Biography
Thuli Mashaba has been in the shadow and guidance of two outstanding personalities, with a strong values system originated from an ethical foundation. Growing up on a farm in the Lowveld on the outskirts of Barberton - Emjindini, Cherishing values of hard work, commitment, truthfulness, honesty and transparent life, Thuli shares congruent values with late Nelson Mandela, not to mention the same birth date and is convinced that it has played an important part in her life and the character that she has built.
Thuli has characteristics of persistence and is sometimes misjudged as stubborn by those who don't want to be challenged. Life experiences has taught her to be resilient, to take risks and above all, to make ground breaking decisions. "I take time to think through my decisions about life and work and when I arrive at a decision, I fulfill it and accept all consequences." Listening and learning from coaches and mentors who I surround myself with, has broadened my knowledge tremendously and taught me not to be judgmental. "I'm not a 'crowd' person for I believe it is not how many voices shout in the crowd but it is the quality of the shout because even when alone, you can achieve your ambitions and plans." Being a single parent has brought out resilience and endurance in her, keeping her in charge of her destiny.
The opportunity of working in government crossed Thuli's path but her instincts were driving her away from routine and rigid structures leaving her with the confidence to do civil society work which lead to working under a teacher at the trade union SADTU.
Working in this environment has sparked her passion to come closer to the needs and aspirations of people and developed the dynamism in her approach to life. Later, Thuli had the urge to be more influential and decided to join youth development projects where she actively participated, which helped her to identify youth issues through The South African Youth Council (SAYC) on a national and international level and led her to participate at International youth conferences which involved a lot of domestic travel. The SAYC platform brought her to the epicenter of policy and the legislative engine at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) to influence policy and legislation to advance youth interest. This proximity to NEDLAC implanted strong elements and traits of negotiations as the institution is designed to be a dialogue platform for government and civil society in various forms.This level of exposure served to show her how many possibilities there are to be utilized for personal development. She shifted her focus to develop and harness the entrepreneur in her and still it brought her to the civil society lobby group NAFCOC.
Although Thuli is traditional, she was never interested in the 'easy and conventional' way of doing business allocated to women like hairdressing, dressmaking, bead work, or catering but instead she has been fascinated by brick and mortar to compensate her hidden masculinity. Being in a challenging environment is the driving force behind Thuli Mashaba and her proven success is what keeps her motivated. "I always wanted to take routes that are less traveled." Many a times she had come head-to-head with the best in this demanding industry and still came out on top. With a lot to offer yet so much more to learn, Thuli Mashaba is committed to her work, her passion and mentoring individuals, while never losing focus on reaching her goals.
Thuli has characteristics of persistence and is sometimes misjudged as stubborn by those who don't want to be challenged. Life experiences has taught her to be resilient, to take risks and above all, to make ground breaking decisions. "I take time to think through my decisions about life and work and when I arrive at a decision, I fulfill it and accept all consequences." Listening and learning from coaches and mentors who I surround myself with, has broadened my knowledge tremendously and taught me not to be judgmental. "I'm not a 'crowd' person for I believe it is not how many voices shout in the crowd but it is the quality of the shout because even when alone, you can achieve your ambitions and plans." Being a single parent has brought out resilience and endurance in her, keeping her in charge of her destiny.
The opportunity of working in government crossed Thuli's path but her instincts were driving her away from routine and rigid structures leaving her with the confidence to do civil society work which lead to working under a teacher at the trade union SADTU.
Working in this environment has sparked her passion to come closer to the needs and aspirations of people and developed the dynamism in her approach to life. Later, Thuli had the urge to be more influential and decided to join youth development projects where she actively participated, which helped her to identify youth issues through The South African Youth Council (SAYC) on a national and international level and led her to participate at International youth conferences which involved a lot of domestic travel. The SAYC platform brought her to the epicenter of policy and the legislative engine at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) to influence policy and legislation to advance youth interest. This proximity to NEDLAC implanted strong elements and traits of negotiations as the institution is designed to be a dialogue platform for government and civil society in various forms.This level of exposure served to show her how many possibilities there are to be utilized for personal development. She shifted her focus to develop and harness the entrepreneur in her and still it brought her to the civil society lobby group NAFCOC.
Although Thuli is traditional, she was never interested in the 'easy and conventional' way of doing business allocated to women like hairdressing, dressmaking, bead work, or catering but instead she has been fascinated by brick and mortar to compensate her hidden masculinity. Being in a challenging environment is the driving force behind Thuli Mashaba and her proven success is what keeps her motivated. "I always wanted to take routes that are less traveled." Many a times she had come head-to-head with the best in this demanding industry and still came out on top. With a lot to offer yet so much more to learn, Thuli Mashaba is committed to her work, her passion and mentoring individuals, while never losing focus on reaching her goals.
