“I push myself because I am pursuing a purpose not just a job anymore” – Thelma Madzikanda

The Q&A’s are back and we started off to an inspirational start! Thelma Madzikanda, a Business Development and Account Management professional recalls her mother’s inspiration, being complacent and her amazing career highlights…and she does it in inspirational fashion. Let me not give away too much. Here is the Q&A with her:

Sibusiso Nkosi: What drew you towards Business Development and Account Management?

Thelma Madzikanda: I stumbled into Business Development and Account Management, having studied Information Systems as an Undergrad. I started my career journey as a Junior Business Analyst and that seemed like the ideal path for me. But the job was mundane, I didn’t feel challenged enough. An opportunity opened up for a Business Development role and it did feel intimidating at first. I took the offer and haven’t looked back since. One thing that worked in my favour was my persistent and “can-do” personality, letting myself down wasn’t an option.  Also being in Business Development and Account Management everyday is a reset and for me that is the most exciting part, solving new problems daily and interacting with many people from different walks of life.

Sibusiso Nkosi: What pushes you to want more for your career instead of just having a job?

Thelma Madzikanda: Growing up I watched my mom leave full time employment to pursue entrepreneurship and she became so fulfilled. That inspires me to always aspire for more. I became a highly driven person from primary school, high school and naturally in my career. I will admit there was a time when I thought I had arrived / made it (lol) and got comfortable in my career, but as I got older I realised I could still achieve more.

I push myself because I am pursuing a purpose not just a job anymore. I make sure I learn and grow as much as I can from every job I hold and company I work for because I believe all the experience I am getting along the way will count towards fulfilling my purpose and leaving a mark on the world. Even where I currently am at the moment, I still envision myself achieving more and acknowledge there is room for growth. I am not done pushing myself yet.

Sibusiso Nkosi: How important is personal development in career growth instead of just focusing on qualification?

Thelma Madzikanda: In today’s age personal development is probably the most important thing a professional can do for themselves. To quote Daniel Goleman “When you get in the workplace everyone has the same IQ and qualifications as you, what sets you apart is your Emotional Intelligence” Qualifications get you considered for opportunities but  if you don’t have interpersonal skills or don’t know how to build rapport with colleagues no-one wants to have you on their team.

I am a huge advocate of continuous learning and recently enrolled myself back into Business School to pursue a PostGrad (BA) and ultimately MBA, embracing a growth mindset, developing high emotional intelligence and taking on leadership roles in some capacity e.g I volunteer at JCI and recently got elected to be Secretary General 2025 helping me really hone and sharpen my leadership skills. It could be at church, at home, volunteer work, in the study groups…it goes a long way. Get the qualification, but also continuously and intentionally develop yourself personally. The world is changing at a fast pace and nowadays companies hire based on a growth mindset, on whether you are adaptable and open and willing to learn.  And also for career growth one has to be able to influence others and this is the benefit of having high EQ.

Sibusiso Nkosi: What are some of your career highlights?

Thelma Madzikanda: Two things have stood out for me so far in my career. The first one I was still in my 20s and the company I was working for trusted me to travel to countries and have meetings with clients by myself representing them. This was very reaffirming for me and such a confidence booster. I was so grateful that my manager saw my potential and trusted me to this extent. And I still believed I was an introvert then. Turns out I wasn’t an introvert. I just didn’t talk unnecessarily.

The second one was landing a job offer at a multi-national company. The backstory to this one was, I used to jokingly say I will work for a multinational company one day. The power of words and going after your dreams.

With career highlights, there is so much importance in setting goals and working to achieve those goals. Granted there will be some setbacks, but if the dream is there at some point it will happen.

Sibusiso Nkosi: What are your career tips for young people who feel stuck in their career growth?

Thelma Madzikanda: I would advise young people who feel stuck to pace themselves, get to know themselves more. And to keep an open mind and know that it is okay to pivot if you feel drawn to a different career path. Because you studied something does not mean you have to limit yourself to that path. And I would like to encourage young people to see their own potential. The fact of the matter is, no-one is coming to save you. Everyone is busy worried about their own lives.

Carry yourself with confidence because whether at a job or in the community, if people sense you don’t have confidence, why should they believe in you when you know yourself better? They follow your lead. Career growth inevitably happens for everyone as long as the will and passion is there, but you really have to go for it.

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