Tammy Marshall, Executive Director of Brightview Senior Living, Top 10 Promising Women Leaders of 2022 Profile

Mamela Luthuli
Founder & CEO
Take Note IT


Tammy Marshall, Executive Director of Brightview Senior Living, Top 10 Promising Women Leaders of 2022

"A Self-Made Inspiration"

Mamela Luthuli, Founder, CEO, serial entrepreneur and award winner, Take Note IT group of companies

Mamela Luthuli CEO of Take Note IT has learnt, that how she has lived her life, her history has shaped who she is today. “I am defined by my values. I always refer to them as the roots that keep me grounded and determine who I am today and who I will be tomorrow. My mom and dad played a huge role in shaping that. I see myself as calm and humble like dad and while also calm, my mum has gifted me with ambition, the strength of character, and drive.”

“ 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, addressing the bigger issues of unemployment and job creation”

Her entrepreneurial spirit took shape at the age of fourteen (14), helping her mother in their grocery shop after school and on weekends. Mamela learned what people needed, how to buy products they needed, sell them with passion, and make money to earn a living. Most importantly, she learned how to please the customer, care, and give back.Her experience has taught her how to adapt and do the work that needs to be done. Instrumental to her success is the view that “we are all here to serve and make a difference. Empathy and compassion are part of my DNA - as I witnessed and learnt from my parents the importance of “giving back”. It is this paradigm that has inspired her creation of the Take Note Cyber academy driving youth development and job creation in South Africa.

These qualities have not only made Mamela the leader she is today but have helped her transform Take Note IT into success. “I work hard, I am relentless, and I have learned what customers need and to give them what they want. To everyone reading or listening to me today I say don’t bury your history, don’t bury your tough times and the difficulties that you may have lived through. Reflection helps you learn and defines your spirit, and it determines who you are and who you will become.”

The name, Take Note IT was born from Mamela’s philosophical view – Even though she is a passionate optimist that never gives up, she is also authentic about who she is and her life’s successes. “I am a marginalized black woman in South Africa, and I must work ten times harder to be “noticed” and be given an opportunity,” explains Mamela. “As part of the SMME forums, I use my leadership voice to mentor, coach, and share learnings and successes. In every project or initiative that I am blessed to work on, I use my network of female entrepreneurs to partner with me so that they do not only benefit financially but it allows them to learn and grow through my networks of partnership, giving them prospects and a platform to help them build their business.”

In the future, together with two of her colleagues, Mamela is working on an initiative to launch a leadership platform for SMMES. They hope that this will serve as a vehicle to help build leaders and build their businesses. Mamela inspires everyone by sharing her story to remind them that one must never think that they are working too hard, feel victims of circumstances, or that any work is beneath them. “Look at every experience as an opportunity. I share with them the details of my first working experience when I was an intern and worked for the Premier of Cape town, Ebrahim Rasool, I would get up at 4 to be on the road by 5 so I was early for work,” she says. “I would run errands and do all the things that the other interns would never do. I would go and buy cigarettes for my supervisor, sweep the floors, make tea, wash the dishes, and still do my work as an intern. Very soon I was appointed as Deputy Director, leading big projects. The defining moment for me was when I was given the most important project of my career. To lead and manage the city of Cape Town visit by the South African President Mr. Nelson Mandela. A proud and historic moment for me.” This moment inspired Mamela’s dreams and defined her ambitions and armed with these qualities, and she has been leading her company towards greater heights. WL


Company

Take Note IT

Management

Mamela Luthuli
Founder & CEO
Take Note IT

Description

We offer services across industries such as insurance, manufacturing, retail, telecom, financial services, pharmaceuticals, government, consumer services and emerging technology businesses.


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