Publications
- From tech to medicine, the women of Mzansi have shown resilience while making contributions to the development and unity of the world.
- Such contributions cannot be denied when it comes to the tech world, as the globe’s short-form video destination, TikTok, attributes its advancements and growth to women who make up a large amount of the company’s staff in SA.
- Nolwazi Ngubeni, a Strategic Partnerships Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok, walks us through her life as one of the faces behind TikTok in SA.
True to the platform’s mission, the women behind TikTok in the country have bossed up to bring joy to their professional roles, as well as in their personal capacities – where they creatively express who they are in their own ways.
As we remember the efforts of the women in 1956 this Women’s Month, we sit down with one of South Africa’s inspirational and powerful women behind TikTok, Nolwazi Ngubeni.
Nolwazi is a Strategic Partnerships Lead for Sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok. A day in her work life includes identifying potential partners and developing strategies around pathways to partnership aligned to product needs across different portfolios.
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When asked about her experience in the tech industry, Nolwazi shares that there has been a significant amount of lessons and subsequent learning.
“When I joined TikTok, I was working in the creator department - I then moved to the Global Business Development department when it expanded to SSA and this was an exciting win and an introduction to a whole new discipline for me. It’s now been over a year, and I can say it’s been a thrilling ride filled with many lessons. I have been involved in identifying and implementing new partnerships with brands in and outside of South Africa.”
Nolwazi is also known to the South African public as a producer and award-winning actress who has starred in many popular TV programs and soaps. True to her diverse nature, she has also taken up the role of casting director.
Her accolades do not end here, she is also a trained singer and dancer who knows her way around the kitchen. She is also in the fashion space, owning a clothing label called ‘Black Fashion House’. Her transitions into fashion felt like a natural progression as she can’t help but be creative and it’s no surprise she works for a brand like TikTok that promotes creativity and fun.
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One may wonder how she manages to work for a global tech company and still balance her life.
“I don’t know if my life is balanced, but I try to reach a level where everything I do gets enough attention,” Nolwazi says. She adds that she works for an incredibly supportive company that encourages its staff to look after their health, physically and psychologically, and also look after their families.
She says she also lives by certain principles from the company which she applies to both work and her personal life. Therefore, outside her day job, she gives her other projects the same energy and just aims for the highest.
For Nolwazi, Women’s Day shines a light on the progress women have made throughout history and their desires for the future. She sees the day as a reminder to unapologetically celebrate women’s achievements, vulnerability, and uniqueness - a united proclamation that women are enough. She encourages women to be bold enough to cement themselves in spaces that they wouldn’t otherwise be expected, like tech.
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