Answers Part 5 submitted by

Mathews Motswi

I look for opportunities to deepen my understanding and insightConsistently
I believe that people are more than their work and I am spiritually emotionally and socially considerateConsistently
I take time to think about work and the changes happening around usConsistently
I see how the work done today affects work that may be required tomorrowConsistently
I consider and discuss how decisions and actions could affect other work groupsConsistently
I share information and listen to others to make better decisionsConsistently
I pay attention to local and international current affairs which impact our businessConsistently
I take time to understand the rest of our businessConsistently
I look for ways to improve our business processes and for reducing siloesConsistently
I am very aware listen really well and notice important clues that are not obvious to othersConsistently

Please provide examples of how you demonstrate systems thinking and sense-making ability in your career

(Approx 100-300 words)

I demonstrate systems thinking and sense making by consistently connecting decisions, risks, people and processes across the broader value chain. In my current role as Materials Planning lead at Valterra Platinum, I apply this capability by balancing cost efficiency, sustainability and community impact. As we explore Low Cost Country Sourcing (LCCS), I assess geopolitical risks, logistics complexity, lead time volatility and environmental considerations, while also ensuring our host communities remain included in opportunities such as repairs and services. I work with sustainability teams and all operational sites to align supply risk plans and ensure inclusive procurement continues to support long term regional resilience.
At Exxaro, I demonstrated strong systems thinking when implementing the Operational Excellence strategy aligned to the Market to Resource model. This required integrating insights across market demand, product specifications, operational constraints, maintenance strategies and life of mine planning. By linking market expectations to operational decision making, I helped shift the business toward system wide optimisation rather than siloed improvements.
At Vodacom, I strengthened these capabilities through supply chain technology transformation programmes that required understanding complex, multi market interdependencies. I worked closely with network teams across eight Vodacom markets—South Africa, Lesotho, Tanzania, Mozambique, Egypt, Ethiopia, DRC and Kenya—to identify cross market opportunities, unlock economies of scale and design solutions that respected different regulatory environments and operating conditions. This required synthesising diverse data, cultural contexts and technical constraints to develop scalable digital solutions that delivered value at both local and group level.
Across all my roles, I have shown the ability to step back from activity, interpret complexity, integrate information and design solutions that work for the entire system—operationally, commercially and socially.

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About Rising Star

The Rising Star Programme, operated by BlackBark Productions, has been established for the purposes of recognising, celebrating and connecting young talented people who have a capacity for achievement and success and who contribute in an inspirational manner to the future of our nation. The qualities that elevate Rising Stars to the top go beyond performance and technical excellence. Rising Stars are polished, brilliant individuals with tremendous promise and great talent who excel for reasons that go far beyond their technical abilities alone.

Talented people make things happen, are highly committed to achieving goals, innovate very rapidly, and create a great deal of value (for companies and/or themselves) when their talent is spotted and harnessed.

The Programme aims to be a significant and sustainable vehicle through which organisations, our country and our continent can identify and nurture these “organisational and national assets” who are set to play a key role in shaping the future of our country and our continent.

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The Rising Star Programme is establishing a living community of young African talent that will be developed, mentored and provided with platforms for development and communication, therefore enabling them to become role models, opinion leaders and the inspiration for other future African Talent.