“ R UN Y OU R C A R EER LI KE
a b u siness! ” AS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO BE APPOINTED CEO OF PWC SOUTHERN AFRICA, WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HAVE FOR ASPIRING YOUNG WOMEN? Our destiny is in our hands; if we don’t
decide, someone will decide for us. Success has no address, no colour, no gender. The solution is within us. Keep pursuing your
dreams until you achieve them. Run your career like a business, have a strategy
articulating where you are, where you want
to be and how to get there. Surround yourself with mentors who will help you achieve your
strategy. You will fall along the way however when you fall, stand up, dust yourself and
keep walking. Keep telling yourself that “the sky is not the limit, the universe is the limit” YOU ARE A QUALIFIED CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU OVERCAME TO BE WHERE YOU ARE TODAY? Like any other black female
professional, my road was not an easy one. I had the highs and
lows. Unconscious bias from both men and women has been a top
challenge. My recipe was to know what I want and remain focused,
S h i r l ey M a c h a b a CEO PWC SOUTHERN AFRICA
consistent, confident, principled, authentic, perfect what I do
and never give up in what I do,
including maintaining good work ethics. Emotional intelligence
has also been one of my strong
attributes. I always raised my
hand for new opportunities and put more effort to it for me to succeed.