Page 71 - KZN Top Business Women 2019 eBook

I view work-life balance a bit like a see-saw, because sometimes there is

more of it and sometimes less.

a senior warehouse manager. She commented, “The were times when she could not be there for her
Managing Director, opportunity to gain diverse experience in human children due to work commitments, for example
of Performance Solutions Africa (PSA)
resources as well as operations was a special gift.” when doing a warehouse stocktake on a Sunday.
ARBARA NJAPHA is the managing director When managing the warehouse was no longer Fortunately, her children were independent at a
of Performance Solutions Africa (PSA), a a challenge, Barbara left ABI to start her own young age and she appreciates the support she gets
Bconsulting firm in Durban that conducts recruitment company in 2006. Soon afterwards she from her family. Her husband has encouraged her
performance enhancement interventions. Best met with a former work colleague who advised and became very understanding over time.
practice programmes are offered to organisations Barbara that PSA was looking for an HR head. “I view work-life balance a bit like a see-saw, because
in the private and public sectors, involving the Consequently, in addition to running her company, sometimes there is more of it and sometimes less.”
training and coaching of leaders and managers. she joined PSA, and became a director replacing the This is further motivation for her to be in a space
PSA’s major focus currently is delivering school lady who had recruited her. An opportunity arose where she can do what she loves and have the
management programmes in the education sector, when the then - managing director moved to Cape freedom to decide what she wants to do and when.
and to date these have been delivered in over 2000 Town and Barbara was appointed to this position in The advice that she would give to her younger self
schools nationally. 2010, which is the job title she still holds.
would be “education, education, education first” says
On a day to day basis, Barbara is responsible for the Barbara says, “I am not inspired by a specific person, Barbara. “Because, although some people succeed
overall management of the company, its people, but by the actions of any person that makes a with little or no education, this is just too risky.”
and its functioning. She liaises with clients and positive change.” She admires someone like Nelson
the funders of projects and oversees the finances, Mandela for his vision and ability to look beyond She would then go on to tell herself to make
marketing, new business, staffing, projects, and the his immediate circumstances, but it is his actions as investment savings, learn how to be financially
developing of specific project reports. well as the actions of often unknown people doing savvy, and to prepare for retirement early on. Lastly,
something beyond themselves, that inspire her. she would tell herself to become independent and
After matriculating from Igagasi High School in only enter into a long-term relationship when she
Umlazi, Barbara enrolled for a secretarial course at Women have an extra load can be whole on her own and wouldn’t need to be
the Mangosuthu Technikon, as she lacked sufficient “Women still have “the short end of the stick” in reliant on someone. “Then you can go and live life,
credits for university studies. Upon finishing the business,” says Barbara. Historically women have not do what someone else tells you to do, but what
course, Standard Bank employed her, engaging her often been seen as fit to be in the kitchen rather than you enjoy doing.”
in their accelerated learning programme, which business, she says, but things have been improving
provided exposure to several banking functions. A and women are playing an increasingly big role in Becoming a social entrepreneur
year later she was accepted for the bank’s “FTUS” business. Barbara is happy with most of what she has achieved,
scheme, whereby employees could attend university especially being able to provide for her children’s
full-time. Due to her interest in people’s behaviour, “Women do however have a double-load,” she says, education, but has not yet succeeded in terms of
she enrolled for a B.Com (Industrial Psychology) “because they have to double-prove themselves in reaching her goals.
degree at the University of Natal in 1995. business.” “I want to do something bigger than myself, some-
As this need is in addition to the load of multi-roles
Diverse experience thing I am passionate about, on my own terms.”
beyond business, Barbara concludes that women are
After completing the degree, Barbara dealt with forced to approach business differently, due to the Her passion is to uplift and empower people in
human resource (HR) matters ranging from training additional challenges of motherhood and caring for society. She wants to engage in what she terms
to industrial relations. At the end of 2001, she was their families compared to men. “social entrepreneurship” which for her means
employed by ABI as an HR specialist. When she felt Achieving a work-life balance “resolving community-related problems through
that she had reached a ceiling in HR, she asked to one’s entrepreneurial skills without doing it for
be exposed to operations. To her surprise, they Achieving a work-life balance has been difficult and profit”. When she has become a successful social
offered her relevant training and appointed her as has often been “a hit-or-miss” Barbara says. There entrepreneur, she would feel that she has succeeded.

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