BY THEMBA ZWANE
MBABANE – The landmark Season One finale, recorded at Mountain View Hotel in Mbabane, featured Professor Bonang Mohale in conversation with Nyimpini Mabunda.
Eswatiini has made history as the first country outside South Africa to host a live recording of CEO Nights with Nyimpini, the popular leadership podcast hosted by respected business leader, author and executive coach Nyimpini Mabunda.
The landmark recording took place at Mountain View Hotel in Mbabane, in partnership with the Leadership Growth Forum (LGF) and with sponsorship from Nedbank Eswatini. The episode, which premiered five days ago, also marked the closing of Season One of the podcast after about 14 powerful leadership conversations.
For Mabunda, the Eswatini recording represented a defining moment in the journey of the podcast, which was inspired by his best-selling book Take Charge. Speaking during the live session, he described the occasion as special, noting that it was the first time CEO Nights with Nyimpini had been recorded outside South Africa.
The Season One finale was aired last Friday. It featured Professor Bonang Mohale, one of Southern Africa’s most respected business leaders, authors, academics and transformation voices. Professor Mohale is the Chancellor of the University of the Free State, Professor of Practice at the Johannesburg Business School, Chairman of Bidvest Group, former CEO of Business Leadership South Africa, former President of Business Unity South Africa, former CEO of Shell Oil Products Africa and former CEO of Otis.
The conversation offered the audience an intimate and deeply reflective leadership masterclass, moving between personal stories, business wisdom, transformation, Ubuntu, entrepreneurship, family, humility and courage.
Professor Mohale challenged leaders to move beyond position, title and personal success, and to become more deliberate about developing others. He said true leadership begins when individuals become less self-centred and more committed to the progress of those around them.
“Leadership is not about having all the answers. Sometimes it is about knowing what questions to ask,” he said.
He also emphasized the importance of humility, saying leaders should become more accessible as they rise in influence. Reflecting on lessons from his grandmother, he said the higher a person climbs, the more grounded they should become.
The event also created an opportunity for local executives, entrepreneurs, professionals and emerging leaders to engage directly with Professor Mohale through audience questions. Participants raised issues around youth entrepreneurship, Ubuntu, emotional intelligence, ambition, humility and transformational leadership.
Through the partnership with LGF and sponsorship from Nedbank Eswatini, the event positioned Eswatini as part of a growing regional conversation on leadership development and African excellence. It also demonstrated the value of bringing high-impact mentorship platforms closer to local professionals and young leaders.
The Eswatini episode stands out as one of the defining moments of CEO Nights with Nyimpini Season One. It was not only a podcast recording, but a powerful statement about Eswatini’s place in regional leadership dialogue.
By hosting the first recording outside South Africa, Eswatini became part of the podcast’s growth story and contributed to a broader movement of leadership storytelling, mentorship and transformation across the continent.
MOHALE: LEADERSHIP MUST BE ABOUT LIFTING OTHERS
MBABANE – Professor Bonang Mohale says true leadership begins when personal ambition gives way to a deep commitment to developing others.
Speaking during his conversation with Nyimpini Mabunda, Mohale drew a clear distinction between management and leadership. He said management is often concerned with effectiveness, efficiency and personal progression, while leadership requires a more selfless approach.
“Leadership says, I am okay. I am content. I am now genuinely obsessed with the development of others,” he said.
Mohale said leaders should not be consumed by the need to have all the answers. Instead, they should learn to ask better questions, listen carefully and create space for others to contribute.
He compared leadership to conducting an orchestra, where the conductor does not play every instrument, but understands how to bring different talents together to produce harmony. In the same way, he said, leaders must recognize that the people around them often have the knowledge, skill and insight needed to move an organization forward.
For Mohale, leadership is also closely tied to humility. He said leaders must avoid being defined by titles, positions or institutions, because those can change. What should remain constant is a person’s ability to add value.
“The courage of a bird sitting on a branch of a tree is not in the strength of the branch. The courage is in its own wings,” he said.
He challenged leaders to know the difference between who they are and what they do. Roles such as CEO, chairman, professor or chancellor may describe a responsibility, but they should never become a person’s full identity.
Mohale said the higher a person rises, the more accessible and grounded they should become. He credited this lesson to his grandmother, who taught him that success should never separate a person from others.
“The higher up the corporate ladder you go, the more accessible and the more humble you should be,” he said.
MOHALE CALLS ON AFRICANS TO TELL THEIR OWN STORIES
MBABANE – Professor Bonang Mohale has called on Africans to take ownership of their stories, saying storytelling is not only a cultural practice, but a leadership responsibility.
In his conversation with Nyimpini Mabunda, Mohale said Africans are naturally storytelling people. He noted that African knowledge, values and identity have long been passed from one generation to another through families, communities and cultural practices.
“Writing should come easy to us as Africans because we are storytelling people,” he said.
Mohale said storytelling helps people make sense of who they are, where they come from and what they are capable of becoming. For leaders, he said, storytelling is a powerful tool for shaping identity, preserving history and inspiring others.
He warned that when Africans do not tell their own stories, others may do it for them in ways that distort their truth.
“If we do not tell our stories, somebody else may tell them in a manner that we may not like,” he said.
He linked this to the history of colonialism, slavery and apartheid, where the stories of African people were often told by those who held power, rather than by those who lived the experience.
Mohale said Africans have a responsibility to document their own journeys, celebrate their own heroes and ensure that future generations inherit stories that reflect their dignity and identity.
He also emphasized the importance of indigenous wisdom, saying leadership lessons are not found only in boardrooms, universities or books. Some of the deepest lessons, he said, come from homes, villages, grandparents and ordinary life experiences.
“We confuse formal education with intelligence. Education is important, but do not depend only on education and stop thinking,” he said.
Drawing from his own life, Mohale spoke about the influence of his grandmother, whose wisdom shaped many of the values he carries today. He said her teachings on punctuality, humility, moderation and responsibility continue to guide him.
His message was a reminder that African stories matter, African wisdom matters, and African leaders must be intentional about preserving both.
MOHALE URGES YOUNG AFRICANS TO BUILD, OWN AND EXECUTE
MBABANE – Professor Bonang Mohale has urged young Africans to move beyond waiting for employment and become more intentional about building businesses, developing practical skills and creating opportunities.
Responding to questions from the audience, Mohale said many young people were raised to believe that success follows only one path: going to school, getting qualifications and finding a job. While he emphasized that education remains important, he said it should not limit people’s ability to think, create and build.
He said successful economies are built by people who produce goods and services that the world needs. Using Germany as an example, he highlighted the importance of vocational and artisanal skills in building strong industries.
“If you are a plumber, you will never be out of a job,” he said.
Mohale said practical skills such as mechanics, plumbing, lift maintenance and other technical trades should not be looked down upon. He said these skills can create sustainable livelihoods and help young people participate meaningfully in the economy.
He also challenged African communities to become more intentional about economic cooperation. He said communities that build wealth often do simple but powerful things consistently: they talk about money, buy from one another, invest in one another and refer business to each other.
For Mohale, entrepreneurship should not be treated only as an individual pursuit. It must also be supported by families, communities and networks that deliberately create opportunities for one another.
“Africa is not short of ideas. It is the execution that matters,” he said.
He said Africans must also recognize their collective economic power. He used examples such as stokvels, township economies and transport industries to show that communities often control significant economic activity, but do not always convert that influence into ownership.
Mohale said transformation must become practical. It must be reflected in who owns businesses, who gets opportunities, who supplies major industries and who benefits from the value chains they help sustain.
His message to young Africans was direct: do not only look for opportunity; build it, own it, share it and execute.
