Personal life

Mikateko was born and raised in Soweto, having been schooled at Rosebank Convent – Johannesburg. She’s back in the city now for the VP Finance Africa role at Unilever, after having moved her family to Durban for the Southern Africa position (she shrugs as if to say, “life goes on”).

Mikateko is from a family of five girls, is married and has two children, a 16-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter. When asked how she manages the demands of work and life, she says it’s the support of her husband, father and sisters that enable her to thrive. She goes on to say that “In black culture, kids are raised by communities, not only by their immediate parents. The real sense of ubuntu has been a key enabler for me.”

When the Unilever opportunity came up in Durban, she spoke openly about her hopes and anxieties with her family. “That made it possible for us to make the move together,” she says. “And we thoroughly enjoyed Durban. It seemed impossible until it was done!” She says they spent a lot of their spare time at the beach and explored the coastline in KZN. She also carried on with her other downtime therapeutic activities – reading, cooking and baking with the kids.

According to Mikateko her parents are her biggest inspiration. “They were able to achieve so much with so little. Despite all the challenges we were confronted with as a family, my parents never sacrificed the quality of our education. They believed that education was the key to a better future.”

She believes it’s important to remain grounded, no matter your successes or achievements. “I’ve tried not to be overwhelmed by my success, choosing to rather remain humble while excited about the difference I’ve made”.