“VUT alumna Nomfundo Vilakazi reflects on her career at Dis-Chem, the lessons of motherhood and helping others build meaningful careers.”
22 October 2026 | Story by: Qhawekazi Memani | Picture: Supplied
Metsotso e 3 nako ya go bala.
For Ms Nomfundo Vilakazi, success is measured partly by what happens to the people around her: whether they feel heard, have room to grow and receive the support they need to build their careers.
As People and Culture Director at Dis-Chem Pharmacies, the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) alumna brings this outlook to her work in talent development, workplace culture and people management. It is an approach shaped by her studies, her career and life at home as a wife and mother of four.
“Motherhood continually teaches me to listen, adapt and recognise that people need different kinds of support to flourish,” she shares.
That recognition of individual needs carries into her leadership. While employees work towards shared organisational goals, their circumstances, ambitions and support needs differ. Understanding those differences is central to the workplace she wants to help build.
Vilakazi holds a National Diploma in Management Training and a Bachelor of Technology (BTech) in Human Resource Development from VUT. Her studies provided a foundation for a career that has taken her through different industries and increasingly demanding leadership roles.
Before joining Dis-Chem, she worked at PepsiCo Simba and the South African Civil Aviation Authority, gaining experience in business operations, governance and people management.
She joined Dis-Chem in 2019 and progressed through senior positions, including Head of Human Resources (HR) Centres of Excellence and HR Director, before assuming her current role. Each step brought greater responsibility and further opportunities to learn.
“Dis-Chem has stretched me, and I have learned to grow with the responsibility while remaining connected to the realities of our employees,” she reflects.
Her work now includes helping Dis-Chem develop its People and Culture approach, with an emphasis on how employees experience the organisation and the opportunities
available to them. Talent development, inclusion, accountability and employee wellbeing are central to that work.
For Vilakazi, supporting employees and meeting business goals are connected responsibilities. She wants people to feel valued while being challenged to develop their abilities and contribute meaningfully.
She also believes that leadership can begin long before a promotion.
“You do not need to wait for a senior title to practise leadership. You can demonstrate it through the standards you uphold and the way you support others.”
Her advice to young professionals is practical: work hard, seek mentorship, welcome feedback and remain consistent. She encourages them to invest in their development, approach unfamiliar challenges with curiosity and hold on to their integrity.
Resilience, in her view, includes recognising when help is needed. Asking for support and adapting to changing circumstances are part of growing into responsibility.
For students and graduates considering their next steps, her experience offers a useful perspective on career progression. Qualifications provide a foundation, but learning continues through new roles, difficult decisions and the people encountered along the way.
Looking back, Vilakazi takes particular pride in the people she has helped develop and the opportunities she has helped create. Her ambition is to contribute to an organisation where employees are treated fairly, recognised for their potential and able to build meaningful careers.
“I want people to be able to say: ‘I was seen here. I was challenged here. I had an opportunity to build a future here.’”
It is this sense of responsibility towards others that continues to shape her work: making sure that, as the business grows, its people have opportunities to grow too.
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