Executive Communities Podcast

In this episode, we explore what it takes to become an employer of choice in a world where employees seek purpose, balance, growth and belonging. We sit down with Norah Sehunoe, Executive Head of Human Capital at Santam, one of South Africa’s most trusted insurers, to unpack how the organisation is building a truly people-first future.

Norah shares how Santam is shaping a culture that puts people at the centre, empowers employees to grow, and creates an inclusive, future-ready workplace anchored in purpose. She reflects on the organisation’s employee value proposition and the leadership principles that guide her own journey, offering practical and thoughtful insights into building environments where people feel heard, supported and able to thrive.

The conversation also explores the lessons HR leaders can draw from Santam’s approach to culture, leadership, development and belonging, and how these continue to strengthen its reputation as an employer of choice.
Join us for a warm, reflective and inspiring discussion on leading with humanity, building with intention, and creating workplaces where people can make a meaningful impact.

What does it really take to become an employer of choice in a world where employees want purpose, balance, growth and belonging? In this episode of the CHRO South Africa podcast, we sit down with Norah Sehunoe, Executive Head of Human Capital at Santam, one of the country’s most trusted insurers, to unpack exactly that.

Norah shares how Santam is creating a truly people-first culture, empowering employees to grow, and building a workplace that is inclusive, future-ready and anchored in purpose. From the organisation’s employee value proposition to the leadership principles that guide her own journey, she offers thoughtful insights into cultivating environments where people feel heard, supported, and able to thrive.

She also explores the lessons HR leaders can draw from Santam’s approach to culture, leadership, development and belonging and how these shape the company’s standing as an employer of choice.

In this episode, Tsebo Solutions Group Chief People Officer Elanie Kruger shares her views on the role that HR leaders should play to combat the seemingly undeterrable monster that is youth unemployment. There are concerns that South Africa may soon have one of the highest global jobless rates, especially among the youth aged 15-34. This unemployment crisis has far-reaching consequences, as it exacerbates other challenges such as skills shortages that are prevalent across all sectors, hampering economic growth, development, and employability. Elanie thus talks about the upside of enhanced diversity, equity and inclusion. as well as the importance of investing in Learning and Development (L&D) beyond the mandated 1% minimum spending requirement.

In this episode, brought to you by Caseware Africa,  CFO South Africa managing editor Caylynne Fourie talks to Caseware Africa product manager Stephan van der Merwe and Auditor-General of South Africa CFO Polani Sokombela about how the public sector can use data analytics to better execute on its mandate. 

In this episode, you will hear from 2022 CHRO of the Year, Njabulo Mashigo, who is playing a pivotal role in shaping and leading the People Agenda for Vodacom South Africa and supporting the organisation's transition from a Telco to TechCo (Telecoms operator to a Technology Company). At last year’s gala event, she was recognised for her HR excellence, leadership and outstanding achievements over the years, walking away with the HR Technology Award and the Transformation and Empowerment Award. Tune in as Njabulo reveals the strategy behind their impressive diversity and inclusion efforts while also sharing information about their Engage App and TOBi - AskHR, the AI chatbot that has enhanced their employee experience by resolving employee HR-related queries in real-time.

In this episode, Pumeza Bam, Group HR Director at Liberty who last year won the Strategy and Leadership Award at the 2022 CHRO Awards, discusses how she got into HR having studied physiology and biochemistry. She details her approach to leadership, shedding light on how crucial it is to have a growth mindset culture, especially in a business like theirs, which is transitioning to a platform business.

In the past, HR was focused on administrative tasks such as payroll and benefits. However, in recent years, HR has had to adapt to a more strategic role that includes talent acquisition, employee engagement, and retention. 

In this episode, Dark Fibre Africa's former CHRO Portia Thokoane revisits her own transition from administrative to strategic HR, detailing the highs and lows that shaped the leader she is today. Portia, who won the Employee Value Proposition award at the 2022 CHRO Awards also talks about the special sauce that made Dark Fibre Africa such an amazing place to work. 

From longer work hours to increased demands at home, the Covid-19 pandemic introduced new stressors to nearly every domain of life. Although many organisations a beginning to settle on a semblance of normalcy within the workplace, burnout remains a major concern. The increased demands on workers due to restructures and the blurring of work-life boundaries are among the root causes of many employees still feeling stretched thin.

Enter the 4-day week. After a successful experiment in the UK and other developed countries, which showed workers' burnout and stress levels decreased while participating companies' revenues climbed up 8%, the notion of 4-day workweeks is no longer as bizarre an idea as it once was.

In this episode of the CHRO SA Podcast, you’ll hear about the merits of the 4-day week and whether it could be the panacea for burnout. You will hear from burnout activist Judy Klipin, who has written books and coached many executives on burnout recovery and prevention, as well as Karen Lowe, the director of 4 Day Week South Africa, who is spearheading the country's first four-day week pilot kicking off in March 2023.

Employers are facing an unprecedented shift in employee expectations and a recent report from the Academy to Innovate HR (AIHR) has highlighted trends that will shape the world of work in 2023 and beyond. From managing the looming burnout crisis to adopting future-proof remote work policies, HR teams have quite a lot on their plate if they are to remain agile in the fast-evolving landscape.  In this CHRO SA podcast, Dr Dieter Veldsman, HR and OD Thought Leader at AIHR, discusses the report's findings, exploring how organisations must evolve employee experiences throughout the life cycle.

In part two of this episode of the CHRO South Africa podcast, Oracle’s Claudia de Villiers Microsoft’s Jasmin Pillay and the Academy to Innovate HR’s Dieter Veldsman tackle ways to create a culture of innovation as well as the importance of developing an AI strategy, particularly in cases where there is a need to change legacy processes and systems.