TAXING THE LIMITS: HOW MMATSHEPHO NGWENYA IS REWRITING THE MEANING OF LEADERSHIP
At UJ, Mmatshepho Ngwenya’s journey has come full circle. Once a student navigating the pressures and uncertainties of the accounting profession herself, she now stands at the front of the lecture hall as a Chartered Accountant, Senior Lecturer in Taxation, BAcc Degree Coordinator and Thuthuka Programme Coordinator – helping shape the next generation of accounting professionals while championing transformation, ethics and student success. At just 35, Ngwenya has already emerged as one of the young voices helping redefine what leadership in the profession looks like. Her work recently earned national recognition when she was named a finalist in the SAICA Top 35-under-35 2025 Awards under the Transformative Leader category. For Ngwenya, however, the recognition is not simply a personal milestone. “This recognition is a testament to the fact that making a difference in people’s lives is possible through thought leadership,” she says. That focus on people – particularly students – runs through every aspect of her work. Her path to leadership was not without setbacks. In fact, one of the moments that shaped her most deeply came during a difficult chapter in her own studies. “My turning point has to be when I repeated my PGDA year,” she recalls. “I knew at that point I wanted to become a CA(SA), and only I could get up and dust myself and keep going.” That experience would later influence the empathy and understanding she brings into her classrooms and leadership roles today.
Ms Mmatshepho Ngwenya at the SAICA Top 35-under-35 2025 Awards
Ngwenya says her own journey taught her that academic success is rarely linear, particularly in a demanding discipline such as accounting. “So, my challenges helped me understand that students are all different, and all they need is the environment that allows them to navigate those challenges without feeling that success is impossible.” Her connection to UJ itself was almost accidental. “I ended up at the University of Johannesburg by chance,” she says. “Looking back, I needed this institution
for my career to take a different trajectory.” She speaks warmly about the support she received from lecturers during a critical stage in her studies. “This institution has the best lecturers one can experience.
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