WHEN Sibusiso Buthelezi puts his mind to something, he makes it happen. Six years ago his career started as a procurement manager at African Bank. Today he holds a top position as head of operational risk responsible for protecting the bank against any breakdown in process and procedures.
He also liaises with the risk committee of the Reserve Bank and African Bank’s board of directors. But his journey has not been easy. After school, he got a job as a cartoon voice-over artist at the SABC, although he admits that while the money is good it wasn’t sustainable.
His driving ambition was to qualify with Bcompt degree. But it would be another three years before he could start his academic career. His biggest stumbling block was getting a bursary, as he could not afford the fees.
Applying for funding with the Association of Black Accountants resulted in red tape and administrative bungling. Every month that passed, his studies were delayed. He was getting nowhere. Frustrated, he resigned himself to becoming a policeman. After all, I was big and strong, which made me the ideal candidate for the police force, “he says.
It was only when Sibusiso dilemma brought to the attention of Ari Katz, the CEO of Boston City Campus and Business College, that things started to happen. Ari saw the potential in Sibusiso and was impressed by his matric results as well as his determination to get a degree. “At Ari’s insistence I registered immediately with Unisa and enrolled at Boston,” says Sibusiso.
“Boston offered to cover my tuition fees, as waiting for funding to be approved by the bursary institute could have taken another year. “At last I was on my way to getting a qualification. The deal with the institute, set up by Boston, was that the funding incentives would increase for ever year I passed. “But one failed year, and the bursary would cease.
Ari had placed a lot of faith in me and I had to prove to him that I was worthy of his support, which gave me the motivation to succeed. Towards the end of my undergraduate degree, he arranged for a bursary at Ernst & Young to serve articles,” he says.
Sibusiso put his success down to having a motivated study group at Boston. “There were four of us, all very competitive, but we worked and studied as a team, always pushing the boundaries in an attempt to beat each other’s marks. To this day, we still have that bond and remain good friends.”
Of course Sibusiso’s circle of friends and acquaintances, those who have followed their dreams and passion, despite the odds. “You have to be true to yourself, otherwise there’s no point. It’s all about loyalty. Loyalty to those around you, but more importantly loyalty to oneself, “he says. He has learnt that we often perceive that the world, the recession or any other imaginary fees are against us. They’re not. They actually don’ care about us.
Their focus is on themselves. Success is about planning, attitude, and commitment, which means sticking to the plan and not deviating, no matter what obstacles get in the way. After all, if we give up halfway, we’ll never know whether the plan worked or not. “I owe my present success to Boston and Ari, who kick-started my career by giving me the opportunity to study. He believed in me and became a father figure, guiding me through my varsity years. Without that I would have inevitably ended up being a policeman, which was an option but not my real dream,’ he says.
Boston City Campus and Business College offers more than 80 dynamic career qualifications throughout 46 branches nationwide. For more information, call Boston City Campus and Business College, 011 455 6992/5/7, or visit www.boston.co.za, catch up Boston student on the Facebook page.
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