Mpolaheng Mohlopi, CFO of Lanseria International Airport, was instrumental in helping the organisation weather the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, five years into the organisation’s recovery, she’s helping to give it wings.
Mpolaheng Mohlopi has a pragmatic, almost prosaic view of challenges: ‘Just keep taking one step at a time.’ Linked to this is another philosophy: ‘You can put two different people in the same situation, and they’ll have two completely different experiences.’
This insight has guided Mpolaheng through some of the most difficult times of her life, helping her keep perspective and giving her the strength to carry on.
Early learnings
Mpolaheng maintains that this outlook was most likely forged during her childhood, which she describes as ‘wonderfully happy’. It was a time of playing games in the roads of her Limpopo village, a time of being mothered by everyone in the community, and of learning that everyone has a place and belongs. Mpolaheng’s parents instilled in her the confidence to feel at home wherever she was, with her father’s tendency to exaggerate her abilities giving her faith in her capability and her mother entrenching an appreciation for systems.
Importantly, the autonomy she enjoyed within this community taught her valuable lessons. ‘I learnt to adapt easily, and I learnt that we are all responsible for our own destiny. Just because something happened to you doesn’t mean it will happen to me, too. I don’t allow other people’s experiences define how I feel. And because of that, I love giving myself the chance to explore new things.’
Just keep calm
This was the mentality that pushed her to consider a CA qualification after a teacher identified her proficiency in maths and accounting. She admits that at the time she had little concept of the career; in fact, she didn’t quite grasp all it entailed even as her studies progressed.
That’s where her ‘one foot in front of the other’ ethos helped – it kept her motoring forward, even when she hit stumbling blocks. For example, Mpolaheng’s marks dropped dramatically after she lost her father in her third year of studies, and she had to repeat her tax module. She bounced back and managed to complete her CTA before taking up articles. ‘Most people see those three years of articles as a prison, but I used as an opportunity to learn from the various professionals I engaged with. This was my life and my story, and it proved the extent of my resilience,’ she says – a mild statement, since the usual struggles of articles were compounded by falling pregnant with her first baby. Mpolaheng was admitted to hospital with complications the week before writing her Board 1 exam and gave birth just days afterwards – and while she laughs that most people are shocked to hear of the travails she endured, she adds that things happen to help us realise our ability to stretch beyond our current abilities. ‘What happens, happens, and it all helps us realise the extent of our abilities,’ she says.
A tumultuous time
Mpolaheng’s next step was an eight-year stint at a transport and logistics SOE before she took up her current post at Lanseria International Airport in 2018.
‘It feels like I have worked at three different organisations, because we’ve gone through so many different phases during my time here − which I am greatly enjoying,’ she says. When she came on board, Lanseria International Airport was ‘thriving’; then came the Covid-19 pandemic, and in one week, all operations were shut down. ‘We were helped during this time by two things: first of all, our diversified revenue portfolio meant we were not solely reliant on commercial airlines. We were also quick to right size the organisation to align with reduced demand, and as the executive team we had the full support of our shareholders, the board and funders to do what needed to be done.’
When the team realised that the world would not return to normal after the 21 days of lockdown, it went into action: previously outsourced activities were brought inhouse as far as possible; payment terms with suppliers were renegotiated, contracts downscaled or terminated as necessary, and operations reviewed to maximise productivity. Although, sadly, some retrenchments were inevitable, Mpolaheng is proud that most people have returned to their posts (besides those who went on to join other organisations).
‘We managed to make it through to the other side – but even this hasn’t been without its challenges,’ Mpolaheng says. Amongst those challenges are the closures of Lanseria International Airport’s major clients, Kulula and Mango; however, the success of FlySafair is now contributing to the company’s growth.
Integrating two worlds
Beyond her professional ambitions, Mpolaheng’s chief goal is to be the best mother possible to her four children aged 17, 14, 10 and 3, as well as a great wife. ‘People are always asking me how I do it, but as I’ve said, I don’t exaggerate drama. I simply go where I am needed, whether that’s a school event or a meeting. I’m blessed to have the support of an organisation that makes it possible for me to balance and integrate these two worlds, without placing one above the other. There are times when I’m not going to be able to make it to one of my children’s events, but they know I will always be there when I can be. I have a fantastic support structure, and between us we cover all bases.
