Opening doors for women: Barloworld boss Marcia Mashaba
Marcia Mayaba has been in the motor industry for 24 years, donning hats that include receptionist, driver, fuel attendant, dealer principal and now chief executive at Barloworld Motor Retail. She talks to Tshegofatso Mathe about her love of cars, the changes she is making in a competitive industry — and why her nervous breakdown was ‘necessary’
As chief executive of Barloworld what does your work day entail?
My job involves a lot of talk, a lot of strategic discussion — stakeholder engagements. So my day would typically start from 6.30am. What Covid-19 has done is fast-track the level of engagements with stakeholders. Previously one would possibly need to drive from one location to another, now you find yourself in back-to-back Skype, Teams or Zoom meetings, et cetera.
My day would normally end between half-seven and eight. But I made a conscious decision [in January] that my office will not call meetings after 6pm. I feel from that time my employees should be focusing on their families and resting in preparation for the next day.
What is it like being at the helm of a R12-billion business during such trying times?
I have the privilege of servicing a multibillion-rand-turnover business with plus or minus 2 000 staff. So yes, without a doubt, the pandemic absolutely rocked the world, and South Africa was no exception, and neither was Barloworld. Like other motor companies, we have seen a decline in new vehicle sales. But there has been an improvement in sales of preowned vehicles.
My philosophy has always been about people first. So I need to make sure that I look after the wellbeing of the team that I serve and lead.
We are managing the pandemic, but people are anxious — there is so much uncertainty and so much that we are dealing with that I feel that we need to take stock of the mental, emotional and physical wellness of employees. If we don’t do that, the business will suffer.
The automotive industry carries with it persistent stereotypes of being a male-dominated industry. How are you working to change that?
Apart from managing the business, servicing our customers and ensuring we run a profitable business, my goal is to foster transformation, diversity and inclusion in the company. In particular, the agenda of women.
Internally, when
it comes to recruitment, I finish off by saying: ‘I hope there is a woman in that selection process.’ In the last two months, we hired two women in the dealer principal role. That is a very senior position in the motor industry.
I have been blessed to have been able to participate and influence that decision, having been in this role for just six months now.
I am doing this not to bash men, but to open doors for women who have been sidelined.
I aim to achieve a 40% female staff complement by September 2021. I am confident about it. Increased representation will open up the potential in the motor industry to other women.
For close to two decades, you excelled at work and climbed and climbed the corporate ladder. Then you had a breakdown in 2014. How did you handle that situation?
It was part of the journey, because I was pushing myself all along. In my job, I always held the position that change needs to happen and crucial conversations need to take place. I strove to initiate change and confront my male counterparts, while I was also facing challenges that I am female, black and gay.
You can just imagine how cumbersome it is to deal with femininity, gender, race and sexuality issues all at once while also wanting to succeed at your job. But I never took a position of being a victim in any of the challenges I faced, and it took its toll on me.
I had a nervous breakdown in 2014. During that time I did a lot of selfreflection. I spent a lot of time playing the scenarios over and over in my head. Could I have done better? Or what were the learnings? Then I was diagnosed as clinically depressed, and later with bipolar disorder.
I am now on chronic medication for the rest of my life. But it’s been a journey, and I have learned.
Because of what was happening, I took a sabbatical in 2015 and came back to work in 2016. But I came back wiser, stronger and with a game plan of remaining relevant.
That breakdown was necessary.
You are so passionate about this industry. Was it your first choice?
I was born in Orlando East in Soweto, raised by my mom who was a nurse. She took me to a convent school until matric, where we were taught by nuns from Ireland. As soon as I finished high school, my mom thought I was not ready to go to university. So I took a gap year and did a course in public relations. After that,
I went to Wits and studied law.
But unfortunately my mom passed on in 1995 after battling breast cancer, so I had to drop out — my two young sisters were 10 and 12 at the time. For two years, I could not find a job, but fortunately Barloworld gave me my first job as a receptionist because I could type. I haven’t left the industry since.
Where do you find your strength?
I draw strength from leaving things better than when I found them, and from people around me. When I look at people that I have been blessed to interact with and assist in any way, it galvanises me. There is always somebody who needs help with something. You just need to be conscious, to look for the signs, and hopefully be in a position to help.
You were hospitalised with Covid-19 in December, at a time when the country was in its second wave. What was going on in your mind during that time?
For somebody who has been very pedantic about Covid-19, I got it and ended up in hospital. The second wave was brutal. Though I was extremely scared, death never crossed my mind. But fear consumed me after I was discharged. It dawned on me that I had a 50/50 chance of surviving, and I am still scared, even today.
You can imagine how cumbersome it is to deal with gender, race and sexuality issues while wanting to succeed at your job
What is your favourite car?
I love cars, I am currently driving a Ford Mustang. But my dream car is an Audi R8. To me, it says: “Mama, I made it.”