As EswatiniBank marks six decades of existence, one of the defining questions for its next chapter is how it will prepare the people who will lead the institution into the future.
For Managing Director Nozizwe Mulela, part of the answer lies in giving young professionals more than a place within the organisation, it means giving them a voice, responsibility and a pathway into leadership.
Since taking the helm, Mulela has made youth development a deliberate feature of her leadership approach, opening opportunities for younger employees to participate in executive decision-making and contribute their skills to the bank’s strategic direction.
In an earlier interview she said it is a shift that has not necessarily come without resistance. Reflecting on her decision to bring younger voices closer to the centre of leadership, she acknowledged: “I know I ruffled a few feathers.”
However, Mulela believes that institutions must be willing to evolve if they are to remain relevant to changing generations, particularly in an industry increasingly shaped by technology, data and innovation.
“From the onset, I brought the issue of young people, that we must bring a lot of young people into the bank and that they must rise into leadership positions within the bank,” she said.
Her approach is not, however, about replacing experience with youth. Rather, she sees the two as complementary, with senior employees expected to transfer institutional knowledge while younger professionals bring fresh perspectives and contemporary skills.
“I said to my team, if you are above my age, our role now is to mentor. We have a duty to teach the young generation and the young people in the bank what traditional banking is, for the growth and success of the institution,” she explained.
This emphasis on mentorship is particularly important for a bank with a 60-year institutional history. While modernisation requires new capabilities, Mulela recognises that preserving institutional memory, organisational culture and the lessons accumulated over decades remains equally important.
She has therefore encouraged senior management to embrace a two-way learning culture in which experienced employees guide younger colleagues, while remaining open to learning from them.
“We have a generation that we must bring up,” she said, stressing that young professionals also need recognition, support and opportunities to demonstrate their abilities.
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“Young people are hungry for support, for being seen and recognised. This generation of young people is very impatient. We will lose them if you don’t recognise them and give them something of good value.”
The leadership approach has also been reflected in the composition of the bank’s executive management. Mulela has brought in younger professionals, including three recruits in their mid-30s, in an effort to create a balance between experience and emerging expertise.
She sees particular value in the skills younger professionals bring to areas such as data utilisation, technology and innovation, which are becoming increasingly important to the future of banking.
Her commitment to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) development further reinforces this direction, with an emphasis on supporting young people in these fields and preparing them for leadership responsibilities.
The objective for the MD is to build a pipeline of capable professionals who can carry the institution forward rather than leaving succession to chance. As EswatiniBank moves into its seventh decade, this approach places people development alongside technological and business transformation as an important consideration for long-term sustainability.
