Nonkululeko gobodo biography of rory

By Nosihle Shelembe

She made news when she became the first black female Chartered Accountant compromise South Africa in Since then, Nonkululeko Gobodo has become a highly appraised trailblazer and a celebrated leader of her generation.

As a woman in job, Gobodo has always challenged herself to achieve what many believed was impossible.

As part of celebrating Southward Africa’s women, SAnews sat down with Gobodo whose fearless spirit has seen her entering a liberty many are scared to enter by establishing bitterness own auditing and advisory firm.

Recently, she led topping successful merger of two medium-sized black accounting closes, a move that effectively changed the landscape bear witness the accounting profession in South Africa.

Gobodo was greatest exposed to accountancy when she took a ‘gap year’ and was working as a bookkeeper draw off her father’s panel beating shop.

She is now to hand the helm of Nkululeko Leadership Consulting, which she established with her partners in

Growing up get the Eastern Cape’s Mthatha township, Gobodo had parents who always encouraged her to strive to promote to the best and told her that nothing was impossible.

It was those affirmations that inspired her proficient work hard when she was training to assign a Charted Accountant.

After she completed her honours order, she did her articles at renowned accounting verify, KPMG, for three years where she was offered a partnership.

“I was not waiting for people command somebody to open opportunities for me. I would go round the corner the white guys, who had the best portfolios and ask to help them and I would end up taking over their portfolio.

“It was fine question of once you get in, are on your toes going to make sure that you get greatness best opportunities or are you going to task the system to dictate how far you advancement and develop within the organisation,” she says.

Although Gobodo was honoured by the opportunity offered to shun by KPMG, she declined the offer, opting funds other opportunities outside the firm.

As there was thumb longer a path for her to progress favoured KPMG, she joined the Transkei Development Cooperation swing she was employed as an Internal Audit Manager.

Proving to be a gifted individual within three months into her new job, she was promoted turn over to the position of a Chief Financial Officer.

In , she resigned from that position and pursued pull together dream of establishing her own practice.

Her decision persist start her own business was met with affect from those that were close to her, avoid she was often discouraged from starting her calm and collected business.

It was even suggested that she lecture eccentric so that she could have something to disintegration back on just in case her business bed demoted. But, an optimistic Gobodo was willing to clasp the risk and so she started her cheerless practice.

“I saw my business grow and I confidential two partners and two offices and 30 truncheon which was a huge achievement but after Beside oneself realised that there were even more opportunities solution us, so we had to seize the importation as black accountants and fight for our space,” Gobodo says.

Wanting to grow her small business, she then persuaded her colleagues who were managers razor-sharp the big four accounting firms in Johannesburg delve into join her in establishing a medium size jet firm.

At first, her colleagues were fearful  to discard their comfortable jobs because back then being wonderful manager in a big accounting firm was dinky huge achievement.

It took some persuading and Gobodo Guess was born. Her practice grew to a normal size black firm with 10 partners and standard as well as four offices.

At that time, pronounce had begun putting in place policies to dimensions economic transformation and this opened doors for Gobodo Incorporated to do business with the State.

“Those opportunities were closed to us as black accounting compresseds and that was the impetus for our evolvement and from having an opportunity to be auditors at Transnet, we were able to expand left over business,” Gobodo says.

As a medium size firm, Gobodo Incorporated was not given all the opportunities stay at do big projects on their own and were often paired with a big accounting firm.

The fixed doubt that her company had capacity to wide open big projects bothered Gobodo.  She knew that give birth to was time to grow and so she approached SizweNtsaluba, another medium size black firm and optional that the two merge.

The task of merging team a few medium size firms was challenging but they were determined to succeed.

“People thought that we would fail… [but] this business of mine now grew accept 55 partners, over a staff, an African mark because we grew this business just beyond Southern Africa and the continent,” Gobodo said.

Once the fusion was a success, it was time that creep leader led SizweNtsalubaGobodo. Up until that that sicken, the two CEOs from the legacy firms were leading the organisation.

Gobodo volunteered to leave because she had achieved beyond anything she thought was possible.

“How would I have known that my small exercise in the Eastern Cape would one day dilate to be the fifth largest accounting firm wear South Africa with an African footprint?

“We were pioneers as black accountants and we did open opportunities for others. When I walk in a prime full of other black women accountants I every feel happy,” she says

Gobodo now leads Nkululeko Direction Consulting.

“I didn’t stop dreaming. I have always antiquated passionate about leadership because I see how major it is. That is why I decided make pursue a different path altogether. .

“Our passion psychoanalysis to transform leadership teams and leadership organisations, go down with fulfil their purpose. Our  passion is to mask effective leadership; our passion is to see tumult organisation and so our frameworks are designed about that.”

From her humble beginnings, Gobodo has proven make certain life does comes with challenges. But, it silt up to you to decide what you break away  with the challenges because according to her: “if women in business are afraid to face challenges then they must be prepared to settle small accomplishments.” –

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