Some of South Africa’s top CIOs share the productivity hacks they use to help them manage on high pressure days.
High pressure days are a reality for IT leaders. From managing crises to driving innovation while balancing multiple priorities, productivity is not a nice to have but a necessity. CIO South Africa connected with BDO South Africa CIDO Khaya Mbanga, the MICT Seta CIO Moloti Nkune and Department of Public Service and Administration CIO Tandile Stuurman to share the personal strategies that keep them focused and effective.
Khaya Mbanga believes in switching off to focus. “I put my emails on offline mode for about two hours because as human beings we can get easily distracted. I then prioritise three things and start working through them from top to bottom,” Khaya explains.
He explains that distractions often come when emails arrive in your mailbox and you stop what you are doing to look at them and what feels like a minute quickly shifts your focus. His advice is to set clear boundaries to protect productivity. “You need to do whatever helps you manage your priorities so that you can be productive.”
For Moloti Nkune, identifying the time of day when he is most focused has been a game changer. “I know I am not a morning person and I struggle to focus in the morning. I also understand that it is difficult for me to block time especially in my sector. I make sure I reserve energy to push work when there is no disruption in the afternoons and evenings. During the day I deal with administrative work and leave the focused and quality work for the nighttime when there are minimal disruptions.”
As a woman of faith, Tandile Stuurman leans heavily on her faith to help her manage her productivity and keep calm on high pressure days. “I rock praise and worship and I ensure I have those silent prayers in between. When I am working on a document or a report praise and worship keeps me going,” she says.
The ways IT executives stay productive are as varied as their roles. Whether it is switching off to focus, leaning into peak energy times, or drawing on faith, these hacks reflect the discipline and self-awareness that leaders bring to their work every day.
