Bio
Bonga believes in impacting people positively across all walks of life however short or long the encounters may be. He believes in giving his best short for whatever he agrees to do and has a strong passion for leading people towards the attainment of team goals. He likes to think of himself as someone who possesses insight into what motivates people and the extent of his reach of his own impact in influencing such motivations. He is married to Fezile Mriga, a beautiful woman inside and out, whose love for excellence exceeds his meaningfully, in what remains his greatest blessing. Professionally, he is currently the Head of the Office of the CFO at Old Mutual Limited. In his career in the world of finance, he has held various roles including the Interim Head of Investor Relations, Investor Relations Manager and Management Accountant all at Old Mutual. He also serves as the member of the Group Finance Executive Committee. He has practiced in the world of asset management, where he was both an equity analyst and portfolio manager in listed equities. In his spare time he enjoys cycling, playing soccer and reading books on leadership. Bonga is also an events host, having been active over the last two years in that space.
The following quotes carry deep meaning:
"May your choices reflect your hopes and not your fears" by Nelson Mandela
"If it be error and upon me proved, then I never writ; nor no man ever loved." William Shakespeare
"See, I am doing a new thing, now it springs up. Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."
Bonga grew up in Mthatha, in the village of Mpindweni, under the auspices of his grandmother, Nowinile Angelina Mriga, and his mother, Zoliswa Ethel Mriga. Having been raised in a Christian home, he always understood that there was something different about him and his family, as much as he could not quite tell what that was for the longest of times.
His dreams when he was growing up were largely influenced by his limited exposure. He wanted to be a ‘professional’ soccer player. At that point, ‘professional’ equated to being watched on TV by friends and family – it had not yet occurred to him that you could be paid for doing something that you love and enjoy.
At some point his dream was just to learn how to speak the English language. Not because of an undying love for it but purely because he had understood in his young mind that it was a language that was spoken in important places – school, television, radio, etc.. The value of that dream was strongly tested one day when in his teenage years he passed by a white man, who looked to be in his early forties in age, who was begging on the street. Here was a man who had lived in Bonga's dream all his life, lost by the side of the road, begging. At that moment he understood his simple dream was not enough to make the kind of success he had always been driven to make his life. Fortunately, that realisation did not drive into despair but into dedicating more interest in his studies.
After having completed his high school at Khanyisa High School, a catholic school based in the outskirts of Payne Location in Mthatha, he went on to complete his university studies at the University of Cape Town. He had dreamt of becoming a chartered accountant and took up Business Science degree and would later complete his Post-graduate Diploma in Accounting.
Bonga is married to his lovely wife, Fezile, with whom he has built a blessed life. Their siblings are amongst their greatest motivations and they often tell themselves, “we cannot afford fail and remain there, the kids are watching us.”
Bonga is a qualified chartered accountant with experience in investments analysis, finance management and investor relations. He was recognised by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) as a finalist in the Top 35-under-35 competition in 2022.
He is a speaker, an event host and has plenty of a funny bone in him. He is a buddying cyclist, an avid recreational football player and a reluctant hiker of the beautiful planes, hills and mountains that fill Cape Town. He has dabbled in the world of YouTube with his channel Bongezile | The Nest.
As he has grown over the years, he has heard inspirational sayings and personal statements or expressed fears from other people that have gone on to inspire him which he adopted in one way or another. They are:
“My biggest fear is to be average.” This is a constant reminder that comfort is not we are called to. We ought to strive to stand out, especially while we are still young and have the opportunity to do something meaningful about it.
“The one thing that I would like to be remembered by is that ‘I showed up’” A reminder that sometimes the results will not be what was intended and what matters is that you put yourself out there, with a chance to succeed. On the flip side, it is one of the strongest motivations. A call to only focus on what you can do and by extension, have control over.
“Pursue all the dreams that live in your heart and mind” A point that has been stressed home by someone special and by situations in life, that you can achieve your dreams when you have in you a discipline and desire to sacrifice for it.
