Butsi Tladi: Woman of Faith, Family & Finance

From a village in remote Limpopo to the top of the heap in the corporate sector, Butsi Tladi’s life is an example of a woman shaping her own life — all with faith at the centre, as she told Daluxolo Moloantoa.

Growing up, business leader Butsi Tladi witnessed “the significant impact which women of prayer in villages, townships and cities had on our families and society”. That memory stayed with her for many years.

“Over time, I felt a desire to be part of a movement that transcends my individual self and is rooted in strong faith,” she told The Southern Cross. She found such a group in the St Anne Sodality, which Tladi joined last year at Our Lady of the Wayside church in Maryvale, Johannesburg.

On that special day, her extended family and friends gathered to celebrate with her — including many who do not identify as Catholic.

“I am relatively new to the St Anne Sodality, and I am deepening my love and understanding of its spirituality,” she said.

Raised in the Anglican tradition, Tladi’s interest in Catholicism transformed from mere curiosity to a genuine conversion after her marriage to Deacon Sy Mamabolo (who featured on the cover of The Southern Cross of September 2024), the chief electoral officer of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). They have two children: Mokgadi, a lawyer, and Makwetja, an engineering student.

“Prior to our wedding, my husband and I participated in marriage preparation classes in the Church. Although he was raised in a devoutly Catholic family, he had become somewhat indifferent to his faith and was involved in the political activism of that era. We embarked on the journey of adult confirmation classes together, and I eventually converted to Catholicism,” Tladi explained.

Her family recently moved to the parish of the Resurrection in Bryanston, Johannesburg, after spending many years at Maryvale, where Tladi served as a proclaimer of the Word.

Born in a village

Born on July 28, 1974, in an Anglican mission hospital in the small town of Jane Furse, near Sekhukhune in the north-eastern part of Limpopo province, as the youngest of three siblings, Butsi spent her childhood in the village of Ga-Marishane, also in Sekhukhune.

“Our community was evangelised by various Christian missionaries, including the German Lutherans, Dutch Reformists and English Anglicans. I was raised in this vibrant ecumenical community that celebrated diversity while uniting in our common belief in the Trinity and Jesus as our Lord and Saviour,” she recalled.

That ecumenism is reflected in Tladi’s faith story. She was baptised in the Uniting Reformed Church of SA — which was formed by the union of black and coloured Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk mission churches — in the township of Seshego, near Polokwane, where her parents had relocated for employment. As a young girl, Butsi attended Sunday school and enjoyed reading Bible stories as well as narratives about the lives of saints.

“Each year my mother would take us on a pilgrimage to the grave of Manche Masemola, an African Anglican martyr who lived in Ga-Marishane. She was tragically killed by her parents on February 4, 1928, due to her conversion to Christianity,” Tladi recalled. “During my time in secondary school, I lived in a dormitory named in her honour. Years later, I was immensely proud to discover her statue among those of other African martyrs at Westminster Abbey in London.”

Educated by Anglicans

Butsi attended secondary school at St Mark’s College, an Anglican boarding school in Jane Furse. She views her time at the school as a crucial element in her personal development, especially as a woman. School chaplain Fr John Tsebe had a special impact. “He helped transform our school into a sanctuary for numerous children escaping the chaos of civil unrest in the urban townships during the mid-1980s,” Tladi noted.

She remains actively involved with her alma mater, contributing to enhancing governance practices and upgrading the school’s infrastructure. “I am particularly interested in restoring church schools located in rural areas. Many of these institutions were established by missionaries over a century ago and hold historical importance, yet they are struggling to find their place in today’s world,” Tladi said.

The education she received at St Mark’s set the girl from a remote village in Limpopo on the path to becoming a leading figure in South Africa’s corporate world. She now has over 25 years of expertise in the financial services sector, with 15 of those years spent in senior management roles at financial services group Alexander Forbes.

She started her career, fresh out of university, at the company. In June this year, Tladi was appointed CEO of Alexander Forbes Corporate.

“As an executive in the financial services industry, I am part of a network dedicated to helping individuals achieve financial wellness. Throughout my professional journey, I have been fortunate to have strong mentors, one of whom introduced me to the idea of having a high purpose in the workplace. This inspires me to rise each morning with the conviction that I am making a significant impact on the world. The practical aspects of my role involve guiding individuals on managing personal budgets, saving for emergencies, safeguarding against unforeseen life changes, and planning for retirement through saving and investing,” she said.

Among her many career achievements, she takes greatest satisfaction from her time as the president of the Financial Intermediaries Association of Southern Africa and the World Federation of Insurance Intermediaries.

Advancing women

In her professional role, Tladi has participated in various initiatives focused on advancing women in the business field. “I firmly believe that a society that restricts the potential of over half of its population — namely women — hinders its own growth. In my career, I was a founding member of the Alexander Forbes Women in Business forum in 2008. Additionally, I co-founded a trust aimed at enhancing women’s ownership within the company. I champion gender equality and endorse efforts that strive to build a more just and sustainable world.”

She encourages women to pause and consider the advancements and challenges that women have faced through the years. “Women’s Month, in August, offers a vital opportunity for reflection and introspection regarding the role of women in society and whether we are advancing towards the shared ideals of the society we aspire to create,” Tladi said.

“While there has been some progress, it is insufficient — we still fall short on many indicators of advancement,” she observed. “Can you envision the difference we could make if we all woke up each day committed to fostering a more just and secure world for everyone?”

Spiritual discipline

This is a question she believes the Church can help answer — as a physical and spiritual space. “For me, the Church is a sanctuary, a place where I go to rejuvenate my spirit and energy. In today’s fast-paced and demanding life, it is within the Church that we all — women, men, and children, the entire family — find the space to ‘be still and know that he is God’.”

Tladi follows her daily spiritual practice with discipline, alongside her deacon husband. “My day begins and concludes with a personal dialogue with God. Being married to a deacon, I also participate in morning prayers with him. During my daily commute to the office, I listen to podcasts covering a range of religious subjects and contemporary discussions,” the keen collector of books explained.

“My husband and I have always allowed each other the freedom to grow in our respective callings, recognising that we are at different points in our individual journeys of growth. Our marriage has been strengthened by our mutual beliefs and shared values, including love and generosity.”

Published in the August 2025 issue of The Southern Cross Magazine