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Magda: My Journey
How did a teenage refugee from communist Poland become one of the richest women in South Africa?
In what ways did she disrupt the financial services industry?
What drove her to become an activist exposing corporate and government corruption?
What are her secrets for succeeding in business and life?
The founder of multibillion-rand financial services empire Sygnia Limited, Magda Wierzycka is South Africa’s most successful businesswoman. In this engaging and insightful book, she tells the story of her life, from her childhood in communist Poland, her family’s escape and relocation to South Africa, her early struggles in the male-dominated financial services industry, and the formation and growth of her own company, Sygnia.
With a business model built on transparency and low fees, it was a natural step for Magda to become an outspoken critic of corporate and government corruption, exposing wrongdoing and making her many powerful enemies in the process.
In this book, Magda shares the life lessons and business principles that have driven her and brought her success. This is a fascinating story that will inspire you to speak out, lean in, break out, and ultimately empower yourself not only to survive in life and business, but to thrive.
In what ways did she disrupt the financial services industry?
What drove her to become an activist exposing corporate and government corruption?
What are her secrets for succeeding in business and life?
The founder of multibillion-rand financial services empire Sygnia Limited, Magda Wierzycka is South Africa’s most successful businesswoman. In this engaging and insightful book, she tells the story of her life, from her childhood in communist Poland, her family’s escape and relocation to South Africa, her early struggles in the male-dominated financial services industry, and the formation and growth of her own company, Sygnia.
With a business model built on transparency and low fees, it was a natural step for Magda to become an outspoken critic of corporate and government corruption, exposing wrongdoing and making her many powerful enemies in the process.
In this book, Magda shares the life lessons and business principles that have driven her and brought her success. This is a fascinating story that will inspire you to speak out, lean in, break out, and ultimately empower yourself not only to survive in life and business, but to thrive.
- GenresFinanceSouth Africa
240 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2022
55 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
March 22, 2023
This book has encouraged me to do more and to be more, to give more of myself and to look beyond the surface of things.
June 24, 2022
For me what could have been an inspirational story, was tainted by the continued and sometimes overbearing narrative of men in financial services. Whilst some of the narrative is true in a broad and generalised sense. I have also worked in the industry and in mining and can relate to: low female representation during the 90’s, 2000’s in boardrooms and executive level.
I did work with some of the men named in this book and had a very different experience : they were all very supportive of my career and were willing to share knowledge and know how and I found them to be protective and supportive of women, so it is disappointing that she named and almost shamed some. It does not detract that it is hard, but a generalised view is disappointing
The book disappoints me in I would have liked to hear more about her lessons on how she overcame and can share advise on breaking down barriers and promote inclusivity and diversity and building of lasting relationships and her experience in this. Leading with the brain and heart, the attributes that women bring that is different in boardrooms.
I did enjoy the part of standing up for principles and acting with integrity. Her hard work and true grit, shines
through and I have to admire this while pregnant and having children she achieved an incredible feat. She had the guts and perseverance and brains to build her business and achieving amazing status in the financial services. Also in speaking and calling others to act with integrity in the South African business world context. We really need more of these bold and business principles to assist in the overall moral fabric.
I did work with some of the men named in this book and had a very different experience : they were all very supportive of my career and were willing to share knowledge and know how and I found them to be protective and supportive of women, so it is disappointing that she named and almost shamed some. It does not detract that it is hard, but a generalised view is disappointing
The book disappoints me in I would have liked to hear more about her lessons on how she overcame and can share advise on breaking down barriers and promote inclusivity and diversity and building of lasting relationships and her experience in this. Leading with the brain and heart, the attributes that women bring that is different in boardrooms.
I did enjoy the part of standing up for principles and acting with integrity. Her hard work and true grit, shines
through and I have to admire this while pregnant and having children she achieved an incredible feat. She had the guts and perseverance and brains to build her business and achieving amazing status in the financial services. Also in speaking and calling others to act with integrity in the South African business world context. We really need more of these bold and business principles to assist in the overall moral fabric.
June 28, 2022
No doubt Magda is knowledgeable and a huge success
I found the book too achievement oriented and lack of personal experiences made it much mundane, predictable and slightly boring
An autobiography should reveal warts and all to make it real…. Just too perfect
I found the book too achievement oriented and lack of personal experiences made it much mundane, predictable and slightly boring
An autobiography should reveal warts and all to make it real…. Just too perfect
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2022
It was very good. I enjoyed the book. Not the best of all biographies I've read. I found it lacked a bit of spirit, emotion, human feelings etc. It was a bit more of a factual listing of events. But for what it was I enjoyed it.
October 11, 2022
A remarkable story by a remarkable woman. I wasn't really sure what to expect when I picked this up. I'd heard of Magda obviously - "one of the richest women in South Africa", a maverick, a strong woman in a male-dominated industry, someone who helped expose the corruption of the Zuma years through the Gupta leaks. But I didn't expect to find her so likeable. I thought of making a list of what I learned from her success: 1) work really hard 2) be part of a supportive team 3) don't compromise on your values and principles 4) believe in yourself 5) be quick to admit when you're wrong and learn from it 6) have fun 7) see the bigger picture 8) make a difference. But I don't think that captures the story. A teenage refugee from Communist Poland who went from not speaking a word of English at age 12 to being the valedictorian of her class 5 years later and winning a bursary to study Actuarial Science at UCT etc etc. We often hear about the male successes in the business world but I think more people should read about the success of this remarkable woman.
June 17, 2022
Magda, My Journey
Magda Wierzycka
Penguin Random House
Review: Karen Watkins
Magda Wierzycka went from humble beginnings in Gliwice, southern Poland, to Pretoria in 1983 where she became one of South Africa’s most successful businesswomen and, according to Forbes magazine, was among Africa’s 50 Most Powerful Women. Born in 1969, Magdalena “Magda” Wierzycka shared a two-bedroom flat with her sister, brother, grandmother and parents who were medical doctors. Aged 13, her family fled communist Poland in 1982 and lived in a refugee camp in Austria where her parents dug ditches to earn a living. This wasn’t the only time she had to flee. In late April 2017, she was driven out of South Africa and went to the Maldives with her family fearing for their safety during the GuptaLeaks. Wierzycka has been an outspoken critic of corruption in business and in government. This book is compulsive reading. It’s an inspirational tool for entrepreneurs and young business people wanting to know how to invest for their future. It will touch a sensitive nerve for women who have had to claw their way and survive getting to the peak of their profession. It’s also a book that men should read and learn how their actions affect women in business. Wierzycka’s energy is exhausting, not only in her business dealings but also her personal life. From growing up Catholic and almost converting to Judaism, she married Simon Peile who she initially did not get on with. They had two sons, Alex and Nicholas. Wierzycka went for natural childbirth and was back at work within a few days – which is possibly the only regret of her life. This was her choice, either be a stay-at-home mum or have a career, and not feel guilty about the decision. If that’s not enough, she knows how to knit, embroider, bake and buy exquisite shoes and outfits. She has completed five Cape Town Cycle Tours, runs almost two hours every day and wrote this book in two weeks. Starting her career in 1993 in the male-dominated financial industry, she shares explicit details of how her hard work led her to reaching her “glass ceiling”. And how she survived verbal abuse in boardrooms to empower herself with what she calls her “attack technique” and not reacting to triggers of fear. Along the way she used index tracking and disrupted the financial services industry of the country in the same way that Airbnb, Uber and Amazon did. In 2006, as co-founder and CEO of Sygnia, she grew the financial technology company’s assets from R2 billion to R162 billion. I thoroughly recommend this fascinating, interesting book. Wierzycka is donating the proceeds from the sales of this book to the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children, based in Manenberg.
Magda Wierzycka
Penguin Random House
Review: Karen Watkins
Magda Wierzycka went from humble beginnings in Gliwice, southern Poland, to Pretoria in 1983 where she became one of South Africa’s most successful businesswomen and, according to Forbes magazine, was among Africa’s 50 Most Powerful Women. Born in 1969, Magdalena “Magda” Wierzycka shared a two-bedroom flat with her sister, brother, grandmother and parents who were medical doctors. Aged 13, her family fled communist Poland in 1982 and lived in a refugee camp in Austria where her parents dug ditches to earn a living. This wasn’t the only time she had to flee. In late April 2017, she was driven out of South Africa and went to the Maldives with her family fearing for their safety during the GuptaLeaks. Wierzycka has been an outspoken critic of corruption in business and in government. This book is compulsive reading. It’s an inspirational tool for entrepreneurs and young business people wanting to know how to invest for their future. It will touch a sensitive nerve for women who have had to claw their way and survive getting to the peak of their profession. It’s also a book that men should read and learn how their actions affect women in business. Wierzycka’s energy is exhausting, not only in her business dealings but also her personal life. From growing up Catholic and almost converting to Judaism, she married Simon Peile who she initially did not get on with. They had two sons, Alex and Nicholas. Wierzycka went for natural childbirth and was back at work within a few days – which is possibly the only regret of her life. This was her choice, either be a stay-at-home mum or have a career, and not feel guilty about the decision. If that’s not enough, she knows how to knit, embroider, bake and buy exquisite shoes and outfits. She has completed five Cape Town Cycle Tours, runs almost two hours every day and wrote this book in two weeks. Starting her career in 1993 in the male-dominated financial industry, she shares explicit details of how her hard work led her to reaching her “glass ceiling”. And how she survived verbal abuse in boardrooms to empower herself with what she calls her “attack technique” and not reacting to triggers of fear. Along the way she used index tracking and disrupted the financial services industry of the country in the same way that Airbnb, Uber and Amazon did. In 2006, as co-founder and CEO of Sygnia, she grew the financial technology company’s assets from R2 billion to R162 billion. I thoroughly recommend this fascinating, interesting book. Wierzycka is donating the proceeds from the sales of this book to the Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children, based in Manenberg.
August 30, 2022
I liked this book. It contains good business lessons from a successful business woman.
I want to start off with what I didn't like, because you'll need to look past that to enjoy this book. Firstly, the writing is not that great. Sometimes the flow of sentences, paragraphs and whole chapters does not make sense. This is a short book but it should have been even shorter. For example, it could have condensed the chapters on whistle-blowing into one chapter. Lastly, the author herself sometimes lacks insight. One of many glaring examples: the recommendation to go on one big international trip a year with your family. (Thank you Magda, I'll put that as no 2 on my to-do list under no 1: get rich.)
What is good about this book is the actual business. Whatever your opinion on Magda (or if you have none) she is a self-made billionaire and is undoubtedly a successful entrepreneur. She gives her experience on running a business, being underestimated by her peers (especially male peers) and dealing with clients. She has anecdotes of how she dealt with good and bad employees and good and bad bosses. Her work ethic or style may not resonant with everyone, but there are certainly takeaways from the results she achieved. She doesn't dive deep into the actual investing, but her approach to it and her opinions on the industry as a whole are enlightening to an outsider.
Overall a decent business book by someone with an interesting story to tell, and whose story isn't finished yet.
I want to start off with what I didn't like, because you'll need to look past that to enjoy this book. Firstly, the writing is not that great. Sometimes the flow of sentences, paragraphs and whole chapters does not make sense. This is a short book but it should have been even shorter. For example, it could have condensed the chapters on whistle-blowing into one chapter. Lastly, the author herself sometimes lacks insight. One of many glaring examples: the recommendation to go on one big international trip a year with your family. (Thank you Magda, I'll put that as no 2 on my to-do list under no 1: get rich.)
What is good about this book is the actual business. Whatever your opinion on Magda (or if you have none) she is a self-made billionaire and is undoubtedly a successful entrepreneur. She gives her experience on running a business, being underestimated by her peers (especially male peers) and dealing with clients. She has anecdotes of how she dealt with good and bad employees and good and bad bosses. Her work ethic or style may not resonant with everyone, but there are certainly takeaways from the results she achieved. She doesn't dive deep into the actual investing, but her approach to it and her opinions on the industry as a whole are enlightening to an outsider.
Overall a decent business book by someone with an interesting story to tell, and whose story isn't finished yet.
June 8, 2025

Magda: My Journey is a bold, brilliant and deeply human story of one of South Africa’s most formidable business leaders.
I listened to the audiobook and felt as though Magda was speaking directly to me, sharing not just her rise from political refugee to powerhouse CEO, but also the raw, real moments that shaped her. She does not shy away from her vulnerabilities, which makes her resilience all the more powerful.
From fighting corruption to challenging the status quo in the financial services sector, Magda is a force. What struck me most was her unwavering sense of purpose and her refusal to look away, even when doing so would have been easier.
This is more than a business memoir. It is a masterclass in grit, integrity and the courage to lead with both head and heart.
Highly recommended for anyone navigating leadership, ethical entrepreneurship, or just needing a reminder of the power of standing up and speaking out.
May 23, 2022
This powerful and inspirational memoir reminds one of the saying “If you stand for a reason be prepared to stand alone like a tree, and if you fall on the ground, fall like a seed that grows back to fight again.” For this is what Magda Wierzycka did. A teenage refuge from communist Poland to becoming one of the richest women in South Africa, she stood for what she believed in, fighting corruption in business and government whilst developing her own business as well as being a wife and mother. Not one to let age or gender discourage her, but rather to work harder to prove that as a woman she can also succeed, Magda inspires others to fight for what they believe in.
An engrossing read that also exposes corruption in today’s South Africa and gives the reader a good insight into the financial world.
An engrossing read that also exposes corruption in today’s South Africa and gives the reader a good insight into the financial world.
December 8, 2022
I have casually followed Magda’s journey in the media for many years, having worked in the same industry and having a personal interest in SA business and politics. So it was a refresher for me, yet revealed much more of Magda’s personal perspective which many people could learn from. It is amazing to me how much Magda has achieved. Magda is bold and brave in many ways and we are fortunate that a SA bureaucrat saw fit to admit her family as refugees. Well written and well narrated on Audible. I am grateful for the audiobook.
June 13, 2022
My favourite book of 2022. Magda expertly tells her story, from her childhood in Communist Poland, moving to South Africa as a refugee and all her adventures in the financial industry. I enjoyed the factual, somewhat understated tone interweaved with her opinion and lessons she learnt. Highly recommended, a glimpse into an extraordinary life.
June 18, 2022
She is a light bearer
I have respect and admiration for Magda, she is an example not only for human but all South Africans to unite against corruption. Fear keeps us hostage and being oblivious keep us blind. Thank you for the courage regardless the threads. I salute you and hope that we will follow your example for a better South Africa.
I have respect and admiration for Magda, she is an example not only for human but all South Africans to unite against corruption. Fear keeps us hostage and being oblivious keep us blind. Thank you for the courage regardless the threads. I salute you and hope that we will follow your example for a better South Africa.
January 18, 2024
One of the best corporate/entrepreneurial book I have read. I enjoyed this book a bit too much. She is practical, logical, stubborn but with a moral compass. I enjoyed everything about this book. The gift is opinion backed by experience. I enjoyed the fact that her story is not rooted in the South African discriminatory history.
October 22, 2022
Absolutely love the authenticity in which she shared her experiences- as a woman in a male dominated industry I must say I learnt a lot. I’m inspired beyond words and grateful to have read this gem.
September 18, 2024
A very good book to read
The book is easy to read and provides good insights into how the investments market work. A truly inspiring story and would really recommend it for any young female entering the corporate world.
The book is easy to read and provides good insights into how the investments market work. A truly inspiring story and would really recommend it for any young female entering the corporate world.
June 3, 2022
A remarkable woman!
June 5, 2022
Excellent book.
February 18, 2023
Easy reading book detailing the life of a very successful woman. The invective directed at ‘white males’ is rather unnecessary and leaves a bitter taste.
September 6, 2023
Some parts were weirdly relatable but I learnt a lot, and also able to appreciate her ability to balance the need for aesthetics and colour in fashion and design but still be a badass woman.
November 22, 2022
This was surprisingly one of the best autobiographies I have read this year.
Magda unpacks everything from her personal life, family, career journey and principles that guide some of her decision-making. What also makes the reading experience more human, is the fact that she doesn’t shy away from sharing some of her scariest vulnerabilities.
And true to her opening words, she really does enlighten the reader on the ins and outs of the financial services industry. This book was almost like listening to someone share all of the information that exists about the industry, but is not made readily available for everyone to access.
Overall, My Journey, is more than an autobiography. It is a book full of valuable lessons which could help you in navigating the uncertainties of life and your career amongst many other things.
Magda unpacks everything from her personal life, family, career journey and principles that guide some of her decision-making. What also makes the reading experience more human, is the fact that she doesn’t shy away from sharing some of her scariest vulnerabilities.
And true to her opening words, she really does enlighten the reader on the ins and outs of the financial services industry. This book was almost like listening to someone share all of the information that exists about the industry, but is not made readily available for everyone to access.
Overall, My Journey, is more than an autobiography. It is a book full of valuable lessons which could help you in navigating the uncertainties of life and your career amongst many other things.
January 15, 2024
Easy read by this South African financial entrepreneur, self-made millionaire, activist and commentator.
Very honest, retrospective, lots of advice (especially for females in business), and overviews of projects where she exposed corruption, irregularities, and weak systems. She is an admirable woman.
Very honest, retrospective, lots of advice (especially for females in business), and overviews of projects where she exposed corruption, irregularities, and weak systems. She is an admirable woman.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews