“My career has taught me that authentic leadership is service. Titles mean little without lifting others,” says Raphuti Mathekgane, Deputy-Director of the University of Pretoria’s (UP) Department of Enrolment and Student Administration. “I take great pride in seeing team members I’ve mentored surpass their expectations and develop in their careers.” 

Beyond elevating team members, for Mathekgane, leadership is a responsibility to leave processes and systems in better shape than he found them in. He’s ensured that strategic management and leadership are not just career paths, but also academic pursuits, and his determination has seen him graduate with a Master of Philosophy in Strategic Management.

The decision to formalise years of work experience in operational leadership through postgraduate study was a natural step, Mathekgane says. 

“My journey into strategic management and leadership grew organically from solving real-world challenges across banking and higher education,” he explains. “Early in my banking career at Absa and FNB, I discovered how systems and processes shape customer experiences, like implementing a biometric account-opening system that cut processing time by 75%. This sparked my passion for operational strategy. Transitioning to UP, I saw how strategic decisions, such as new student identities or pandemic-era remote-work transitions, ripple across entire institutions, blending human needs with systemic change. These experiences motivated me to pursue a master’s, where I explored how organisations can stay agile amid disruption.” 

Mathekgane counts developing the look and feel of the student service centre, which improved student experiences, and leading the remote-work transition during the COVID-19 pandemic as two career highlights. 

“What excites me most about strategic management is its balance of analytical rigour and human impact,” he says. “Whether optimising student services or preparing institutions for change driven by artificial intelligence (AI), strategy is where foresight meets execution. I’m drawn to its endless puzzles, aligning stakeholders, designing resilient systems and leaving sustainable legacies. I look forward to applying these insights on even broader scales.” 

Mathekgane’s master’s research, titled “The future of work phenomenon: A strategy implementation for queueless and cashless retailing in South Africa”, examined how emerging technologies such as AI, mobile payments and automation are transforming retail operations. 

“Through case studies of South African retailers and consumer behaviour analysis, I discovered that implementing queue-less/cashless systems won’t necessarily result in job losses. I also found that while addressing challenges such as digital literacy, infrastructure limitations and workforce reskilling needs, queue-less and cashless technology creates new job opportunities for workers. My research highlighted how strategically adopting these technologies could enhance customer experience, operational efficiency and competitive advantage in the evolving retail landscape.”

These research findings will help Mathekgane guide organisations through digital transformation by balancing technological innovation with human-centric implementation. 

“It has sharpened my ability to design strategies, taking into account operational benefits and societal impacts, particularly in emerging markets,” he says. “The study reinforced my belief in technology as an enabler rather than a replacement for human interaction, shaping my approach to leadership in an increasingly automated world.”

Balancing full-time work, postgraduate study and family life required time management, prioritisation and delegation, Mathekgane says.

“Evenings were for research; weekends were reserved for family. The main lesson I learnt was that finishing whatever task I’d started was key. I learnt to focus on high-impact activities – like synthesising research during lunch breaks – while accepting that some functions, like edits, could wait. This process taught me that sustainable time management isn’t about doing more but aligning effort with intentionality, a mindset I now apply to leadership and personal goals.”

Looking ahead, Mathekgane has his sights set on roles in which he can broaden his impact. These include director-level positions that shape institutional strategy, serving on boards that align with his values, especially those that advance digital inclusion and skills development, and formalising his mentorship work. 

“Ultimately, I measure success by how many doors I can open for others, whether through organisational change, board advocacy or hands-on mentorship.”