As companies strive to balance profitability with social impact, the role of leaders who champion sustainability and inclusivity becomes paramount. Against this backdrop, one company stands out for its commitment to corporate social responsibility and community engagement. At the helm is a dynamic leader whose vision and passion for empowering youth and women have not only transformed lives but also reshaped the organization’s approach to stakeholder relationships.
As Head of Corporate and Community Affairs at Sasol, Mashudu Ndou has successfully bridged the gap between business objectives and community needs, fostering relationships built on trust and collaboration. Her strategic insights and heartfelt approach have positioned Sasol as a beacon of hope and change, demonstrating how corporate entities can thrive while making a lasting difference in society.
Amplifying Stakeholder Voices
Mashudu began her career in 2003 as a secretary at a government department in the Republic of South Africa. During this time, she volunteered as a coordinator on key projects, a move supported by her former leaders, Nolundi Dikweni and Moeketsi Sikhudo. Their encouragement allowed her to gain valuable training in technical aspects of the department, leading to her promotion to Project Coordinator/Administrator and then to Assistant Director of BBBEE, where she focused on economic analysis, transformation, and rural transport development.
Mashudu established the South African Women in Transport Network, a platform aimed at uniting women in the transport sector. In 2008, she joined Sasol as a BEE Procurement Specialist after receiving three job offers, choosing Sasol due to her aspiration to work for a leading company. Under the mentorship of her boss, Darrly Jordan, she took on greater responsibilities, volunteering to manage various BBBEE elements and enhancing her expertise through participation in Communities of Practice.
Her career progressed as she transitioned to manage transformation and people performance enablement, where she initiated the Women in Operations program to elevate women’s voices in the workplace. Eventually, she was promoted to Senior Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Affairs, focusing on youth and women’s development in communities. Her passion for empowering these groups led her to mobilize businesses and influencers to join her efforts.
After further advancements, Mashudu became the Vice President for Corporate Affairs, where she prioritized stakeholder management, communications, and corporate social responsibility. In this role, she ensured that both community and stakeholder voices were represented at the decision-making table. A year later, she was appointed Head of Corporate and Community Affairs at Sasol, overseeing a broad range of functions, including communications, stakeholder relations, corporate social responsibility, and compliance across the Southern African region, encompassing both South Africa and Mozambique.
Mashudu Ndou’s career highlight to date was her invitation to serve as a speaker and panelist at the International Conference on Business Dynamics and Sustainable Development in Bangalore. During this event, she addressed emerging trends and opportunities in the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) era, standing out as the only African and the only female on the panel. This experience underscored the growing influence of Africa and women in shaping the global economy.
Additionally, she was invited by the Presidential Climate Change Commission to represent the South African business industry as a speaker during the hosting of the UK Climate Change Commission in March 2024. This opportunity further exemplified her role in leading discussions on climate change and sustainability at a high level, reinforcing her commitment to driving impactful change in these critical areas.
Pushing Boundaries with Compassion
Over her 15 years in the corporate sector, Mashudu Ndou has gained invaluable experiences and lessons that have shaped her leadership style. One key lesson is the importance of being people-focused, which includes knowing her story, demonstrating humility, and maintaining resilience. Throughout her journey, she has learned from various influential leaders, including Darryl Jordan, Susan Ambrose, Maureen Mboshane—whom she considers her greatest leader and coach—Sib Marinus, Simon Baloyi, and Gerrit Viljoen. From each of these leaders, she has absorbed lessons on empathy and the importance of pushing boundaries despite obstacles.
Mashudu credits much of her foundational values to her late parents, Mrs. Germinah and Thomas Rashamuse, who instilled in her the courage to be herself, to challenge the status quo, and to stand her ground. They taught her to embrace leadership in every setting. Additionally, her Spiritual Father, Pastor Mposhomali, influenced her to lead in the marketplace with wisdom and a kingdom mindset.
Her experiences with the teams she has led have reinforced the notion that a leader must be vulnerable and maintain a clear, uncluttered mindset. She understands the dynamics within her teams and strives to create a positive environment, recognizing the individual value each team member brings.
As a Deputy Parent, she learns daily from her siblings—Mpho, Phathu, Khuliso, Mufunwa, Vhuthu, Rivha, and Masana—who continuously test her leadership and shape her perspective. Most importantly, her husband, Mr. Aaron, teaches her to lead with compassion and empathy. He believes in her abilities and encourages her to become a better leader not only for her team but also for their children, Opfuna, Washu, and Dzivhani. They remind her to consider the impact of her decisions on others, ensuring that she leads with the well-being of those she affects at the forefront of her mind.
In her role as Head of Corporate Affairs, Mashudu Ndou draws inspiration from the Bible, specifically from Exodus 18. This scripture teaches her the importance of delegation and the need for capable leadership. She emphasizes that attempting to handle everything alone can lead to burnout, so she prioritizes hiring competent individuals—experts in their fields—to help manage the diverse responsibilities under her oversight.
Aligning Community Impact with Corporate Strategy
Mashudu sees her role as an overseer who guides her team, ensuring their work is positioned effectively within the organization. Her accountability includes fostering their growth and visibility, as she believes in unleashing the hidden talents of every team member, even those who might initially seem like the weakest links. The current teams she leads, composed of capable executives she has hired, are viewed as her vision bearers, working diligently to ensure that her department’s goals are understood and executed at all levels.
With their support, she focuses on understanding what motivates her team and how to influence them to perform at their best. Her job involves aligning Corporate and Community Affairs strategies with the broader business needs, ensuring that Sasol remains a credible partner to its stakeholders, including communities, industries, and businesses. This strategic alignment helps maintain relevance in a rapidly evolving business environment, allowing her to balance her wide-ranging responsibilities effectively.
Bridging Communities and Corporations
One of the biggest challenges Mashudu faces in her role as Head of Corporate Affairs is acting as the intermediary between the community, stakeholders, and the business. She must effectively communicate the concerns and challenges faced by stakeholders to the business, while also conveying the business’s capabilities and limitations back to the community. This dual responsibility can create tension, especially when misunderstandings arise.
Mashudu emphasizes the importance of maintaining the company’s reputation, which requires continuous effort and strategic communication. She notes that communities sometimes interpret regulations differently, leading to trust issues between businesses and stakeholders. Her role involves not only ensuring that the communities understand the regulations but also fostering their buy-in for the initiatives being implemented. By bridging these gaps, she aims to build trust and collaboration, ultimately enhancing stakeholder relationships while safeguarding the business’s interests.
Quest for Community Development
Mashudu takes great pride in her instrumental role in uplifting previously disadvantaged groups, particularly youth and women. Over the years, she has actively participated in various task teams focused on local economic development, education, and skills development for young people. In 2019, she was appointed by the Minister of Higher Education as a council member of the Gert Sibande TVET College, where she led the student services stream. Additionally, in 2020, she became a trustee of the Osizweni Education Science Centre, providing advisory support for community development and education initiatives.
As a mentor and coach, Mashudu has guided many young women in their career and business pursuits. Among her accolades, she is proud to have been named one of the 2024 Top 100 Career Women in Africa and a finalist in the Gender Mainstream for Inclusive Leader and Positive Role Model category. She has also been recognized as the Ambassador of Impactful Change for the Evolution of Women in Leadership and as a 2024 Rising Star Judge.
Her achievements include several awards for performance and innovation within her company, as well as being a finalist for the Standard Bank South African Rising Star and the ‘I am a Woman; I have a Purpose Woman of the Year Award.’ In 2020, she was celebrated as one of the Black Management Forum’s phenomenal women. In 2021, she became a mentor for The Mentorship Academy in collaboration with the United Nations and, in 2023, was named a Gradstar mentor, focusing on work placement readiness and leadership for young graduates.
Among her proudest moments is leading a team that secured over five national awards for best corporate social responsibility interventions. Being recognized as a mentor and judge for emerging stars in South Africa is another significant achievement. Most notably, she feels honored to have been recognized by SABC MAD (Make A Difference / Hlalala ya rishaka) for her contributions to the community and for helping shape a business that pioneers community development.
Creating Sustainable Impacts
Mashudu’s passion for the development of youth and women has driven her to lead initiatives that create sustainable impacts beyond mere compliance with social responsibility requirements. One notable initiative she founded is the women’s development program, which has successfully empowered women to take on roles within operations.
She has spearheaded various skills development programs tailored for youth and women, including the War on Leaks project, which provides plumbing technical training, as well as projects focused on small farmer support, waste management, traffic management, and horticulture. Many of these initiatives have received national awards, reflecting their significance and effectiveness.
More importantly, these projects have established platforms for unemployed youth and women, enabling many participants to secure employment. Not only have some of these individuals become gainfully employed, but others have also transitioned into employers themselves, contributing to job creation within their communities. Additionally, these emerging entrepreneurs have partnered with Mashudu and her organization on various social responsibility initiatives, further amplifying the positive impact of these programs.
Creating Inclusive Pathways
Mashudu works in a male-dominated industry, primarily composed of engineers and technical staff, which presented significant challenges in earning respect and asserting her voice. Despite the potential for failure, she embraced several risks that ultimately paid off.
One significant risk was initiating a project aimed at developing women within the organization, ensuring they received adequate support during talent development and promotion processes. This initiative was critical in creating pathways for women in a space where such considerations were often overlooked.
Additionally, she took the bold step of bringing local companies into collaborative projects, even when it would have been easier to maintain the status quo. By positioning her department at the forefront of key business requirements—traditionally viewed as beyond its scope—Mashudu demonstrated her willingness to challenge perceptions. She often raised her hand to lead these initiatives, trusting in her team’s capabilities even when the path forward was uncertain. This proactive approach not only fostered respect but also showcased her commitment to driving meaningful change in her organization.
Cultivating Purpose-Driven Transformation
Mashudu approaches change management within her organization by first understanding and embodying her “why.” She believes it is essential not only to articulate the rationale behind new strategies or initiatives but also to genuinely convey that passion and purpose to her team and stakeholders. In an industry focused on tangible elements like bolts, valves, and boilers, she recognizes the importance of helping the business understand the broader impact of any initiative on overall operations.
For Mashudu, the business bottom line extends beyond just profit and revenue; it encompasses the daily operations and how strategies affect the ability to meet production targets and achieve desired outcomes. By framing change in terms of its practical implications for everyday operations, she effectively communicates the necessity of new initiatives. This approach fosters a sense of ownership and alignment among her team, ensuring that everyone understands how their contributions play a vital role in the organization’s success.
Continuing the Legacy of Empowerment
Mashudu Ndou’s motivation to support youth and women’s development stems from a deep-seated passion for what she believes truly matters. She firmly believes that “if you educate a woman, you educate a nation,” and recognizes that investing in youth is essential for securing the future of any nation. Her inspiration often comes from witnessing young men and women from challenging backgrounds succeed and make their mark in the world.
Raised by parents who dedicated themselves to helping both girls and boys from various households, Mashudu feels a profound responsibility to continue their legacy. This upbringing instilled in her the drive to be a beacon of hope for others and to leverage her sphere of influence to effect positive change. She often emphasizes the importance of incremental progress, believing that every individual effort counts—whether it’s impacting one girl, one boy, or one woman at a time. Through her initiatives, she has seen transformative outcomes, with many participants overcoming adversity and finding paths to success, thereby validating her commitment to these causes.
Fostering a Sense of Belonging
Mashudu emphasizes the importance of building genuine relationships with stakeholders by fostering a sense of belonging among them. Her strategy focuses on viewing stakeholders not merely as entities to be managed but as partners in a collaborative journey. To cultivate trust, she believes it is essential to engage proactively—showing up for stakeholders not only during crises or when support is needed but also in times when no immediate need is apparent.
This approach extends beyond conventional working hours; it involves deepening the relationship to a level where stakeholders feel empowered to advocate on behalf of the organization without any prompting. By consistently being present and supportive, Mashudu and her team create an environment where stakeholders feel valued and respected, ultimately leading to stronger alliances and a more robust network of advocates in the community, government, and industry.
Connections Beyond the Brand
Mashudu Ndou believes that effective communication and branding for Sasol should transcend mere visibility; the community and stakeholders should not only read about the brand but genuinely feel and experience it. Her approach emphasizes the importance of actively involving communities in initiatives, allowing them to take ownership of the projects implemented.
By fostering brand ambassadorship within the community, Mashudu and her team have successfully encouraged local residents to become advocates for Sasol, reflecting a deep sense of connection and trust. This engagement is rooted in the belief that by making the community a part of the organization’s journey, they develop a vested interest in its success.
A key element of her strategy is finding the right balance between being a source of hope and empowering stakeholders to achieve independence. By nurturing this balance, she aims to create a sustainable relationship where the community feels supported yet capable of thriving on its own, ultimately reinforcing a positive corporate image and fostering enduring trust.
