Self-belief, proper planning and family support were what helped University of Pretoria (UP) alumna Devoshum Moodley-Veera meet the demands of home life, work life and student life at one stage.

“I shudder to think that I was a wife, employee and postgraduate student – all three at the same time,” says Moodley-Veera, who hails from oThongathi, a small town in KwaZulu-Natal. “Yet I am also proud that I fulfilled all my obligations. The most important thing for me was my self-belief as well as family support. This experience taught me that to succeed, you have to allocate time and resources to one task without neglecting the others.”

Moodley-Veera obtained a Master of Philosophy in Fraud Risk Management in 2022 and will be graduating in May 2023. She now works for an information regulator as head of the Risk and Compliance Unit.

She describes herself as a passionate ethics activist who believes in a better South Africa for all and a strong community underpinned by ethical leadership and accountability.

Moodley-Veera says that while getting her qualification was intense, it was all worth it in the end.

“I graduated with a much better understanding of the dynamics of forensic investigations in the real world,” she says, adding that she credits UP for constantly updating its coursework.

“My thesis was titled ‘A proposed framework for lifestyle audits in South Africa’, and discussed an envisaged legal structure of lifestyle audits in South Africa,” Moodley-Veera says. “While they may not be a panacea for fraud and corruption, lifestyle audits may assist in reducing the economic impact on the state. Less financial loss means greater available spend for social projects and infrastructure development.”

Moodley-Veera recalls 2022 as being a trying time, having had to juggle a career, her studies and home life.

“As a member of the management echelon, my position entails working long hours and my presence is required at daily meetings,” she says. “I also had to balance domestic life and studies. Women always have more to do. With proper planning and prioritising, I overcame whatever challenges I faced.”     

Some of her most memorable moments at UP was spending time with fellow students and professors.

“These interactions aided me in the way I viewed my studies, and opened my mind to different views and perspectives.”