to most pets’ fur and I have a phobia of most pets and insects

Miscellaneous Dislikes: Animals, raw vegetables and an unclean environment

Married: To Gauda Patrick Tshabalala

Children: No children yet

Clubs: Imizizi Foundation