Optimism correlates with
success; attitude determines
altitude and leaders are
readers! Know yourself and
be yourself as a woman in
the banking sector.
Luyanda Tetyana began her career as a journalist, a far cry from
her current position of Manager of Media & Communications at The
Banking Association South Africa. She muses that at one of her first
banking jobs, she knew little about the world of finance, ‘The only
thing I understood about banking at the time was the relationship
I had with my bank through a savings account.’ However, having
joined the industry in 2007, just before the Global Economic Recession
hit, she learned fast and grew to understand the basics of banking
and the relationship banking has with the broader economy. A strong
advocate of social issues and commentary, Luyanda developed her
skills further by writing a newspaper column covering politics, finance
and the broader economy. She believes in pushing the envelope when
it comes to education and is currently studying further in management
and business. Her future aspirations? ‘To one day attain my law degree,
which I truly believe will assist me in transforming the industry and
society towards a better future.’
Thenji Nhlapo joined The Banking Association South Africa in 2000
and enjoyed a number of PA roles to various general managers. She
studied towards a PR diploma with Provox while working for the
Managing Director Cas Coovadia. She took the leap and applied for
the position of Media & Communications Officer and the rest, as
they say, is history. Thenji’s advice to any woman wanting to climb
the corporate ladder is to always believe in yourself and your skills
and abilities. Something she personally found hard to do. ‘Never
underestimate yourself and never be afraid of a new challenge.’ She
believes that in order to grow professionally and personally, one
must continually be learning, expanding and challenging oneself,
and if this means changing career paths every few years or taking on
a scary project … then do it! ‘You are never too old to learn