Safari dream comes true

“She lived. And she died living.”

This was the tombstone inscription that Vumbhoni Mathonsi envisioned when an elephant chased her safari truck. Fortunately, the Senior Legal Counsel for Sandvik Africa survived the adventure and safaris and hiking are still among her favorite pastimes.

“I love the Kruger National Park area as it has a wide range of wild animals, including the big five – lions, elephants, rhino, buffalo and leopards,” says Vumbhoni, who is also Sandvik Executive Director for the South Africa entities. “I am originally from northeastern South Africa where the park is located and growing up, we used to see the safari cars drive by with tourists but had never been on safari as we simply could not afford it. I vowed to go on safari drives and enjoy my home province when affordability changed. It’s a great sense of achievement for me today.”

Vumbhoni’s passion for justice

Vumbhoni’s journey to a successful legal career is an impressive one. She grew up in a rural area and then lived in the Soweto township. “A common theme in both these locations is the glaring social injustice which has stripped the people of their dignity. I became interested in practicing law very early in my life as a weapon to fight against the injustices,” she says.

Thanks to determined parents, Vumbhoni traveled by bus every day to a so-called “multiracial” school in Johannesburg, where she could get a better education than in the township. “I thank my parents every day!” she says.

From intern at Sandvik to Senior Legal Counsel

She worked as an articling student at one of South Africa’s biggest law firms before coming to Sandvik in 2017 as a graduate legal intern. “I came to Sandvik because of the opportunity for growth and advancement,” she says. “I then moved to a Junior Commercial Specialist role within the Commercial Department before moving back to the legal department as a Junior Legal Counsel and am now Senior Legal Counsel for Africa.”

Day-to-Day responsibilities of a Senior Legal Counsel

In her role, Vumbhoni deals with a wide range of issues, including legal claims, litigation, debt collection, incident management, contract management and procurement issues.

Problem solving and stakeholder management are key to the role and ensuring that business is conducted in a legally sound way and compliant with laws and regulations.

“What’s most enjoyable in my current role is the opportunity to learn on the daily. Be it from my team members, internal and external stakeholders and in some cases, my opponents in legal disputes,” she says, adding, “Sandvik has played a massive role in my development as a professional and personally.”

Sandvik offers many platforms and opportunities for employees to learn and reach their full potential, adds Vumbhoni, who is currently participating in the Sandvik Group Leadership Program. “I've grown within the organization, and I've learned so much in the program, like self-awareness. With the assurances that I get from Sandvik and the people I work with, I have a little more confidence in myself and my capabilities. It's obviously still a work in progress, but I'm happy with the progress that I've made so far.”

Balancing work and community engagement

Although in a corporate legal role today, she hasn't forgotten why she studied law in the first place and finds time to participate in youth empowerment programs in the Soweto Township and participate in Sandvik social initiatives such as Reach for a Dream, a non-profit organization that helps fulfill the dreams of children with life-threatening illnesses.

“What I also love about Sandvik is that it gives back to the communities in which it operates. We have so many amazing local programs,” she says.

Between work, her five-year old son, and giving to the community, Vumbhoni’s days are very full. Hiking and safari drives help her reset and relax outside of work. I find that when I'm out hiking and on my safaris there's literally nothing in my mind except that moment – and it’s tranquil. I like how everything just quietens down. And I think the lesson for me is that, in as much as there's always something happening around me – whether it's at work or at home – it's good to every now and then just step out of it all, to just be with yourself. In those moments I reflect a lot about how far I've come and where I still need to go.

“I only really start thinking about the problems on my way back from my safaris!”