LeadUP Podcast: Recent Episodes
University of Pretoria Alumni Relations Office
Alumni and friends of the University of Pretoria (UP) share their stories and leadership lessons on this podcast by the leading contact university in Africa. Prominent UP alumni from across disciplines – from business and law to medicine and the arts – share details about where their journey has taken them after their time at Tuks, and what they’ve learned along the way. LeadUP is a project of the Alumni Relations Office of the University of Pretoria. You can find out more about us or get in touch at up.ac.za/leadup.
Izak Smit is the Group Chief Executive Officer at PPS, one of South Africa’s last remaining mutual insurance companies. He completed a BCom Honours in Economics at UP and holds a Diploma in Strategy and Innovation from the University of Oxford. He is a proud Tuks alum and sits on the Faculty Advisory Board of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS).
On this episode, he speaks to us about:
- Why he believes that he already has his dream job.
- How to build and strengthen culture in a company.
- Why the model of mutual insurance works well.
- How to move beyond simplistic work/life balance.
- Why he is so proud to be a UP graduate.
Find us at www.up.ac.za/leadup – click on LeadUP Podcast. To listen, you can stream, download and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app, or find us on YouTube.
Help us grow by rating and reviewing the show! New episodes drop on the last Tuesday of May, July, September and November 2025.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara, and our team includes Elna Schütz, Duané Kitching and Samantha Castle. Our technical engineers are Meropa Communications, with language and marketing services by Brightlight SA Communications.
Puno Selesho is a spoken word artist who has performed for presidents and celebrated companies, locally and internationally. In her capacity as a social entrepreneur, she established Harvest House Creative Agency, where she currently serves as creative director. She graduated with an LLB from the University of Pretoria and a certification in social entrepreneurship from UP’s business school, the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), in 2020.
On this episode, she speaks to us about:
- Studying law, but then moving into the creative and business world.
- Hope as a positive tool in the world.
- What she’s learned through building a creative agency to support creatives.
- Her approach to social justice.
- What’s next for her, and working through shifting seasons professionally.
Find us at www.up.ac.za/leadup – click on LeadUP Podcast. To listen, you can stream, download and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app, or find us on YouTube.
Help us grow by rating and reviewing the show! New episodes drop on the last Tuesday of May, July, September and November 2025.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara, and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our technical engineers are Meropa Communications, with language and marketing services by Brightlight SA Communications.
Sumarie Greybe, co-founder of insurance industry upstart Naked Insurance, graduated from the University of Pretoria with a BCom Honours degree in Actuarial Science. After leaving the corporate short-term insurance world, she decided to shake the sector up with a fresh perspective – and in the process she’s rethinking the status quo with a bold, human-centred approach shaped by her belief in fairness, simplicity and innovation.
On this episode, she speaks to us about:
- what she enjoys most about working in insurance;
- how she made the leap to creating a disruptive start-up;
- growing a company well while giving staff the freedom to innovate;
- incorporating social good and community into her work; and
- picking great co-founders to work with.
Find us at www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on LeadUP Podcast. To listen, you can stream, download and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app. Help us by rating and reviewing the show. New episodes are released on the last Tuesday of May, July, September and November 2025.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our technical engineers are Meropa Communications, with language and marketing services by Brightlight SA Communications.
Prof Francis Petersen became Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria in October 2024, starting a new chapter in his already illustrious career in education. He was most recently Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Free State, where he was lauded for his focus on stability and transformation. He has previously served at a variety of higher education institutions and organisations in his industry. He is an engineer by training.
In this episode, he chats to us about:
- His leadership style and personal philosophies;
- Lessons learned from his industry and previous executive roles;
- The strategies and approaches that have shaped him as a leader;
- His vision for taking UP to new heights; and
- How micro-credentialing, partnerships and more will be a part of the future.
Find us by going to www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app on your phone. Help us out by rating and reviewing us.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our technical engineers are Meropa Communications, with language and marketing services from Brightlight SA Communications.
Clement Manyathela is known for asking tough questions of some of the biggest politicians and changemakers in South Africa and beyond. After completing his BA degree at the University of Pretoria in 2013, he worked for the likes of Power FM, Eyewitness News, and Newzroom Afrika. Now he hosts The Clement Manyathela Show on Radio 702, and a show on eNCA.
On this episode, he chats to us about:
- What running marathons has taught him;
- Defining his style as an interviewer;
- Some of his favourite interviews;
- What he would do if he were the president; and
- His next steps and dreams for the future.
Find us by going to www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app on your phone. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. New episodes for Season 4 are out on the last Tuesday of every second month until 26 November.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our technical engineers are Meropa Communications, with language and marketing services from Brightlight SA Communications.
Tatjana Smith (formerly Schoenmaker) is a top South African female swimmer and University of Pretoria alumna (BCom Financial Sciences, 2020), who became a hero to millions throughout her country when she won gold and silver medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In July 2024 she heads to the 2024 Paris Olympics with high hopes and heaps of humility.
On this episode, she chats to us about:
- How she discovered her passion for swimming in her teens.
- The support network that kept her focused on her purpose.
- What the Tokyo Olympics meant to her – and how it took her by surprise.
- Her state of mind as she heads into the 2024 Olympics.
- How her purpose is focused on giving hope to others.
Find us by going to www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app on your phone. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. New episodes are out on the last Tuesday of every second month.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our technical engineers are Meropa Communications, with language and marketing services from Brightlight SA Communications.
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UP is gearing up for its third annual UP Giving Day which takes place on 22 July. Giving Day forms part of UP’s three-year Giving Matters campaign, launched in July 2022 and designed to raise funds for students in the 'missing middle' category. The campaign aims to raise R100 million over three years and has raised more than R82 million in new funds since its launch, providing bursaries and scholarships to more than 407 students and supporting various projects at UP. Let’s help UP to hit the R100 million target and make a difference in the lives of students who need it most. Donate today: www.givingday.up.ac.za
Abdullah Verachia is CEO of The Strategists, Head of Faculty for Strategy and Sustainability at the University of Pretoria’s business school, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and Programme Director of the Harvard Senior Executive Programme For Africa, among other accolades.
He is also a globally renowned public speaker and the author of Disruption Amplified: Reset. Rewire. Reimagine Everything.
On this episode, he chats to us about:
- How his childhood Model UN experience led him to his future.
- His pivot from law to other fields of expertise.
- How he helps companies face a disruptive world.
- His strategies for turning challenges into opportunities.
- How education can adapt to the current environment.
Find us by going to www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app on your mobile device. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. New episodes are out on the last Monday of the month.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our technical engineers are Meropa Communications, with language and marketing services from Brightlight SA Communications.
Sipho Ngwenya, formerly known as Psyfo, was a child star before becoming a household name playing Ajax on Generations. After a successful period as a musician, he received his MBA from the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), and is now a senior manager at Showmax.
On this episode, he chats to us about:
- Lessons he’s learned from achieving fame and success early on.
- How he’s transitioned between different parts of the entertainment industry.
- Dedicating a lot of time and effort to his studies.
- Supporting the entertainment industry from a management perspective.
- The future of content that targets African audiences.
Find us by going to www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app on your phone. Help us out by rating and reviewing us.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our technical engineers are Meropa Communications.
Robyn Oates is a Sustainable Development Officer in the United Nations Secretary General’s Office in New York City. After completing her BCom Honours in Accounting Sciences at the University of Pretoria, she worked in the private sector, including at Deloitte and Barclays Capital.
On this episode, she chats to us about:
- How her family’s support helped her find the courage to explore internationally.
- Finding her voice in the private sector.
- Living her dream in New York City.
- How she holds on to hope and focuses on taking action to improve things.
- Learning patience and compromise in working to bring about change.
Find us by going to www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app on your phone. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. New episodes are out on the last Monday of the month.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our technical engineers are Meropa Communications.
Munozovepi Gwata is the founder of Kukura Capital, and an entrepreneur passionate about teaching Africans about financial literacy. She completed her LLB at the University of Pretoria before moving to Webber Wentzel, and is currently a Principal Consultant at IQbusiness.
She has been involved in the World Economic Forum’s Global Shaper Entrepreneurship Programme, delivered a TEDxTalk, and has written for a variety of financial media outlets.
On this episode, she chats to us about:
- What drives her passion for financial literacy.
- How she taught herself to invest in shares when she was a teenager.
- Growing as a content creator through teaching others about finances.
- Balancing the worlds of entrepreneurship and her corporate career.
- The basics of becoming financially free.
Find us by going to www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app on your phone. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. New episodes are out on the last Monday of the month.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our technical engineers are Meropa Communications.
Professor Shakila Dada is the Director of the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication. Her work focuses on improving the lives of people with severe communication difficulties. She is a powerful example of UP alumni becoming staff and building long-running relationships with the institution that ultimately help change lives on a large scale.
On this episode, she chats to us about:
- How improved communication can help people live better, fuller lives.
- What she has learned through working with vulnerable communities.
- What it has been like to be at UP as it transforms and changes.
- Why inclusion of marginalised people is key to progress.
- How each of us can help make our society a more inclusive and happier place.
Find us by going to www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app on your phone. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. New episodes are out on the last Monday of the month.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our technical engineers are Meropa Communications.
Laurie Dippenaar is a South African millionaire, businessman, investor, and banker with a wealth of knowledge who co-founded the FirstRand Financial Group, which includes subsidiaries WestBank, FNB, and RMB. He graduated from the University of Pretoria with a Master of Commerce degree, and was recently awarded an honorary doctorate.
On this episode, he speaks to us about:
How he started out in banking.
- Creating a business environment based on trust.
- How he’s encouraged other entrepreneurs.
- His views on wealth and progress.
- His long relationship with the University of Pretoria.
Find us by going to www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app on your phone. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. New episodes are out on the last Monday of the month.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our technical engineers are Meropa Communications.
Ndavi Nokeri is now the third consecutive Miss South Africa to have graduated from the University of Pretoria. She received her Bcom Investment Management degree a few months before she was crowned Miss South Africa and instantly became a role model to young and older people all over the country.
On this episode she speaks to us about:
- How and why she decided to study at the University of Pretoria.
- How little things contribute towards achieving a big goal.
- Entering the Miss SA competition to make a difference in her community.
- Her work in battling education inequality and the impact it’s creating.
- What she would love to do after her time as Miss South Africa.
Find us by going to www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app on your phone. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. New episodes are out on the last Monday of the month.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our technical engineers are Meropa Communications.
Carmen Reddy started her journalism career at TuksFM while studying at the University of Pretoria, and has since worked for the likes of 5FM, Primedia, eNCA, and Newzroom Afrika. She is currently a media consultant.
On this episode she speaks to us about:
Starting out on campus radio.
- Taking risks and proving herself in commercial radio.
- How her ideas about success have evolved over time.
- The importance of helping others in the industry.
- Learning to take no as an answer and adjusting.
Find us by going to www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app on your phone. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. New episodes are out on the last Monday of the month.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
To get tips on success and leadership from other prominent UP alumni, find more episodes of the LeadUP Podcast by going to http://www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. You can also listen via your favourite podcast app, or on YouTube. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
Dr Anton Meyberg is a specialist physician and pulmonologist, working in clinical medicine as an ICU physician and intensivist at Linksfield Clinic in Johannesburg. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic he faced the disease in wards – and educated the public about it through podcasting and more.
On this episode he speaks to us about:
- Studying in Afrikaans while growing up in English.
- How COVID-19 taught doctors humility and collaboration.
- The emotional and psychological effects of the pandemic.
- How his views on success have changed.
- The long journey to becoming a specialist.
Find us by going to www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app on your phone. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. New episodes are out on the last Monday of the month.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
To get tips on success and leadership from other prominent UP alumni, find more episodes of the LeadUP Podcast by going to http://www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. You can also listen via your favourite podcast app, or on YouTube. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
WIN A TWO-NIGHT WEEKEND STAY AT GARDEN COURT HATFIELD
Listen to any episode of the LeadUP Podcast to enter our competition before 20 September 2022, and you could win a two-night weekend stay at Garden Court Hatfield. For details of how to enter, listen to any episode in the series now. The full terms and conditions for the competition can also be found here.
WeBuyCars was founded by two brothers and quickly became one of the biggest car-buying companies in South Africa. Faan van der Walt, one of the co-founders, has learned a lot about success on this journey of growing and evolving a business.
On this episode he speaks to us about:
- How his childhood fascination with cars turned into a long-term career.
- What it is like to build a business with his brother.
- How their success was built on determined focus.
- The story behind buying The Dome in Johannesburg to turn it into a vehicle showroom.
- The future plans for the business.
Find us by going to www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app on your phone. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. New episodes are out on the last Monday of the month.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
Known as ‘Mr Deadline’, Dr Perekeme Mutu moved to South Africa from Nigeria to pursue his studies, and worked multiple jobs – including as a security guard and a car washer – to fund his academic career. His perseverance paid off handsomely when he completed two degrees at the same time, including his Doctor of Philosophy (Law) from UP. He is currently a researcher at the Centre for Child Law and a post-doctoral fellow with UNESCO Education Law in Africa, at the University of Pretoria.
On this episode he speaks to us about:
- Transitioning to and adapting to life in South Africa.
- The hard work he put into all sorts of jobs to pay for his studies.
- Aiming higher regardless of the challenges you face.
- How he measures success.
- What else lies ahead for him.
Find us by going to www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app on your phone. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. New episodes are out on the last Monday of the month.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
Yolana Du Plessis-Martin, who is now an Engagement Manager at Deloitte Consulting in New York, was a promising young swimmer at the University of Pretoria’s TuksSport High School and its first Head Girl in 2006. When an injury dashed her Olympic dreams, she had to rethink her ideas of the future. A move abroad later, she graduated cum laude from Villanova University in Pennsylvania with majors in Global Interdisciplinary Studies and Political Science, while also competing as a Division 1 student athlete on the varsity swim team.
On this episode she speaks to us about:
- Learning resilience as a young swimmer.
- How she dealt with losing her dream of going to the Olympics.
- Learning to deal with pressure and focus on joy.
- Taking a leap and moving overseas.
- How her ideas of success have evolved.
Find us by going to www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app on your phone. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. New episodes are out on the last Monday of the month.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
We kick off the second season of the podcast, which speaks to University of Pretoria (UP) alumni about their experiences of success, with Nozipho Tshabalala, CEO of The Conversation Strategist. Tshabalala works with big brands globally to help shape their strategies and work. She has been an award-winning journalist and has worked with CNBC Africa among others. She also completed her Honours in International Relations at UP.
On this episode she speaks to us about:
- How she defined her own role in business and transitioned into it.
- Making significance and impact her metric, rather than success.
- How her mother influenced her to believe in herself.
- What makes a great story and storyteller.
- How she learned to use her own sense of agency.
Find us by going to www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app on your phone. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. New episodes are out on the last Monday of the month.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
Professor Tawana Kupe is not only Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria, but a big fan of the LeadUP Podcast!
In this special episode to wrap up this first season of the podcast, Prof Kupe reflects on some of the highlights of our previous interviews with UP alumni, and shares his own experiences of leadership.
On this episode he speaks about:
- His ‘why’, and the purpose guiding him.
- The importance of reflection as a leader.
- The privilege of being a leader and bringing energy to the role.
- Bringing power and kindness to your leadership style.
- What he’s busy reading.
Subscribe to the LeadUP Podcast today – click here to find LeadUP Podcast in your favourite podcast app, or go to www.up.ac.za/LeadUP and click on LeadUP Podcast. New episodes are out every second Monday. Help us out by rating and reviewing us.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
Deepa Sita is the Chief Financial Officer at Tiger Brands, after holding similar roles at the likes of Mondelēz and Makro. She grew up working in a family business that she then took over after her father’s death.
She is a qualified chartered accountant and holds an MBA (Cum Laude) from the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS).
On this episode she speaks about:
- Falling in love with being a chartered accountant and making good business decisions.
- Taking over the family business under difficult circumstances after her father’s death.
- Why failing her board exam turned out to be a positive turning point in her career.
- Why she surrounds herself with people that would be good enough to take over her job.
- Being willing to do something you don’t yet know how to do.
Subscribe to the LeadUP Podcast today – click here to find LeadUP Podcast in your favourite podcast app, or go to www.up.ac.za/LeadUP and click on LeadUP Podcast. New episodes are out every second Monday. Help us out by rating and reviewing us.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
Andries Levi Pretorius is a serial entrepreneur, from selling candy floss as a student to innovating in the real estate industry.
He completed his BCom Honours in Finance & Entrepreneurship at the University of Pretoria while running a leading confectionery business called Willmor Candy Co.
He later co-founded an extraordinary property investment group, WeBuyProp, and is currently the head of strategic partnership and growth at LeadHome.
On this episode he speaks about:
- Enjoying the thrill of entrepreneurship from a young age.
- Some of the problems he’s faced and solved, including selling candy floss to students.
- Being led by a big-picture vision.
- His struggle to reconcile his entrepreneurial spirit with a previous corporate role.
- How entrepreneurship isn’t as sexy as it might look on social media.
Subscribe to the LeadUP Podcast today – click here to find LeadUP Podcast in your favourite podcast app, or go to www.up.ac.za/LeadUP and click on LeadUP Podcast. New episodes are out every second Monday. Help us out by rating and reviewing us.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
Dr Coceka Mfundisi is the first woman to receive a Master of Medicine in Neurosurgery degree from the University of Pretoria. She now practices as a specialist neurosurgeon at Busamed Modderfontein private hospital and has interests in neurotrauma, neuro-oncology and spinal surgery.
Her notable achievements include being a member of the Golden Lions Rugby Club Medical Committee, serving as a test match surgeon during international rugby matches. She is currently a member of the Health Professions Council of South Africa’s Fifth Medical Committee of preliminary enquiry. She is also a member of the executive committee of the Society of Neurosurgeons of South Africa.
On this episode she speaks about:
- Having the temperament of a surgeon.
- How farming fields alongside her family as a child helped her as a young surgeon.
- Fusing traditional African medicine with Western medicine.
- Not quitting on the way to her dreams, and being supported in her journey.
- Injustices in her field, and fighting for change.
Subscribe to the LeadUP Podcast today – click here to find LeadUP Podcast in your favourite podcast app, or go to www.up.ac.za/LeadUP and click on LeadUP Podcast. New episodes are out every second Monday. Help us out by rating and reviewing us.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
Dion Shango started with global professional services firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers soon after graduating with a BCom Financial Accounting from the University of Pretoria over two decades ago, and became PwC's Africa CEO in 2019.
On this episode he speaks about:
- How his community of colleagues and women-led family have shaped his success
- Creating a strong and positive culture in a large company
- Building trust externally and internally as the bedrock of PwC’s business
- Staying and growing with PwC for his whole career
- What he hopes his legacy will be
Subscribe to the LeadUP Podcast today – click here to find LeadUP Podcast in your favourite podcast app, or go to www.up.ac.za/LeadUP and click on LeadUP Podcast. New episodes are out every second Monday. Help us out by rating and reviewing us.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
Leandri van der Wat is a Product Development Engineer at L’Oreal International in Paris. She holds a Master’s in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Pretoria.
In 2013, she finished second in the TV show Masterchef South Africa, and she is the co-author, with her sister, of the cookbook Two’.
On this episode she speaks about:
- How she has grown and fostered her curiosity
- Masterchef teaching her to fearlessly go for her dreams
- That her job at L’Oreal International came at just the right time
- Her style as a leader being authentic but adaptive
- Working on the core issues in a team, and working with constructive feedback
Subscribe to the LeadUP Podcast today – click here to find LeadUP Podcast in your favourite podcast app, or go to www.up.ac.za/LeadUP and click on LeadUP Podcast. New episodes are out every second Monday. Help us out by rating and reviewing us.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
Dr Kresen Pillay is a graduate of the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Veterinary Science, the second oldest veterinary faculty in Africa and the only one of its kind in South Africa.
He recently moved to Australia to pioneer a new department as the Manager of Veterinary Services at the Sydney Zoo. Among the many other highlights of his career so far, Dr Pillay was part of the team that conducted surgery on Makokou, a gorilla from the Johannesburg Zoo. The rare surgery garnered international attention.
On this episode he speaks about:
- Being encouraged to pursue his passion from a young age
- How studying taught him self-leadership and discipline
- Why all of us need to take wildlife conservation seriously to leave a legacy
- How he learned management and leadership in the zoo space
- How he is building a team at the Sydney Zoo, and the magic and majesty of working with wild animals
Subscribe to the LeadUP Podcast today – click here to find LeadUP Podcast in your favourite podcast app, or go to www.up.ac.za/LeadUP and click on LeadUP Podcast. New episodes are out every second Monday. Help us out by rating and reviewing us.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
Reverend Charlotte Sibanyoni is the first black woman to be ordained by the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NG Kerk). She is currently a PhD scholar and lecturer in Hebrew at the University of Pretoria (UP), where she obtained her Masters of Divinity and undergraduate degrees. She is actively involved in the Pretoria community and runs the student Greenleaf student ministry on UP’s Groenkloof (Faculty of Education) Campus.
On this episode she speaks about:
How growing up in the house of a Dutch Reformed minister shaped her character and love for her community.
- Leading change from within a community instead of criticising from outside, and how she has done this in her work.
- Rising above one’s doubts to lead.
- How she is using her PhD to combine biblical ideas about exile and violence in current South Africa.
- Making an impact by serving in small and practical ways locally.
Subscribe to the LeadUP Podcast today – click here to find LeadUP Podcast in your favourite podcast app, or go to www.up.ac.za/LeadUP and click on LeadUP Podcast. New episodes are out every second Monday. Help us out by rating and reviewing us.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
Miss South Africa 2020, Shudufhadzo Musida, obtained a Bachelor of Social Science in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Pretoria.
She has used her reign to bring awareness to mental health issues, has launched her #MindfulMondays mental health online programme and addressed the United Nations on the subject. Musida has also placed her focus on the educational and economic empowerment of children and women. More recently, she published a children’s book that focuses on bullying and the power of friendship.
On this episode she speaks about:
- the journey that led her from being a shy girl with big dreams to trusting her inner voice and winning the crown;
- the significance of education and being of service, and how change can start small;
- how self-awareness and mental health support can advance not only your own journey, but society as a whole;
- what she has learned about leadership during her reign; and
- the change for women that she would like to see;
Subscribe to the LeadUP Podcast today – click here to find LeadUP Podcast in your favourite podcast app, or go to www.up.ac.za/LeadUP and click on LeadUP Podcast. New episodes are out every second Monday. Help us out by rating and reviewing us.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
As a Tuks student he moonlighted to pay his bills, and now his team has won a technical Oscar for creating new technology that gets used in making many of our favourite movies and shows.
Nicol Verheem is an entrepreneur and innovator who completed his Bachelor of Engineering in Electronic Engineering degree at the University of Pretoria, and went on to become CEO of Creative Solutions and founder of Teradek. In 2021, he won an Oscar at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Scientific and Technical Awards.
On this episode he speaks to us about:
- His surprise at winning an Oscar, and what that process was like.
- How something they had already created turned out to be an innovation for the movie industry.
- How entrepreneurship means striking out on your own and taking some risks.
- How failure is an important part of entrepreneurship and growth.
- That one of his first leadership experiences was moonlighting as a programmer to fund his studies.
Subscribe to the LeadUP Podcast today – click here to find LeadUP Podcast in your favourite podcast app, or go to www.up.ac.za/LeadUP and click on LeadUP Podcast. New episodes are out every second Monday. Help us out by rating and reviewing us.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
She became a minister during the COVID-19 pandemic, but has had a passion for social justice since childhood. On this second episode of the LeadUP Podcast, we speak to the Honourable Yvonne Dausab, Minister of Justice of Namibia, who holds a Master of Laws degree, specialising in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa, from UP.
Dausab is the former Chairperson of Namibia’s Law Reform and Development Commission, and was previously the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Namibia.
On this episode she speaks to us about:
- How her time at UP has influenced her career.
- Leading, particularly in government, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- How her upbringing in Windhoek’s Katutura township set her on a path in pursuit of social justice.
- What she has done to stay grounded and connected with herself and her constituents.
- How her values have influenced her service-orientated leadership style.
Find us by going to www.up.ac.za/leadup and clicking on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your favourite podcast app on your phone. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. New episodes are out every second Monday.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
On our very first episode of the LeadUP Podcast, we speak to a University of Pretoria alumna who is a trailblazer in her field.
Taelo Mojapelo has been the CEO of BP Southern Africa since June 2020, making her only the second African woman in the country’s oil and gas industry to head a multinational company. Mojapelo did her MBA at UP’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS).
On this episode she speaks to us about:
- Finding your purpose or your ‘why’ as a basis for leadership and building trust in teams.
- Articulating your strategy clearly as a leader by tailoring your communication throughout the hierarchy of a big organisation.
- Successes that got her to where she is now, and how to lead yourself toward your success.
- Starting a new position during the COVID-19 pandemic and demonstrating ethical leadership during this time.
- Promoting diversity of thought and not only of demographics in an organisation.
Subscribe to the LeadUP Podcast today – click here to find LeadUP Podcast in
your favourite podcast app, or go to www.up.ac.za/LeadUP and click on
LeadUP Podcast. Help us out by rating and reviewing us. New episodes are out every second Monday.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are Louis Cloete Productions.
Alumni and friends of the University of Pretoria share their stories and leadership lessons on this podcast developed by the leading contact university in Africa.
Keep your eyes and ears open for this brand new podcast launching on 2 August, with new episodes every second Monday.
You’ll hear how leaders from the worlds of the arts, business, sport, and more became who they are. Hear from the likes of the CEO of BP Southern Africa, Taelo Mojapelo, and Namibian Justice Minister Yvonne Dausab.
Go to www.up.ac.za/leadup and click on Podcasts. To listen, you can stream, download, and subscribe online or on your phone.
Help us out by rating and reviewing us.
LeadUP is a production of the University of Pretoria’s Alumni Relations Office. Our host is Lennox Wasara and our team includes Elna Schütz and Samantha Castle. Our sound engineers are from Louis Cloete Productions.