Mashudu has always had a passion for community upliftment and development. In this article she shares why she loves her job as a social investment manager.

Mashudu Ndou is a senior manager for a well-known chemicals and energy company based in Johannesburg. Mashudu is passionate about community and social development, and during the course of her career, has received numerous awards for her role in uplifting people and communities. Most recently, she was nominated among this year’s rising star finalists under the energy and environment category. Mashudu gave us a sneak peek into her day-to-day life so we could learn more about her career in the engineering industry.

Mashudu’s career in social development spans 13 years. During this time, she has moved up the ranks from being a secretary to becoming a senior manager for the social investment and community affairs division at Sasol. “For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a passion for community and social development,” she tells us. “Making a difference in people’s lives has always made me content in my career.”

Mashudu says it is her personal mandate to put the needs of a community before anything else. “I remember when I was assistant director at the Department of Transport, my role was to assist the company in developing policies for transformation,” she explains. “I always took it upon myself to help the beneficiaries before I did anything else.”

After her stint at the Department of Transport, Mashudu joined Sasol where she was initially responsible for their transformation strategy. “I then moved to community affairs,” she says.

As a social investment manager, Mashudu is responsible for defining and developing the strategies which underpin the company’s social responsibility objectives. Social investment managers need to conduct research, come up with new ideas, create detailed plans, build relationships with partner companies and implement and coordinate a range of activities and initiatives.

“I love working on projects that uplift and develop people, such as devising forums that are targeted at developing and engaging women and the youth,” says Mashudu. “I also enjoy being exposed to real community issues and different stakeholders,” she adds.

What does it take to be a successful social development manager? Mashudu suggests a passion for the job. “You need to have the passion and determination to succeed because this field is highly unpredictable,” she says, adding that, “your tomorrow will not be the same as your yesterday.”

Another important trait is relationship building, she advises. “Good relationship skills will get you far in your career.”

If, like Mashudu, you would like to share your pride in your career, send a mail to editor@careers24.com, telling us about yourself and your awesome job, and we’ll be in touch.

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