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Boardroom Dancing: Transformation Stories from a Corporate Activist
Nolitha Fakude grew up as a shopkeeper’s daughter in the Eastern Cape, studied at the University of FortHare and then entered the workplace in 1990 as a graduate trainee at Woolworths. Subsequently, she has worked in very senior positions at some major blue-chip companies, including Woolworths, Nedbank and Sasol. She was also managing director and then president of the Black Management Forum (BMF). Over a career spanning 29 years, Nolitha spearheaded programmes that ensure the development of women and marginalised communities in the workplace and society. A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, she has earned a well-deserved reputation as a corporate activist. Nolitha is held in high regard within business circles and serves on numerous boards including the JSE Limited, Anglo American plc and Afrox Limited. Although Boardroom Dancing is her personal journey, it is also a lesson for South Africans committed to the transformation of boardrooms and the economy, and for women looking for role models as they climb corporate ladders and become thought-leaders
- GenresBiography
271 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 20, 2022
Is it wise to review a book while sipping on wine?
Well, I’ll leave you to figure that one out!
Mam Nolitha Fakude, is a true ‘Mafungwashe’ a title given to firstborn daughters, described in her memoir as “the one you swear by” took on many hats & dancing shoes in her life.
She had a normal upbringing, later became aware of the poverty & brutality against black people. She recognised the deliberate injustice of the cruel system of apartheid, then took it upon herself to wear the shoes and start dancing for change & transformation wherever she was. The book tells how and where…
I would highly recommend it to everyone passionate about fighting for equality, because many years later we are still here... It is clear that this is not a single persons fight *Pearls of wisdom on how to approach the dance are written in the pages*
This book did not only touch on climbing the corporate ladder - which she made damn sure she climbed, however there are a lot of life lessons to learn from.
Not to minimise her story to only be about those serious stuff, she found her purpose and she’s having fun with
Well, I’ll leave you to figure that one out!
Mam Nolitha Fakude, is a true ‘Mafungwashe’ a title given to firstborn daughters, described in her memoir as “the one you swear by” took on many hats & dancing shoes in her life.
She had a normal upbringing, later became aware of the poverty & brutality against black people. She recognised the deliberate injustice of the cruel system of apartheid, then took it upon herself to wear the shoes and start dancing for change & transformation wherever she was. The book tells how and where…
I would highly recommend it to everyone passionate about fighting for equality, because many years later we are still here... It is clear that this is not a single persons fight *Pearls of wisdom on how to approach the dance are written in the pages*
This book did not only touch on climbing the corporate ladder - which she made damn sure she climbed, however there are a lot of life lessons to learn from.
Not to minimise her story to only be about those serious stuff, she found her purpose and she’s having fun with
February 2, 2021
This is a corporate memoir if ever that description exists. This memoir centered around the business life of Ms Fakude as she likely had little social life between those pages. It follows her life from selling in her mother’s shop in Eastern Cape to making her male colleagues dance in the boardrooms of big companies in South Africa, by standing her ground, making sure her voice is heard and working diligently. What I’m saying is, she’s the reason why we are able to buy comfortably and also allowed to voice our dissatisfaction in that amalgamated shop, not a man did that but she did. From being trainee after her university qualification to being the director and dismantling the whole white supremacy to the rainbow nation we all want, yes a black woman did that. She literally took up space.
She went on to be part of the team that started a movement, Black Management Forum (BMF) an organization that represents black people in workplaces and ensure transparency in inclusion and that equal opportunities are offered to all. She also served as the president of the organization. Did I not say black girl magic had been a thing before it was named black girl magic? Yes boo🤩
.
She was later on called to work for Nedbank, a position she didn’t really get enough time to revolutionize because she was offered an executive director position at SASOL. I believe we wouldn’t be charged ridiculous prices had she stayed in and worked the system🥺. Keyword “offered”, I mean we all know SASOL is like one of the biggest companies in South Africa and she was called to save them from drowning and she worked her magic. If you see where SASOL is at now, both as a company and a country’s treasure, I dare you to come find out why in this book, because 1, she dismantled the white surpremacy, 2 enforced inclusion, 3 black people with qualifications and experiences were allowed to be part of the management team, 4 SASOL became a brand for the people by the people without the ego, 5. Black people were allowed to buy shares in the company, 6. Transparency🤞🏿. I can’t mention all but you catch the drift, yeah. She was the first black person, irregardless of gender to have the role she had in that company. I think I mentioned too many firsts here and she was massive in all of them. She implemented the inclusion of black people in leadership roles and in decision making processes. She made sure their voices were heard as part of development and progression. She didn’t choose. She played a fair game, she had them men egos thrown out of the window. She’s influential in her own way and it’s amazing she shared her experiences through this book.
.
In its closing chapter, she actually challenged the country to sit down and have a talk. A talk about politics, racism, unemployment, and empowerment. To engage with each other to unveil the issues that needs to be confronted and to be able to move forward. To be able to engage in conversations that are uncomfortable but which will definitely bring change and development in the country. I think if we read this book in its truthfulness, those conversations can be instigated, though it will take time but we can start somewhere as a country to build the legacy that will save the country and our future generations.
.
This book is powerful in its own essence. It’s a masterpiece of what and where hard work, dedication and compassion can take you. It’s a lesson that you don’t have to have it all to begin, you just have to begin and let the lessons and experiences lead you.
We all have it within us, inside of us, it just need to be awakened. And that as a woman, you can take lead in any role and be the agent of change.
She went on to be part of the team that started a movement, Black Management Forum (BMF) an organization that represents black people in workplaces and ensure transparency in inclusion and that equal opportunities are offered to all. She also served as the president of the organization. Did I not say black girl magic had been a thing before it was named black girl magic? Yes boo🤩
.
She was later on called to work for Nedbank, a position she didn’t really get enough time to revolutionize because she was offered an executive director position at SASOL. I believe we wouldn’t be charged ridiculous prices had she stayed in and worked the system🥺. Keyword “offered”, I mean we all know SASOL is like one of the biggest companies in South Africa and she was called to save them from drowning and she worked her magic. If you see where SASOL is at now, both as a company and a country’s treasure, I dare you to come find out why in this book, because 1, she dismantled the white surpremacy, 2 enforced inclusion, 3 black people with qualifications and experiences were allowed to be part of the management team, 4 SASOL became a brand for the people by the people without the ego, 5. Black people were allowed to buy shares in the company, 6. Transparency🤞🏿. I can’t mention all but you catch the drift, yeah. She was the first black person, irregardless of gender to have the role she had in that company. I think I mentioned too many firsts here and she was massive in all of them. She implemented the inclusion of black people in leadership roles and in decision making processes. She made sure their voices were heard as part of development and progression. She didn’t choose. She played a fair game, she had them men egos thrown out of the window. She’s influential in her own way and it’s amazing she shared her experiences through this book.
.
In its closing chapter, she actually challenged the country to sit down and have a talk. A talk about politics, racism, unemployment, and empowerment. To engage with each other to unveil the issues that needs to be confronted and to be able to move forward. To be able to engage in conversations that are uncomfortable but which will definitely bring change and development in the country. I think if we read this book in its truthfulness, those conversations can be instigated, though it will take time but we can start somewhere as a country to build the legacy that will save the country and our future generations.
.
This book is powerful in its own essence. It’s a masterpiece of what and where hard work, dedication and compassion can take you. It’s a lesson that you don’t have to have it all to begin, you just have to begin and let the lessons and experiences lead you.
We all have it within us, inside of us, it just need to be awakened. And that as a woman, you can take lead in any role and be the agent of change.
December 29, 2021
Interesting read.
When I picked it up I thought it would be a memoir on a corporate figure. It turned out to be a reflection of an eventful corporate career.
Boardroom Dacing is as its title says: “Transformation stories from a corporate activist”. The book is laced with a lot of stories on how Mam Fakude tackled transformation and fought for gender equity. I appreciated the snippets shared on her upbringing and personal life. Hopefully her next book will be a memoir/autobiography because I could relate to her beyond the corporate space.
Ultimately, this was a good book to end my year with. Highly inspiring.
When I picked it up I thought it would be a memoir on a corporate figure. It turned out to be a reflection of an eventful corporate career.
Boardroom Dacing is as its title says: “Transformation stories from a corporate activist”. The book is laced with a lot of stories on how Mam Fakude tackled transformation and fought for gender equity. I appreciated the snippets shared on her upbringing and personal life. Hopefully her next book will be a memoir/autobiography because I could relate to her beyond the corporate space.
Ultimately, this was a good book to end my year with. Highly inspiring.
August 4, 2020
Nolitha’s professional career journey started in the retail sector at Woolworths, then banking sector at Nedbank, business association at Black Management Forum (BMF) and eventually aligning all her experiences and transformation skills at Sasol, where she "danced" graciously for eleven years.
This book is about an unapologetic commitment to the transformation agenda for black female professionals; it is about the power of collaborations as a leader; and it is about the alignment of experiences to adapt to new environments. It’s a book filled with many life and business lessons to inspire professionals in their climb of the corporate ladder, however the book also tactfully challenges some of the long held corporate ideologies.
For instance, on ways to encourage openness in an organization, Nolitha challenges senior management to be at times vulnerable in front of other managers and employees. Vulnerability gains you trust from your people, it makes you also “human”. This challenges the notion that as senior management one must always have an aggressive leadership style to drive an organization forward.
On how organizations can lead significant cultural change, she argues that having an “inside-out” approach, where the employees and managers’ personal values are aligned to the organizations values is key. She argues that more black professionals especially black female professionals must be given the respect and space at the table (on merit and competence) if the organization is truly committed to the transformation agenda
Although some may criticize her parenting abilities, as putting her career first above building picture perfect “nuclear” family, her efforts, however are challenging this social yet patriarchal rooted expectation. Her journey offers an alternative and functional way of how to be both a highly driven career black woman but yet be able to have a solid structure of a “modern family” crafted within a support network. This network included her mother, sister in laws and business colleagues who also held high-profile executive jobs. This powerful matriarchal support network enabled her son Phila to have an extended network of aunties and friends
This is book is beyond a memoir, in fact it is an informal textbook filled with countless business lessons. Therefore it can be recommend that some of these organizational culture transformation initiatives and strategies she implemented especially at Sasol, find its place in the educational curriculum in our business modules and case studies to be taught to future business leaders.
If you enjoyed, Mteto Nyathi’s Betting on a Darkie (2019), you would absolutely love this book specifically when it comes to how to effectively lead cultural changes and gender transformation in an organization
#BlackExcellence
#TheGenderAgenda
Rolland Simpi Motaung
This book is about an unapologetic commitment to the transformation agenda for black female professionals; it is about the power of collaborations as a leader; and it is about the alignment of experiences to adapt to new environments. It’s a book filled with many life and business lessons to inspire professionals in their climb of the corporate ladder, however the book also tactfully challenges some of the long held corporate ideologies.
For instance, on ways to encourage openness in an organization, Nolitha challenges senior management to be at times vulnerable in front of other managers and employees. Vulnerability gains you trust from your people, it makes you also “human”. This challenges the notion that as senior management one must always have an aggressive leadership style to drive an organization forward.
On how organizations can lead significant cultural change, she argues that having an “inside-out” approach, where the employees and managers’ personal values are aligned to the organizations values is key. She argues that more black professionals especially black female professionals must be given the respect and space at the table (on merit and competence) if the organization is truly committed to the transformation agenda
Although some may criticize her parenting abilities, as putting her career first above building picture perfect “nuclear” family, her efforts, however are challenging this social yet patriarchal rooted expectation. Her journey offers an alternative and functional way of how to be both a highly driven career black woman but yet be able to have a solid structure of a “modern family” crafted within a support network. This network included her mother, sister in laws and business colleagues who also held high-profile executive jobs. This powerful matriarchal support network enabled her son Phila to have an extended network of aunties and friends
This is book is beyond a memoir, in fact it is an informal textbook filled with countless business lessons. Therefore it can be recommend that some of these organizational culture transformation initiatives and strategies she implemented especially at Sasol, find its place in the educational curriculum in our business modules and case studies to be taught to future business leaders.
If you enjoyed, Mteto Nyathi’s Betting on a Darkie (2019), you would absolutely love this book specifically when it comes to how to effectively lead cultural changes and gender transformation in an organization
#BlackExcellence
#TheGenderAgenda
Rolland Simpi Motaung
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