“Let us read and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.” Voltaire
It’s a long way from the small village of Sterkwater Ga-Chokoe in north-western Limpopo, where Sharon Ngwasheng started her life journey, to her career as a bookkeeper with Dynamic DNA in the heart of Johannesburg, where she’s continuing to travel her path with flair and enthusiasm – embracing opportunities, achieving goals, dancing often, and living her philosophy to be kind and compassionate.
Sharon joined Dynamic Technologies’ group company DVT in August 2015 on a finance learnership and a year later was given an internship with DTH Finance, before moving fulltime to another company in the group, Dynamic DNA. And she’s thriving, even though her path to finance and bookkeeping wasn’t always straightforward. She explains, “I studied Communications at the University of Limpopo after high school, but that wasn’t what I truly wanted to do. My interests were TV and film production, but the university didn’t offer that. When I left varsity with my BA degree, I decided to broaden my horizons. I found finance interesting (even though I was terrible at it in high school) but I felt that it is an entrepreneurial skill that everyone should have. So when the opportunity for a learnership in finance at DVT came, I grabbed it with both hands – and I’m glad I did. I love that I’m always challenged and learning in this career.”
Sharon enjoyed the one-year learnership, which included both workplace experience and academic sessions on a rotational basis. She did four programmes in the first year with a focus on the fundamentals of accounting and practical insights into finance. She then completed her NQF Level 4, covering Financial Statements as well as other modules, and overall is encouraged by her own professional growth through her training and work.
She says, “The learnership prepared me well for more than just working with company financials – I was also trained in work readiness, communication skills, work ethics, problem-solving, and teamwork. Experiencing a workplace environment while studying also exposes you to the reality of what that entails, and it also gives you a clearer understanding of what will be expected of you. This makes the transition from learner to employee a lot easier.”
Sharon is convinced that learnership programmes add real value to young people embarking on their chosen careers. “The learning is work-based and is directly related to the work you will be doing in your job,” she explains. “Learnership programmes prepare you for the practicality of a work environment – and I believe they are helping to address unemployment in South Africa.”
She adds that benefits to companies investing in learnerships include improved BEE scorecards, tax incentives, and the reality that they are gaining skilled employees who will make a valuable contribution to the business, “creating a win-win situation for all parties.”
Sharon’s responsibilities now include the day-to-day books for Dynamic DNA, managing and organising the cashflow, keeping the fixed asset register up to date, and ensuring truthful actuals at the end of the month, while also being involved in the planning and preparing of the pipeline of the business. She largely works by herself, under group management, and is often pushed beyond her comfort zone, adding that although working alone is sometimes a challenge, support from other staff members is never far away.
Sharon is enthusiastic about the company, and says the culture and people of Dynamic DNA are special. “Our MD (Prudence Mabitsela) has built a culture that feels like family. We all understand the mission of the company and we’re constantly encouraged in what we do.” As far as her own space in the company is concerned, Sharon says, “A strength I add is that I ‘understand the memo’! I’m a great team player and I bring positive energy, which all aligns with Dynamic DNA’s vibe.”
Sharon is also fully aligned with the Dynamic Technologies group ethos of diversity and inclusion, which she says, “means including everyone from every walk of life in equal opportunities and treating them all with the same level of respect and consideration.”
Sharon’s energy and readiness to embrace new experiences and challenges have been an intrinsic part of her life from her early school days, through high school and beyond, to the University of Limpopo, where she discovered her love of ballroom and Latin dancing, and had the opportunity to represent the university and the province. “My love of dancing is behind my favourite quote by Voltaire, ‘Let us read and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.’”
Sharon’s own career has been influenced by women leaders in the Dynamic Technologies group who are her role models – Prudence Mabitsela, founder and MD of Dynamic DNA, and Dora Jantjie, DTH Group Financial Manager.
Looking ahead, Sharon’s goals include using her skills and knowledge to empower other young people as much as she’s been inspired. “If I can teach one person one thing that can impact their life in a positive way, I would be truly grateful.” She also believes that it’s extremely important for women to join the world of technology because “women must be represented in every industry. I often think of former Miss Universe, Zozibini Tunzi’s final answer at the Miss Universe pageant, when she said women need to take up space, have leadership roles, and have representation. That was encouraging and I believe women can lead and do well in any industry – the world of technology is no exception.”
This brings Sharon to her advice to any young person contemplating or embarking on a career in technology, which is simply, “Go for it! The future is tech.”