The ‘CA’ behind Larisha Naidoo’s name could easily stand for Change Agent, or even Community Activist. That’s because the head of Anglo American Zimele is intensely focused on using the skills and resources she has to uplift South Africa’s communities and make a difference.
What’s the single factor that will ensure success in an unpredictable future? It’s a question that keeps most business leaders awake at night – Larisha included.
For her, the answer lies not only in data or strategy. Rather, it’s kindness and empathy that will make the difference: She believes that solutioning with heart and mind will reap results that will drive impact and positive change in society. ‘Creative thinking, leading with a listening ear, and collaborating with teams and partners in a way that allows for meaningful conversation and constructive feedback is critical for achieving high performance,’ she says.
This is an ethos she has embraced since the very start of her career which, she admits, is not quite what she envisaged as a child: although she had pictured herself playing a role in the social space, she had imagined it would be as a lawyer or journalist. However, straight after matric, Larisha found herself working at a bank. It was her future husband who encouraged her to take the first step forward: ‘He edged me on to register for a BCom, just as he did at the time,’ Larisha recalls. It wasn’t quite social justice, but she loved the diversity of her subjects and learning about the intricacies of business and remains grateful to her husband for setting her on a path that would see several doors opening.
An unconventional route
The first of those doors was, coincidentally, at Anglo American Zimele, where Larisha started her career as an assistant accountant. She describes her route from there as unconventional’: After completing her board exams, she moved over to Anglo American’s Global Shared Services, where she developed a hugely varied skill set by learning to manage large teams remotely, helping to deploy IT systems, creating strategy and optimising existing policies and procedures, all with the aim of developing a standardised approach that would improve the quality of accounting systems in a group that stands out for its size.
Larisha moved into the supply chain when she was appointed senior manager of quality and process optimisation, and explored ways to improve policies, processes and governance across various accounting sub-disciplines. She later took on a senior manager role overseeing the supply chain, specifically focusing on governance, risk and compliance at Kumba Iron Ore, one of Anglo American’s businesses. This gave her the opportunity to strategise methods to enhance the supply chain’s performance. As part of this, she recalls being told that the company’s communities were unhappy and was challenged on how it could improve these relations. She didn’t quite know how to answer: ‘I was a CA, of all things! I work with numbers.’
It was precisely the mindset she had developed as a CA that was needed, however. ‘Over the years I was given various opportunities to learn new skills and attend global development and leadership programmes. This equipped and enabled me to interrogate problems and find results-driven solutions. I worked with the team and engaged leaders to develop an integrated local procurement strategy that I felt pretty confident could solve the community’s challenges through economic development. Even so, I remember standing and seeing the doubtful looks on my colleagues’ faces when I stood up in front of those community members.’
What follows was a humbling experience: ‘One of the community members stood up and asked me what he was supposed to tell his kids when ‘sometimes there are groceries in the cupboards, and sometimes the cupboards are empty’. He pointed out that working for the mines was important for the community – they relied on that income.’
That was a big learning. Larisha realised that she wasn’t dealing with a situation that could be addressed by ticking a few boxes; nor was it about improving BEE scorecards. Rather, she was being confronted by people who expected her to work alongside them, people who felt their voices weren’t heard. It was unthinkable that she should respond by imposing what she deemed a suitable solution. ‘This was when I realised that instead of seeking to be understood yourself, you need to work to understand others. You need to sit down with people and listen to what they have to say – listen to be understood.’
Larisha also realised that supply chains needed to become more inclusive; a process requiring significant internal change management, the introduction of new policies and an exponential increase in workloads. It was all worth it. ‘When the community members told us they kept us in their prayers every Sunday, we could see how adopting a more inclusive approach had a positive impact and was changing people’s lives.’
Activist at heart
This deep passion for working with communities is, essentially, what moved Larisha into her current role of MD at Anglo American Zimele, giving her a channel to direct her drive to break poverty.
Her influence now extends well beyond just the first communities she worked with. Zimele’s remit covers enterprise and supplier development, as well as youth development – and this is an area where Larisha’s innovative thinking, creativity and ability to see beyond borders are making a significant mark.
Take one of the company’s most recent youth employment initiatives, which focuses on upskilling young people for the tourism space, for example. This came about from Larisha’s enthusiasm for travel: she relishes seeing new destinations with her family and learns a little from each new experience. ‘I always try to bring my whole self to the table, including my background and interests,’ she comments. Her experiences abroad enabled her to identify a gap for young South Africans. ‘Travelling on cruises, I see so many young people, all of whom are proud of where they come from. But young South Africans are conspicuous by their absence. That’s an enormous pity, because we have such a fantastic story to share with the world: we are a great nation which has overcome the challenges of our past and built resilience in the process, and people want to hear about that.’ More than that, working on cruises presents massive opportunities. ‘Humans are explorers by nature, whether we’re wandering our gardens or around the globe. And a cruise liner is really just a floating city, which means that it has all the same needs as a city. There’s a huge need for skills, and we have a large number of people who can develop those skills; skills that can be monetised.’
This realisation was the foundation for a contract between Zimele and Summit, a hospitality and tourism training partner, to provide training solutions which equip youth with industry-specific skills.
Many of these young people will go on to use those skills on Silversea Cruises’ luxury ships, which affords them a global working experience. ‘Think of what this opportunity means to others in their communities, who see them as role models. And think of what it means to the trainees themselves, who realise benefits well beyond receiving an income. They’re able to see what can happen when you take your destiny in your hands. We’re setting them up with skills that can be used in a multitude of situations, because they’re learning everything from how to handle yourself in a new environment to how to network and get things done.’
This speaks directly to Larisha’s wish for South Africa’s youth: To know there is a gateway to a lifetime of different opportunities out there and to obtain the relevant skills needed to unlock it.
This is just one example of Zimele’s work during the past year. ‘We’re helping people live up to the meaning of our name: “Stand on your own feet”,’ Larisha says, adding that in 2022 alone, the organisation had onboarded 813 people in active training, mentoring and coaching programmes, supported 3 868 jobs and seen 1 982 beneficiaries graduating from various training initiatives.
These numbers, and the meaning they hold for protecting South Africa’s greatest treasures – its people – are what Larisha considers her greatest ambition.
Her work has been recognised with accolades such as being named one of the Top 100 Women Supply Chain Leaders Globally, while Zimele itself has won the Youth Focus and Impact Awards at the Absa BD Supplier Development Awards.
‘This shows how Anglo American is staying true to its promise to re-imagine mining to improve people’s lives,’ she says.
Kindness is magic
It goes without saying that the intensity of her work sometimes takes its toll in the form of stress. ‘I’m passionate about what I do, but I also place a high value on internal happiness and peace, so I have to find ways to reset and recharge when I feel pressured,’ Larisha says. She’s found an answer in meditation and journaling, spending time with family and friends, and staying fit through Pilates and running. ‘It’s all about balance, but we often don’t realise how important that it is until we feel overwhelmed,’ she notes.
Putting boundaries in place is crucial, she continues – a message she is taking pains to pass on to her daughters, aged 13 and 8. ‘I am always telling my girls that they need to take care and be kinder to themselves. And that if we want things to change, we need to take charge.’
That’s something she believes business leaders would do well to heed, too. ‘I believe that our job as South African leaders, whether in business or any other sphere, is not done until we have a society that is not characterised by poverty and unemployment. We need business leaders who show empathy, who are innovative, and who look for ways to harness the spirit of Madiba.’ Small acts of kindness, paying it forward or giving back, can lead to the biggest changes, Larisha insists. ‘Kindness is magic. If we keep that in mind, we’ll be able to find different solutions that result in prosperity not just for the few, but for the majority.’
Author Lisa Witepski | Photographer Theana Breugem