Ndlovu Director at Anglo Platinum
BSc
(Honours) (University of Zimbabwe), MBL (Unisa), CSEP (Columbia), BLP (Duke
Corporate Education)
Executive
head: Process at Anglo Platinum.Sitting on the executive committee of one of the world’s biggest multi-national mining companies
July
graduated in Engineering and Business Leadership from the universities of
Zimbabwe and South Africa respectively, and completed the Senior Executive
Programme with Columbia Business School. He was previously employed in Zimbabwe
by Anglo American Zimbabwe subsidiaries, where he held senior managerial
positions in metallurgicaloperations and technical services. He transferred to
Anglo Platinum in 2001, was initially
appointed business manager of Polokwane Smelter,
and later became head of process technology.
In September 2007 he was appointed executive head: process at Anglo Platinum.
Sitting
on the executive committee of one of the world’s biggest multi-national mining
companies, July Ndlovu, refuses to let power go to his head.
“I
am no different from the ordinary man on the street and I would not call myself
a successful person,” he says with true humility. “I am just an ordinary man
working very hard and I have been pretty fortunate to have the opportunity to
work with people who believe in me.
If
the truth be told, there are many other people who are as qualified as I am and
others who are brighter, but are still nowhere near where I am now.”
In
his fourth year as Executive Head of Process, Member of Executive Committee and
Member of Operations Committee at Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed Anglo
Platinum Ltd, Ndlovu (45) is one of very few blacks to hold such a post in
mining here.
How to be
a Millionaire
With
Anglo-Platinum being the world's leading primary producer of platinum group
metals and accounting for about 40 per cent of the world's newly-mined
platinum, Ndlovu’s phenomenal rise up its ladder cannot be downplayed, even by
the man himself.
Ndlovu,
who graduated in Engineering and Business Leadership from the Universities of
Zimbabwe and South Africa respectively, and completed the Senior Executive
Programme with Columbia Business School, is also the Chairman of Anglo’s
Zimbabwean subsidiary, Unki Platinum, which resumed operations late last year.
Cause for
celebration
As
the interview continues, Ndlovu begins to admit that his status in business is
something out of reach for an ordinary man. His rise from a boy born to a poor
peasant family in dusty Shurugwi, Zimbabwe’s Midlands province, is real cause
for celebration, a great inspiration to every Zimbabwean, and indeed most
Africans.
“I
enjoy being in business, making money for my shareholders, but I love more the
fact that things that I do, such as the company’s social responsibility, make a
difference in society,” he says.
“Platinum
group metals have gone a long way to solve some of the society’s most
intractable problems and being part of that makes me happy.”
Ndlovu
gives credit to his poor parents, who kept him on the straight and narrow and
believed in the last-born of the family of six.
“In
poor families, more often than not, the hopes and aspirations for children is
quite limited. But I was fortunate to be born to parents who found it within
themselves to believe and hope that their son could do something much more than
they had done themselves,” he says.
Simple
faith
“I
learnt that if you dream that you can be something else in life, if you
literally see beyond the horizon of the naked eye, have simple faith and
believe in your dreams – you can achieve great things.
“Each
one of us was born with a gift to be the very best that we can be. I realized
that and worked through it and always had the feeling that I should make better
my today than my yesterday. I also sought and got God’s blessings on my side.”
Ndlovu
has worked for Anglo-Platinum for most of his life, having had stints at
ZimAlloys, Zimasco and Bindura Nickel Corporation, before migrating to South
Africa in an intra-company transfer in 2001.
He
served as Business Manager of Polokwane Smelter and also as its Head of Process
Technology, before he rose to his present post in September 2007.
He
still has high hopes for his home country. Unki’s operations are part of his
grand plan to get Zimbabwe working again.
“It
is pleasing to employ local people, contribute to local economy and exploit
resources for the common good of the Zimbabwean people.”
And the
best way for a child to lay the foundation for a decent future?
“Education,
education, education,” emphasizes Ndlovu.
“I
would like to advice the youth to take their education seriously because it is
the only way through which they can open doors to opportunity. To be able to
play the game, you need to first get the ticket and get in, and then you can
start thinking about playing the game.”
Ndlovu
also has advice for Zimbabweans in the Diaspora and great predictions for
Zimbabwe’s economic prospects.
“Getting
a chance of a breakthrough will always be difficult in a foreign land, but
there are still vast opportunities opening up in Zimbabwe, which we should take
advantage of,” he says.
“Instead
of killing ourselves trying to find work in foreign lands, we should go back
and leverage the skills we have acquired outside. Every Zimbabwean who has
lived outside the country has learnt something valuable that they should
consider giving back to their country. I have met teachers who have become
nurses and engineers who have become managers of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora.
“Zimbabwe
will reclaim its place as one of Africa’s best economies, but that will take
willingness, determination and selflessness on the part of our leaders.
Political divisions will not take us forward but only drag us down. We need to
stand together as Zimbabwean people to make progress. Thank God we are not
sinking any more.”
#BeInspired
*Interview conducted by external source
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