Overcoming Adversity with Gutsy Determination – Yeshveer Manawar

Overcoming adversity with gutsy determination

Chosen as one of the top 10 learners in South Africa in the 2019 Gradstar Programme, Yeshveer Manawar (27) is now a Business Strategy Analyst for Accenture through sheer hard work, tenacity and dedication to excellence.

The GradStar Programme recognises the top 100 students based on leadership qualities and for workplace readiness. It is designed to provide previously unrecognised students with opportunities for employment and to emulate the process that top employers (Absa, Accenture, Fasken, Epiroc, BAT, DHL and many more) use to find their future talent. It makes use of behavioural testing and personal interviewing among other methods as measurement tools.

“I was privileged to meet numerous professionals in various aspects of the business environment,” said Manawar. “Networking and creating strong friendships with the top 100 students and some of the greatest minds in the country was a priceless experience.”

It was this remarkable achievement that landed him his current position at Accenture, where he leverages technology to create dynamic business solutions that deliver value and drive innovation across various industries as part of the innovation and growth domain.

“While my work does not involve Chemical Engineering, it has laid the foundation for how I work, think and solve problems in my career,” he said. “DUT allowed me to gain practical experience and how to apply critical thinking to solve complex issues and be agile in my way of working.”

He went on to say: “We are not defined by our degrees and should always look to improve ourselves outside of our comfort zones. I was surprised at the vast range of professions in the workplace, which favours adaptability in skill sets as the roles we hold change as time and technology does.”

His entrepreneurial father and mother (a housewife) always made sure that he and his elder sister always felt well looked after, even though things weren’t always easy financially. “My parents strongly believed in our potential but also pushed us to be independent and

Yeshveer Manawar DUT Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Chemical Engineering Graduate

ensured that we took accountability for our own success in our studies.”

After graduating with academic colours from Glenwood High School in 2011, Manawar began studying Chemical Engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal but had to leave in his third year when his father’s business ran into difficulties. He worked for two years as a Maths and Physics tutor for high school and university learners to save enough money to finish his studies and support his family.

Unfortunately, his dad suffered a massive stroke, leaving him bedridden and unable to work. Manawar took out loans to pay for his fees and began studying Chemical Engineering Technology full time at DUT, where he worked after campus hours by teaching Maths and Physics at learners’ houses.

This saw him working gruelling 18-hour workdays – balancing shuttling his dad daily for physical therapy, attending lectures and doing campus work, teaching, and then returning home in the evenings to study or complete assignments.

“Failure was not even an option as too much depended on me,” emphasised Manawar. “I remember when I was getting sick every few weeks due to sleep deprivation or fighting through burnouts. I was fuelled by a single thought for my family and I: survive!”

His fondest memories of DUT were his class’ late-night local area network (LAN) sessions – trying to perfect their design assignments and ordering McDonalds while they worked till the early hours to finish. “Those memories will be fondly cherished and the bonds I formed with my classmates were remarkable.”

In his limited spare time (he still privately tutors high school and university students in Physics and Maths), Manawar is an avid squash player, having represented DUT in 2018 at the University Sports South Africa (USSA) squash tournament in Port Elizabeth as the number 1 seed. His personal life in Johannesburg is currently much less hectic than before: “While I am very dedicated to growing my career, I am a strong advocate for work/life balance.” Sometimes life does not give us the hand we feel we deserve, and often we are our own limitations, yet we are the epitome of boundless potential. Through hard work and resilience, underpinned by a purpose in life, we can overcome the battles we are faced with.

He is not yet married but is in a long-term relationship with his partner, Anashia, who has been unbelievably supportive and encouraging through his arduous journey. His dad suffered a second stroke and now uses a wheelchair, but takes one day at a time. “He is an inspiration to me for the strength it takes to get up and fight against the blockers holding us back.”

Yeshveer Manawar @yeshveer_m YeshveerManawar in