It’s been said time and again that the CA(SA) qualification takes grit and guts. Patricia Malahlela, a senior accountant at Mckenzie & Associates, has shown that she has these qualities in droves – and then some.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Patricia has become a master at overhauling her life: she has already done it several time in her pursuit of the career − and the life − she dreams of.
Her first big change came when she realised that a lifetime in Lephalale, the small Limpopo town where she grew up, was not for her. ‘Nothing ever happened there. I wanted more for myself, and I decided that Gauteng was the place where I could make all my goals a reality.’ Patricia says that several people tried to change her mind, but she was always steadfastly focused on forging a new reality.
Her first step was securing a NSFAS bursary to study a diploma in accounting at the Tshwane University of Technology. ‘I had my sights set on the field since the first time a teacher told us what a CA is,’ Patricia recalls. Although her interest was piqued, Patricia’s school didn’t offer accounting as a subject until she was in Grade 10. She jumped at the chance to further her knowledge, at first struggling to make sense of a subject that felt very foreign but pushing on because she knew that it was essential to her future plans. Luckily, by Grade 12, she had honed her understanding and passed with flying colours. ‘I realised that I really enjoy working with numbers, and I love the challenge of solving problems,’ she says – which confirmed her conviction that, whatever field she found herself in, it would somehow involve accounting.
Stuck in a rut
That conviction propelled her forward while studying her diploma and was at the forefront of her mind when some friends completing the same stream persuaded her to join them in upgrading their qualification to a degree. Patricia duly enrolled at Unisa to upgrade her Diploma to a Bachelor of Accounting Sciences in Financial Accounting degree. At the same time, she signed on with Guarantee Trust, a six-month FASSET funded work readiness programme, so that she could polish her professional skills, and which led to placement at her current employer. And then she hit a brick wall.
‘Quite simply, I got into a very bad relationship,’ Patricia explains. Her experience highlights the issue of mental wellness, which took a very heavy toll on her progress. ‘I lost myself completely: lost sight of my goals, lost my motivation. I watched all my peers working their way through the course, but I felt like I was living someone else’s life and watching my own actions from the outside.’ Patricia’s depression was exacerbated by the pressure of work, as well as the financial stress she faced at the time.
Then, in the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, she took a long look at where she was, and how far it was from where she wanted to be. Mustering all her internal strength, she decided to leave her partner.
It was far from easy: as someone who loves other people, who looks for the best in them and believes in giving second chances, Patricia may have been convinced to keep trying. But, she says, she had found a mentor and a mother figure at work (her own mother having passed away when she was 10 years old), who persuaded her that the best way she could look after herself was by starting over.
Many challenges
Patricia admits that it took a lot of hard work to rebuild her morale. Not only had her partner’s constant criticism left her unsure of herself; she had supported him and his family (and had taken out several loans to do so), and so she was financially strapped. Again, her mentor stepped in to help, sharing her food whenever possible. This kindness helped nudge Patricia past a state of survival, to a place where she could consider what she needed to do in order to thrive. And so her dream of becoming a CA was rekindled.
It was slow going at first, Patricia confesses. ‘It took a lot to rebuild my confidence – and I’m still working on it – but I looked at the amazing women around me, doing amazing things, and I reminded myself I want to be like them.’ Joining SAICA, after her employer suggested she do so, has also helped, because it has brought her into contact with inspiring figures and reinforced her belief that, as a CA, she will be able to do great things.
‘I am more determined than ever to pursue this path. I feel like I am carrying the expectations and hopes of so many people, especially my family. Becoming a CA will open so many doors, giving me opportunities to help them and give back.’
One of the ways Patricia sees herself giving back is by supporting women who wish to better their lives, but do not have the funds or other resources to do so. Ideally, she would like to help them find an entry point to establishing a career.
In the meantime, she has started helping others on their journey through her involvement in Remembering the Goal, a mentorship programme offered by Enock Soko Tutoring Services. Patricia is currently working with a third-year accounting student who aspired to be a CA, offering study and career advice ‘and walking alongside her for the period of the mentorship’. She maintains she is benefiting from the programme as much as her mentee: ‘My communication, time management and organising skills have improved; but most of all, I am learning more about myself and how I show up for people.’
