Chief Executive Officer at Take Note Information Technology, Mamela Luthuli encompasses various roles in her life, including that of a mother, daughter, yoga enthusiast, and entrepreneur. She firmly believes in the idea that one should not compartmentalise their true selves. Instead, she leverages the valuable lessons she has gained from both her personal and professional experiences to enhance her leadership abilities across all aspects of her life. She shares, “In this day and age with the busyness of the world, I believe that we need to centre ourselves. This is why I have implemented a yoga and meditation routine in the workplace and my personal life.”
Below are highlights of the interview conducted between World’s Leaders and Mamela Luthuli:
Describe your background and what did you do before you founded the Take Note Information Technology?
I remember coming home with my school report, and after reading it, my mom would tell everyone in the neighbourhood how I was passing with flying colours. The pride and joy I saw on her face were priceless. I know now that I worked hard not only for myself but for her—to impress her and make her proud of me. Working hard and never settling for less have become part of my personal DNA. It’s who I am.
My entrepreneurial spirit took shape at the age of fourteen (14) when I helped my mother sell vegetables after school and on weekends. I learned what people needed, how to buy the products they needed, sell them with passion, and make money to earn a living. Most importantly, I learned how to please my customers, to care, and to give back. I also saw my mom’s business as an opportunity for her to be involved in ‘fundraising, always helping our extended family, neighbours, and friends with the money she made. This talent found new meaning in school. I was known as my teacher’s daughter, Mrs. Josters. Whenever we needed to raise funds for the school, she would call on me to lead the fundraising. I would work hard, go to homes, taxi ranks, and businesses, and raise funds for school projects. Fundraising taught me how to convince people to believe in something.
Using that skill, I focused on making money by doing different things. I was a waitress, ran errands, did small chores for people, and got paid. It was an amazing time in my life. I never felt poor. Everyone was living the same life in the town, but I was living a great life, working hard and earning money to build our lives. Through the work, I was able to pay for our light bills at home, help my friends, and pay my way through varsity.
My fascination with technology started when Microsoft introduced the internet. I knew then that “this is the future”. Since y days of ” Fund raising” I could see opportunities and think big when other people around me went on with their day. My fascination turned into a passion. I researched, read, and studied and became involved in IT and technology so much that it just became me.
I believe that technology and 4IR are at the tip of a disruptive revolution that will create a new way of life for us all. We need to be proactive, embrace it, and make it work for our value creation.
Being an entrepreneur and having the courage to go it alone happened when I read Richard Branson’s screw it, it just does it”. I dared to go on my own and follow my passion, and the rest is history.
Through my work, I want to send a message: “Take Note,” changing the narrative. Changing the narrative for all women, for women that are marginalised and disadvantaged, changing the narrative for 4IR and disruptive revolution, changing the narrative that with change we must think differently and find every possible solution to beat the threats, to beat crime, to beat adversity
I will work tirelessly to change the narrative on corruption and abuse of power and become a successful black woman in South Africa, leaving a legacy for future leaders to emulate and be inspired by. A leader shouting out that integrity, trust, hard work, self-respect, and being authentic will create more wins and successes for us all
Today, I believe that my passion for using technology to protect businesses serves a greater purpose. It helps me deliver on my commitment to help businesses survive and thrive for a greater South Africa. If we do this, we can invest in youth education, training and development, and job creation.
We want all South Africans to be employed and given the opportunity to live a good life.
Tell us about the inception of the company. How did it all start?
Take Note IT initially started as an end-to-end ICT company; it evolved to doing cyber security solutions. At a later stage, I saw a huge gap in the market when it came to the cable theft pandemic in South Africa. This became a call to action for me to see how I could assist with finding a solution for this. I went and researched across the globe, looking for potential technology to curtail the cable theft issue that we were currently facing as a country. This gave birth to our IoT Early Warning Detection Solution, which has stopped over 355 attempted thefts and saved one of our clients R350 million+ in one year.
What has made you successful? What do you value?
One of the key things that has made me successful has been trying to find a solution for the problems that affect the current state of our country and world. The other thing that has helped me become successful has been nurturing young talent by giving them opportunities to grow within a corporate space. Mentoring these young employees has helped me become a better leader by learning from them, and vice versa.
What are the most important aspects of a company & culture? What principles do you believe in and how do you build this culture?
Employees and organizations can foster a caring and compassionate culture, invest in employee development, show appreciation and recognition, provide skills training, create a conducive work environment, and embrace diversity and inclusivity. These actions promote collaboration, trust, and a positive work environment, leading to improved teamwork and unity within the organization. This has worked for us at Take Note IT.
Give us your opinion on whether organisations rely heavily on individual heroics or team processes.
Most organisations rely heavily on individual heroics, which creates a co-dependency on one individual when our focus is to build our organisation up. There is an African saying that we use, which is Ubuntu, Ubuntu which translates to humanity, or I am because you are. In this belief system, we rely heavily on a team process where we lead the way and, in turn, help the rest move forward. The key is collaboration, not competition.
What are your responsibilities as CEO of the company? What is the happiest part of your daily routine?
My role as CEO is to drive the implementation of the Take Note IT Strategy, continue to grow the business, and provide support and mentoring to my team.
What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?
Invest in know-how: Allocate resources towards acquiring knowledge and expertise in your industry. Stay updated on the latest trends, technologies, and best practices. This investment in knowledge will give you a competitive edge and enable you to deliver high-quality solutions. Strive to be the best in your trade. Set high standards for your startup and aim to become a leader in your field.
