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Chintu Ling’Omba. Picture: Supplied
Chintu Ling’Omba. Picture: Supplied

Chintu Ling’Omba, head of client coverage, Africa regions, Standard Bank CIB

What’s your one top tip for doing a deal? 

Establish trust. Trust is important and it takes time to build but can easily be lost. 

What was your first job? 

I was an orientation assistant at the University of Cape Town.

How much was your first pay cheque, and how did you spend it? 

I don’t remember, but what I do recall is that I needed to do a tax declaration for it. I bought myself a beautiful handbag.

What is the one thing you wish somebody had told you when you were starting out? 

Make decisions with both your head and your heart. Never ignore how you feel about a decision even if you have given it extensive thought. 

If you could fix only one thing in South Africa, what would it be? 

I would fix our education system. Societies that do well have great education systems — we have seen time and again that education is the No 1 priority that they’ve got right in their world. 

What’s the most interesting thing about you that people don’t know? 

I am a history and mythology nerd but not the history you learn in classroom like with dates and battles. I am talking about civilisations and the people who led them, what they believed in, what they ate, and so on.   

What’s the worst investment mistake you’ve made? 

Not investing soon enough in global funds. I should have done that earlier in my life. 

What’s the best investment you’ve made? And how much of it was due to luck? 

It was finding a great financial planner so I could outsource that part of my life and free up some time for other important things. It was a lucky stroke that I found him at a presentation I attended, and I gravitated towards him.

What’s the best book you’ve read recently and why did you like it? 

The most profound book I recently reread is Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr Seuss. There’s a beautiful message about resilience and fortitude, and the fact that though you can’t control everything, you can control how you respond to it.

What’s the hardest life lesson you’ve learnt? 

I’ve done a bit of grieving these past few years and for me the lesson is to never grieve alone but share grief as passionately as you share joy.

What phrase or bit of jargon irks you most? 

I am a polyglot, so I enjoy jargon. 

What is something you would go back and tell your younger self that would impress them? 

You don’t need to do everything; you can outsource things to get time back for yourself and others, so invest in that.   

If you were President Cyril Ramaphosa, what would you change, or do, tomorrow? 

Create better integration of key policies to solve economic, social and governance issues. Most of the country’s policies don’t talk to each other, so though South Africa is trying to attract investment it’s not attracting the skills and making sure that its immigration policies follow. 

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