Ms Mutondi Mashamba CA(SA), a Senior Lecturer who is also the Head of Financial Accounting in the Department of Accountancy at the University of Venda (UNIVEN), has been selected by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) one of the Top 35 Chartered Accountants under the age of 35 in South Africa. The good news was received shortly after SAICA announced its finalists for the 2020 Top-35-under-35 Chartered Accountants awards competition. The selection process is said to be a rigorous one to ensure that those who are selected are ‘The cream of the crop’.
When talking to Nendila, Ms Mashamba highlighted that she is driven by the urge to understand how things work and how they can be done better. She believes in taking the road less travelled in many areas of her life, and the chartered accountancy profession was one of those roads. She lives with the conviction that all is possible if you believe, be it believing in yourself, believing in others, or believing in a better world.
She sees herself as a trailblazer who is not afraid to take calculated risks. That she is a risk taker was proven when she left her employment at one of the big South African banks in 2015 to pursue a career in academia. This was an unpopular decision for a 28-year-old, not least because it involved relocating from the city of Johannesburg to a rural University in Limpopo.
She joined a department where she was not only the youngest but also the only female. She went on to lead the Financial Accounting team, the biggest sub-team in the department. This led the UNIVEN to attain SAICA accreditation for the BCom degree − a huge achievement for the University and the community at large.
Mutondi is committed to making a difference in diverse areas, because she believes that she is a multi-talented individual who can impact people’s lives in the areas below:
Education: She is one of the directors of an NPO called Future Focus that promotes learning and education among high school learners. This helped her to promote the CA profession by sharing her experiences and opportunities.
Business: In response to the unemployment crisis in South Africa, she started an accounting and consulting business in 2017 which employs mainly youth who are left without employment after completing their tertiary studies.
Personal development: During the COVID-19 pandemic she started a free online course called ‘Personal Development Journey with Mutondi’ that aimed at helping people to deal with the effects of the pandemic.
Sports: She serves as a director of an NPC, Mashamba Soccer Academy, whose objective is to develop rural soccer players and provide them with a gateway away from rural poverty.
Mentorship: Ms Mashamba believes in sharing her knowledge and experience with the younger generation (particularly ladies).
SAICA committees: She believes in giving back to her profession and serves on two SAICA committees.
Ms Mashamba feels that life is more meaningful when its fruits are seen in others, and she is committed to doing her part.
The Top-35-under-35 competition was launched by SAICA in 2014 to recognise its young CA(SA) achievers. It has proven to be a huge success in recognising and promoting young CAs(SA) under the age of 35 who are not just achieving extraordinary results in their professional capacity, but also have a significant impact on society.
The list of finalists can be accessed on SAICA website and winners of this competition will be announced later this year (2020).
UNIVEN Management congratulates Ms Mashamba for this great achievement and wish her best of luck.
Issued by:
Department of Communications & Marketing
University of Venda
Tel: (015) 962 8525
Date: 14 September 2020
