Woman of faith … and finance: Meladi Maditsi.
Grounded by her faith in God and supported by her immediate family, Meladi Maditsi has flourished in her position as a finance specialist at Nedbank.
A qualified chartered accountant by profession, Meladi holds a Masters degree in financial reporting, analysis and governance from the University of Cape Town, and currently works as a finance specialist at Nedbank within the Group Financial Control unit.
She is also one of five siblings, and a mother to her five-year-old daughter.
Growing up in Lebowakgomo, just outside of Polokwane, Meladi’s sense of faith and family were vital in laying the foundation for the woman she is today.
Raised by a single father after her mother passed away when she was seven years old, Meladi recalls that it wasn’t always the easiest of times growing up.
“It was very tough, but we managed. We were such a tightknit family that you could barely see or notice that there was no bread in the house, because there was just so much love in the room. And I think that’s what shaped me into the woman that I am today. My father was very strict on us going to school and getting an education, but he also encouraged us to stay in church.”
In her Matric year she coached the U14 hockey team even though she had no coaching experience, so she thought it was inevitable that she would pick a career that was sports-management related. But when she was applying for universities, she did a U-turn and followed her sister into tax accounting.
After failing her first year, she decided to follow her heart instead of her sister, and she started being more intentional about chartered accounting.
Now, as an expert in her field, she’s wholeheartedly in love with her profession, having been afforded the opportunity to speak at different engagements with the Association for the Advancement of Black Accountants of Southern Africa, and upskilling young professionals through her general work but also as an e-tutor with Unisa.
Leaning heavily on her community to achieve a sense of balance, Meladi is adamant that it takes a village to raise her child, or any child, and having her CA sister as her neighbour helps tremendously with the daily carpool.
“The one thing I learned early on, which my sister echoed, was not to try things alone or I’ll burn out. So, I lean a lot on her the same way she leans a lot on me. It almost feels like we’re co-parenting even though we don’t live in the same house,” she says.
While Meladi understands the pressures of a manic work and social schedule, she also prioritises her rest, health and time with her family. When she leaves the office, she totally unplugs by meditating, relaxing and recharging, so she can be present with her daughter.
“I also do Bible study once a week, which I find helpful in allowing me to just relax,” she says.
“Prioritising rest and time out also helps me to show up as the best parent that I can be. Because my biggest motto is that if I’m not okay, then I can’t be an okay parent, I can’t be an okay friend, I can’t be an okay colleague,” she says.
That time out manifests itself in Meladi’s extensive travels, both in South Africa and beyond our borders, with her favourite city being Amsterdam because of its melting pot of cultures and the freedom to jog in the streets.
But even though Meladi takes great pride and joy in being able to travel the world, she’s frank about the fact that there’s no place like home.
The way that we can relate to each other as South Africans, regardless of our background, is something that gives her great comfort in continuing to live in this country as she muses, “When I think about my team in the office it makes me smile. We’ve got women from all sorts of backgrounds, but the way we relate to each other, the way we come together is so special, and I’m not sure if other people experience the same thing the way we do in South Africa.”
By balancing motherhood and career, Meladi can inspire countless young women — which will benefit our economy for years to come.