This banker knew what she wanted
Bata believes in lifting others up as she rises
Andiswa Bata was always destined to be a banker – something that seemed farfetched when she was growing up, based on two factors: her gender and skin colour.
But she was determined to make something out of her life. Today, she is rising through the ranks in the country’s banking sector.
She now occupies the position of cohead of SME at FNB Commercial. Her previous roles at FNB include regional head and executive: corporate advisory.
Before joining FNB, Bata had gained 13 years of pan-african investment banking experience between Absa and Standard Bank.
During her time within Absa’s corporate and investment bank, she occupied various roles spanning across strategy & planning, loan structuring & execution, loan syndication & distribution; and most recently Bata was the head of construction & cement sector client coverage. She also co-chaired the institution’s Banking on Women initiative.
During her time at Standard Bank, Bata was the head of structured (derivative) sales for institutional clients, and before that, she headed the Africa (exsouth Africa) loan syndications business. Prior to investment banking, Bata was in management/strategy consulting.
She is also the Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellow and holds a bachelor of business science degree (with honours) from the University of Cape Town.
She says she believes in collaborative leadership. “I’m naturally wired towards teamwork and didn’t need to be taught about lifting others as I rise. This helped me to navigate the corporate world, where I am deeply conscious of making an impact and try to ensure we leave no one behind.”
Naturally, she regards Archbishop Tutu as the most influential South African of all time.
“I am privileged to be a Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellow, where I’ve learnt to appreciate that we as humans are imperfect.
“Furthermore, the world itself is imperfect; yet it’s seemingly the small actions of committed individuals doing their part every day that will help us move forward. Whether it’s you paying for another’s education, or carving time in your schedule to mentor up-and-coming talent.”
Besides spending time with family, reading and travelling are also top of the list of things she does to strike a balance between her demanding work and private life.
Bata is a big fan of American author Brené Brown, who is known for her research on shame, vulnerability and leadership.
“In today’s world where cancel culture is real, it can often be daunting to bring our most authentic selves/views to our daily interactions out of fear of judgment or fitting in.
“This is especially true if you find yourself a bit outnumbered in terms of age,
race, gender, religious, etc in a typical boardroom setting. Yet, her books remind me that the best approach you can bring to the world is your true, authentic self, which takes vulnerability and courage that you’ll be accepted and heard.
“It does a disservice to your connection with others if you try to be something you’re not.”
Asked what is on her play list, Bata said: “The closer we draw to the football World Cup, I find myself listening more and more to some TKZEE – especially Shibobo. What a track! Takes me back to a time of tons of hope (and no loadshedding).”