Buhle reaches for her dreams

Kangra HR manager, Buhle Nzuza

The career that Buhle Nzuza accidentally stumbled upon almost 16 years ago turned out to be her true calling.  Buhle’s story began with failed attempts to enter nursing, waiting in long queues and being turned away by universities because of enrolment limitations. 

However frustrating it might have been for her at the time, this journey ultimately led Buhle into Human Resources (HR), a profession she now believes she was born for. Today, Buhle heads up Kangra’s Human Resources Department, helping to sustain the mine’s skilled workforce. She joined Kangra in 2010 as an intern and was promoted to HR Admin clerk a year later. She then served as the HR officer until she was promoted to HR manager in 2023.  

Buhle's journey to obtaining her qualifications at Mthashana TVET College in Nongoma, KwaZulu Natal, in 2009, is a tale of perseverance. She furthered her studies at Mancosa obtaining an Honours Degree in 2020. Reflecting on her past struggles, Buhle recounts her attempt to enroll at the University of Zululand's KwaDlangezwa campus in Empangeni back in 2007: "We woke up at 1 am and walked to the university campus. I was the second last to go in, and they cut the line off."

After facing disappointment, Buhle returned home to Nongoma with a resolve to pursue any course available at Mthashana College. Looking back, she harbours no regrets about her path. The task of managing a proficient workforce for a bustling mining operation demands qualities such as compassion, focus, and assertiveness, traits that Buhle embodies. "I love to help people a lot and I’ve to learned to deal with sensitive issues, making people feel comfortable even in tough situations,” she says.