Boipelo Mabe Went From Humble Beginnings in Alexander Township to Becoming a Corporate Trailblazer

• There are a few people who truly grow from their humble beginnings, and Boipelo Mabe is one of the excellent examples
• She started off as the daughter of a taxi driver from Alexander township in Johannesburg to become a top three Miss South Africa nominee
• The persistent go-getter's journey has brought her valuable insight into the business world and the ladies of Mzansi
• Inspired by her ability to overcome adversity and her relentless ambition, Boipelo was named one of Briefly News 2022 women of wonder

Humble beginnings tend to be a make-or-break aspect for many people, but not for Boipelo Mabe.

The Alexander-born woman didn't have the lifestyle she had now fall into her lap. Mabe had quite a tough financial environment to grow up in, but her parents wanted better for her. The trailblazer gave Briefly News some exclusive answers.

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Boipelo had a nurturing space to grow

Her parents had quite the influence on her, Boipelo said.

"My parents, through their resilience and hard work, motivated me to reach for all that seemed impossible."

They also emphasised that her upbringing wouldn't determine where she could go in life. It was her choice, so Mabe chose to pursue education. This led the stunner to chase who she knew she was at a young age.

Being the daughter of a taxi driver was initially embarrassing to her, but she embraced that fact later on in life. Her tough upbringing meant she would move from place to place with her family because of the struggle to pay rent. This, however, didn't stop her determination one bit.

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Mabe's ambition would lead her to different paths, including being a top three Miss South Africa finalist in 2017, which didn't come overnight.

Boipelo looks up to high-flying and successful boss women

When asked about the woman she looks up to, Boipelo pointed out that Phuti Mahanyele-Dabengwa, CEO of Naspers South Africa, was the one she looked up to.

Mabe said she could see herself in Phuti, who also grew up in the township.

"She demonstrates incredible leadership, excellence and power with so much grace and humility."

The ambitious FNB content specialist also discussed the qualities needed for a modern woman to make a difference.

"Women need to be steadfast in who they are. They must apply wisdom in the appropriate places and move with intention."

Boipelo dreams of leaders who want to become better people

Boipelo's corporate world tenure has resulted in fruitful knowledge for her.

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According to Boipelo Mabe, her stint as a political analyst at Soweto TV has also taught her how to view things in a more critical light.

Mabe emphasised that a title of a leader is not as important as some key leadership qualities.

"Good leadership is the daily effort of intentional actions towards being a better person, builder and enabler – something we can all do in our respective areas."

Briefly News 2022 Women of Wonder aims to inspire women

Briefly News wants to celebrate the female changemakers of 2022 by honouring a few influential, inspiring women.

The team looked for women who made a success despite some tough challenges they faced in their respective sectors.

Our goal is the create inspirational content that shows our audience what the embodiment of a resilient and strong South A woman is.

Briefly News wants to motivate other women to go beyond their limits.

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If you want to participate in our next special project or want to be featured in one of Briefly News' women empowerment articles, please email contact@briefly.co.za with Women Empowerment in the subject line.

Nonkululeko Gobodo became SA’s 1st black female chartered accountant despite teen pregnancy and facing racism

In another story, Briefly News previously reported that having grown up a shy and insecure young girl in the Eastern Cape’s Mthatha township, Nonkululeko Gobodo had no way of knowing she would one day make history as South Africa's first black-qualified chartered accountant in 1987.

In an exclusive interview, Gobodo told Briefly News that even her mother was worried about whether she had what it took to make it in life. Her mother's view lead Nonkululeko to believe that false truth about herself.

Source: Briefly News