How MAZIV is Building the Next Generation of Purpose-Driven Leaders

Ndivhu Nepfumbada, Group Chief Human Resources Officer at MAZIV

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, effective leadership is no longer about keeping pace with change, it is about driving it. As organisations redefine success through agility, inclusion, and innovation, leaders at every level are emerging as the architects of transformation. But this shift doesn’t happen by chance. It requires intentional leadership, a clear strategy, and companies bold enough to embed these values into their DNA.

“My goal is and has always been to make a true and lasting impact,” says Ndivhu Nepfumbada, Group Chief Human Resources Officer at MAZIV. “We are not only nurturing talent internally, but creating the kind of organisation that grows through inclusion, purpose, and performance.”

MAZIV has rolled out three structured leadership development programmes aimed at accelerating growth across different stages of a leader’s career. While open to all, these programmes have been intentionally designed to ensure stronger representation for women, recognising the critical role of balance and diversity in decision-making positions.

The programmes, Phemba (for supervisory leaders), Ignite (for middle management), and Future Leaders (run in partnership with Wits Business School), go beyond individual empowerment. They are about transforming teams and driving measurable organisational outcomes.

Each programme dives deep into leadership essentials such as resilience, agility, innovation management, emotional intelligence, customer experience, and strategy execution. What distinguishes MAZIV’s approach is its focus on real-world application, ensuring participants leave with practical tools, personal insight, and actionable plans.

“The programmes include coaching, fieldwork, and group-based learning to ensure that knowledge isn’t just absorbed but activated,” says Nepfumbada. “Graduates, both women and men, are emerging with stronger leadership identities, improved team dynamics, and a clearer sense of purpose. There is a clear link between strong leadership and customer impact, we want leaders who can connect strategy to execution, inspire teams, and engage meaningfully with the communities we serve.”

Themes such as execution excellence, design thinking, communication, and accountability run across all three programmes, aligning with MAZIV’s core values: be bold, do the right thing, and build trusted relationships.

MAZIV’s approach reflects a new way of thinking about leadership and talent development; one that moves beyond compliance or pipeline fixes. For Nepfumbada, real transformation is not about ticking diversity boxes but about restructuring the systems that define who leads and how decisions are made.

“We know that better leadership delivers better service, stronger teams, and greater innovation,” she says. “That’s what makes these programmes so powerful. Giving women a seat at the table is essential for our industry and our country, but we should also be asking: how can we change the way the table itself works? That might mean rethinking how decisions are made, who gets heard, what leadership looks like, and how power is shared across organisations.”

Through this lens, MAZIV isn’t just developing leaders, it is reshaping leadership itself.