• IN THE STOPE
TSHEGOFATSO KOLE :
MINING FEMALE TALENT
Edited by Leon Louw
Tshegofatso Kole , a financial controller at De Beers Group , is an inspiration for young women with ambitions to enter the mining industry .
As a girl growing up in Rustenburg , Tshegofatso Kole ’ s parents told her she could achieve anything she set her mind to . Today , she ’ s not only inspiring the next generation of young women to reach for their dreams , but she ’ s becoming a powerful campaigner for gender equality in the workplace at a time when women are bearing the brunt of the Covid-19 pandemic .
According to the PwC Women in Work Index , the pandemic is reversing the important gains made over the last decade for women in the workforce , with women in work back at 2017 levels due to Covid-19 by the end of 2021 . In South Africa , the picture is equally gloomy , with ongoing research showing that women have not yet caught up to pre-Covid levels of employment and work hours , while men appear to be back at pre-Covid levels .
Her journey with the group started when she was a bursar at Anglo American in 2008 and later as a Blast Graduate in 2012 . It is opportunities like this that she would like to see extended to more young South African women as the country looks for ways to break down the deep-rooted structural , cultural , and socioeconomic barriers that prevent women from taking their seat at the decision-making table and empowering the young female leaders of tomorrow .
“ Driving greater female participation in the labour market will have a massive impact on the economy and our communities . There are significant benefits from getting more women into jobs . I believe young people have a real role to play here to facilitate conversations , embrace diversity and help accelerate solutions to the challenges we ’ re facing ,” she says •
“ The mining industry is one of the cornerstones of the South African economy and has become more relevant than ever to the country and the communities in which it operates . Now , Covid-19 is pushing us to be more innovative and sustainable than ever , and to find new ways to help build a resilient economy by addressing societal issues like gender equality and youth employment ,” says Kole .
By day , Kole is a financial controller at De Beers Group , where she oversees the technical accounting and financial reporting activities of De Beers Consolidated Mines , a South African Business Unit of De Beers Group . A qualified Chartered Accountant , she previously worked as commercial manager at the Voorspoed Mine , where she led the day-to-day running of the mine to ensure a successful closure in December 2018 .
As part of the De Beers Youth Forum , she has played an active role in driving the company ’ s # NoShame HIV campaign , which aims to change the narrative and stigma around HIV . She also participated in the 2019 / 2020 UN Global Compact Young SDG Innovators Programme , which highlighted the need to find innovative ways to embed sustainability into the industry , she says .
“ I ’ d never fully appreciated the UN ’ s Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) prior to the programme . I thought I understood the social issues we are facing , but I didn ’ t appreciate their magnitude . To be in a room with fellow young minds , eager to solve problems , was inspiring . The 10 months of the programme was not enough to solve all the problems we identified , but it was a catalyst and a motivator ,” says Kole .
36 • African Mining • November 2021
De Beers Group
Tshegofatso Kole , a financial controller at De Beers Group . www . africanmining . co . za