HR is the engine behind any thriving organisation, but managing HR in the public sector comes with a unique set of challenges and opportunities, says CHRO of the Competition Commission, Londiwe Mncube.
Raised by a single parent who embodied resilience and strength, Londiwe was shaped early on to face life’s challenges head-on. “I was raised by a single parent who was always a definition of what strength and leadership through resilience was for me growing up,” she recalls. Her formative years were characterised by participation in sports and cultural programmes, experiences that boosted her confidence and nurtured a natural tendency to lead.
Having matriculated from Sunward Park High School, she experienced unexpected curve balls that derailed her from her plan. Through her resilience, she later completed her Honours and MCom in HR management & labour relations from the University of Pretoria.
Despite initially envisioning a career in the creative industries or marketing, she found her true calling in HR, beginning as a recruiter before moving into business partnering and eventually assuming the CHRO role. “I fell in love with the extent of people's engagement that was required and the agility in dealing with different characters and situations.”
This experience fuelled her passion for the full HR value chain, enabling her to pivot towards HR leadership.
One of Londiwe’s deepest passions in HR is talent development, a drive that stems from her desire to leave a lasting impact on the people she works with. “I absolutely love seeing people transform, as they bloom in their careers. Making that tangible difference in someone’s life aligns with my life’s purpose of being service-oriented and creating waves that transcend.”
Under her leadership, the Competition Commission has made significant investments in developing young talent. “We’ve invested heavily in our graduate programme, which involves an extensive two-day boot camp to level the playing field as we choose the talent,” she says, adding that the results speak for themselves, with a 95 percent retention rate for graduates who quickly ascend within the institution. This success, she notes, is also underpinned by robust selection processes and a focus on continuous learning and development.
Innovation in the public sector
Working in the public sector often means navigating strict regulations and limited budgets, but this has not deterred her from driving innovation. One of her proudest achievements has been renewing employees’ trust in HR by introducing progressive changes, even within a traditionally rigid environment. “I have been able to transform the mindset of red tape to incremental change, one process at a time through visible leadership and intentional improvements. This I can definitely say is one of my achievements, having steadily moved the HR function towards its ideal state.”
This drive for change and innovation, she adds, also extends to digitisation. Under her leadership, the Commission has implemented an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to streamline HR processes, after much trial and error.
“The entire debacle was so bad that I even started questioning the terms of reference. This came after the department spent five years motivating why they needed a system, especially when HR became even more important during the global pandemic. I’m not going to sit here and say it was a walk in the park,” she explains, adding that now that the system is finetuned, they are able to see the efficiencies in processes and reduction of turnaround times.
HR in government
Despite these successes, Londiwe acknowledges the unique challenges faced by HR leaders in the public sector, particularly when it comes to talent retention. “We do not have the luxury of attractive remuneration frameworks, which to an extent puts a threat to us losing top talent to the private sector,” she admits. Unlike private companies that can offer share schemes and other financial incentives, the public sector often has to rely on its sense of purpose and the meaningful impact of its work to attract and retain talent.
“Our employee value proposition is premised on being a knowledge-based institution, that prides itself on dedicated public servants.”
Employees at the government entity are motivated by the opportunity to tackle complex challenges that shape industries and impact society. “This shared sense of purpose creates a strong bond, helping to retain talent despite the financial constraints.”
To keep employees engaged and growing, Londiwe and her team have implemented several initiatives aimed at enhancing both professional development and personal well-being. For example, the Commission now offers one month of paternity leave and six months of maternity leave, recognising the importance of supporting family structures.
“We hosted our first Rainbow Day last year in support of the LGBTQI+ community, which has now been committed as a yearly celebration,” she adds, underscoring the Commission’s commitment to fostering an inclusive work environment. The event, which featured a parade at the DTIC campus, was a resounding success and highlighted the importance of diversity in the workplace.
Furthermore, she adds, the Commision has also introduced a litigators’ development programme, enabling its legal talent to acquire their articles through facilitated processes with law firms. “This has helped us retain our legal talent who, in the past, would leave the institution to acquire their admission. We created an enabling environment so we don’t lose our talent. It is this kind of out-of-the-box thinking that is crucial in the public sector, where money cannot be the sole retention tool.”
Despite the many advantages of working in the public sector, Londiwe is a big believer that there are lessons to be learned from private sector practices, particularly when it comes to agility and innovation. “The private sector presents more flexibility in human capital processes, although we too in the public sector have our own strengths.”
The transparency and structured guidelines inherent in public sector HR processes, she explains, create a level of engagement that is often missing in the private sector. “Our performance management processes are not revenue-driven, which has necessitated qualitative mechanisms to measure output. The process acknowledges that people are not just a number but human beings behind the outputs.”
One of the biggest challenges facing HR professionals today, in both the public and private sectors, is future-proofing organisations. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted just how uncertain the future can be, making it clear that HR must embed agility into job roles to prevent disruptions. “The greatest task that human capital has is embedding agility into jobs in such a manner that change does not disrupt the system.”
In the public sector, where regulations and budget constraints can limit flexibility, this task becomes even more critical.
“But rather than seeing these limitations as a hindrance, it also creates an opportunity for creative problem-solving. We sometimes think we have all the solutions, but co-creating with employees goes a long way in creating loyalty and ownership to an idea,” she advises.
As she looks ahead, Londiwe remains very optimistic about the future of HR in the public sector. “What excites me the most is knowing that I am living my purpose. For me, HR is not just about managing people – it’s about creating a meaningful, lasting impact. I always say today is a good day to have a good day – and that is an attitude most of us should have.”
Ultimately, she hopes to be remembered as someone who executed her craft with excellence, someone trusted and service-oriented, and a leader who always had alternative paths for any eventuality. As she puts it, “In my humility, my impact was felt.”
