Who is Khwezi Mputa?
What is something people usually don’t know about you but has influenced you in who you are?
Living in one of South Africa’s notorious townships and attending an affluent school in the suburbs meant I grew up in 2 different worlds and has been the most contributing aspect of who I am today. The experience has made me humble and taught me how to have empathy for others and understand the extremities of human nature when pushed against the odds. I saw first-hand what squandered opportunity looked like and this grew in me the seed to always seize the day and make the most of every opportunity given. It has also taught me how to adapt to different situations and relate to people of all colours and creeds. I am actually a better person because of it and I am grateful for my experience.
What would have become of you, if you were not doing the job you do today?
I would probably be a high school teacher.
What is your biggest challenge and why is it a good thing for you?
My husband travels a lot and so the parenting of our two daughters is mostly on me, add a full time career, my personal interest and this equates to my biggest challenge work-life balance. Although challenging, this has taught me to be more intentional about how I utilise my time and to be present entirely in that moment as I know that time is of the essence.
What do you currently do and how did you end up in your current role?
Many organizations confuse the role of the Scrum Master with a Project Manager and this was one of my biggest challenges in the work place. By nature these are conflicting roles as Scrum Masters have the role of mentoring, teaching, coaching and facilitating, while the role of the Project Manager is to ensure that the project runs to time and budget. Depending on your passion one will always lag and in my case it was Project Management. There were times were I felt my opinion as a Scrum Master was ignored in order to push deadlines and delivery. I felt the work of a Scrum Master was undermined and not valued and as this was my passion it left me feeling empty and miserable. This forced me to find other way of growth and fulfilment through courses and involvement in the Agile community, this kept the spark alive and is what led me to the path of being an Agile Coach.
What do you think is the one thing we can do to improve diversity in the Agile community?
By coming together with other diverse voices and collaboratively drive initiatives that focus on improving diversity in the Agile community.
What additional question do you think we should ask and what is the answer to that question?
Question: If you were an animal which one would you be? Answer: They say an elephant never forgets and that is definitely also a part who I am.
Who do you think we should feature next (in South Africa)?
There are so many but if I had to narrow it to one person it would be Stephan Swart.
What are some reasons that made you recommend the person above?
If I think of who is agile – he is one of the first names that come to mind, he truly is the epitome of what an agilest should be.
How would you define your relationship with the South African Agile community?
It’s growing continuously and I certainly would like to contribute more to it.
What is the last thing you read, watched or listened to that inspired you?
Untamed by Glennon Doyle. This book has certainly inspired me in many ways but most importantly it has taught me that being yourself is freeing.
Johannesburg, February 2021
How to connect with Khwezi
Linked In: za.linkedin.com/in/Khwezi-Mputa