Pumla Molope, African Women Chartered Accountants (AWCA) President
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For women leaders in particular, authenticity is not a “soft skill”; it is a leadership strategy. Within environments shaped by bureaucracy, political pressure, and public scrutiny, the ability to remain grounded in one’s values while projecting clarity, confidence, and credibility is what distinguishes functional leadership from transformational leadership.
Organisations such as the African Women Chartered Accountants (AWCA) have consistently elevated this conversation, highlighting that women in leadership roles are not simply expected to “fit in” to existing systems, but to reshape them through presence, competence, and authenticity. AWCA has been instrumental in growing the number of black female CAs (SA) from 407 in 2002 to over 8,500 to date.
AWCA has also been instrumental in placing black female-chartered accountants into high-ranking roles within the South African government, driving the transformation of the public sector.
Auditor-General Tsakani Malulele serves as a prominent example of AWCA’s mission to foster leadership in the public sector after she was appointed as the first woman to this role in over 100 years.
Ayanda Mafuleka is the Chief Executive Officer of the Finance and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority (FASSET), a position she has held since January 1, 2019. She alongside AGSA, AWCA, and Duke Corporate Education recently launched the Women Leading in the Public Sector programme, a strategic initiative developed to empower women in the public sector.
AWCA’s work in developing women professionals in finance and public service has reinforced a powerful idea: leadership presence is not about imitation - it is about integration of skill, identity, and purpose.
In the South African public sector, this matters deeply. Women leaders often operate in high-stakes environments where decisions affect service delivery, public trust, and fiscal accountability. Yet too often, leadership development has historically encouraged conformity to rigid leadership archetypes that do not reflect diverse lived experiences or leadership styles. The result is that many leaders - particularly women - have had to navigate the tension between being effective and being authentic.
Authentic leadership changes that equation. It allows leaders to communicate with clarity without dilution, to exercise authority without mimicry, and to build trust without performance. In practical terms, this means leading with consistency between values and action - whether in boardrooms, audit committees, or frontline service environments.
Leadership presence, meanwhile, is the external expression of that authenticity. It is how a leader is experienced by others: through communication, decision-making, emotional intelligence, and the ability to remain steady in complex or politically charged environments. Presence is not about dominance; it is about credibility under pressure.
For women in the public sector, developing this presence is also an act of institutional strengthening. Public trust in government continues to be shaped by perceptions of integrity, responsiveness, and competence. Leaders who embody authenticity tend to build stronger teams, encourage accountability, and foster cultures where ethical behaviour is not enforced externally, but internally upheld.
AWCA’s contribution to this ecosystem is significant because it creates both technical excellence and leadership confidence. It affirms that women do not need to conform to outdated leadership norms to be effective.
Instead, it positions authenticity as a professional asset - one that enhances governance, decision-making, and institutional resilience.
As South Africa continues to navigate governance challenges, fiscal pressures, and the demand for improved service delivery, the question of leadership style becomes increasingly important.
The public sector does not only need capable managers; it needs authentic leaders with presence - leaders who can hold complexity without losing integrity.
Ultimately, authenticity is not about being unfiltered; it is about being aligned. And leadership presence is not about being loud; it is about being clear, consistent, and credible.
For women leaders in South Africa’s public sector, this alignment is not just empowering - it is transformative.
Pumla Molope, African Women Chartered Accountants (AWCA) President