Woman On Top – Vusiwe Ngcobo

Constantly alternating between her job as legal eagle at a top law firm and sports presenting, VUSIWE NGCOBO is a self-confessed overachiever. She shares how she does it all

Vusiwe Ngcobo has handled the transition from child star to TV presenter and now senior associate at one of the country’s top legal firms, Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH), with poise and aplomb. And, as she explains, she’s far from done, with her eyes set on making her mark in the South African business arena. How does she do it? Maybe, it’s the discipline she inherited from her showbiz parents. She’s the daughter of Maskandi royalty Ihashi Elimhlophe and Ebony, whose music was the soundtrack of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Or, maybe it was the wisdom to see the big picture and to forge a career outside of the fickle entertainment industry.

We take a look at where she is now, how it all started and how she flits between her legal career and presenting at special events, ringmaster at boxing matches and back again.

THE ASSOCIATE

Wondering how she transitioned from entertainment to law, given her history? Law, she says, was all about allowing herself to have options. “I didn’t want to wake up at 40 and not want to be in entertainment, but have no way out. I didn’t want to study entertainment, either, because I believed I had the raw talent and resources available to me. I wanted to do something that would allow me to tap into so many other things. And this is what I love about law!,” she says. Armed with an LLB degree from the University of Johannesburg, she knew she’d be able to venture into business, politics or the corporate world.

It’s been six years since Ngcobo joined CDH. She admits to initially wanting to get her articles out of the way, but found herself climbing up the ranks and loving it. She went on to be appointed as an associate in their dispute resolution department in 2015, and then moved to the finance and banking department in 2017.

“There’s no comparison between law and entertainment. They’re both challenging and I’ve grown in both — they require discipline and hard work. Law is about what you do, whereas entertainment is not about how brilliant you are but the looks or which clique you’re in,” she says.

With a shortage of female finance and banking lawyers in the country, Ngcobo hopes to use her expertise to eventually become a business mogul. Her ultimate career goal is to help people excel and realise their dreams – a trait she got from her parents.

THE CHILD STAR

Unsurprisingly, the entertainment bug passed from her parents to Ngcobo and her siblings. “We started Amaponi when I was eight, so I only had a ‘normal’ childhood for seven years of my life before it did a 180-degree turn on me. God really blessed us as a family — to be able to work and travel the world with my parents was amazing. We have such a strong bond, and we function as a unit. We love each other to death,” she enthuses. Working at a young age taught the young lawyer responsibility and the value of family, and she also enjoyed making traditional gear fashionable among her peers. “We wanted to inspire other young kids to know that it’s completely okay to love and embrace their culture,” she explains.

Self-determined from an early age, Ngcobo always knew how to get what she wanted. After Amaponi was interviewed on the youth TV show Yo-TV, she told the producers that she’d love to join the young cast of presenters. She eventually got her chance in 2004 and presented for five years.

THE BROADCASTER

In grade 11, Ngcobo went the home-schooling route so she could grow her broadcast career. The A student convinced her sceptical parents that she’d remain disciplined. “I wanted to make more money and wasn’t worried about excelling in school because I’ve always been an overachiever. I’d cry if I got a B!,” she recalls. An avid sport fan and participant, it isn’t surprising that she joined the SABC Sports family in 2010. That transition made sense. “I’ve always had input in all aspects of the shows that I present — I do more than just be a pretty face on screen. That adds to your value, and you learn a lot and grow in your craft.” And now, the 30-year-old isn’t just a special events presenter, she’s also a ring announcer for boxing – a challenge she finds fulfilling. “When I started, there were comments like ‘what’s a woman doing in the boxing ring?’ I took up the job to prove the naysayers wrong,” Ngcobo explains. Yet, despite her success as a senior associate, she still lives at home. “Siphuma endlini ngomshado (we’re only allowed to move out of home once we’re married). My dad wants me to invest and buy property, but be under his roof. That’s fine with me because I genuinely love my parents’ company,” she beams.