Humans of RCL FOODS – Phyllis Mamabolo: The quiet power of a woman who won’t back down

Disability didn’t stop her. It shaped her.

Before the first truck pulls out. Before the depot hums to life. Before the sun spills over Lephalale, Polokwane – Phyllis Mamabolo is already at work. By 4am, she’s on her feet. Arranging and rearranging crates, checking stock sheets and making sure every dispatch runs like clockwork at Sunbake.

At a glance, it’s the picture of discipline and drive. But what gives this routine its weight is everything unspoken. That Phyllis lives with a physical disability affecting the right side of her body. That each movement costs more. That she leads a team of 32 men in a space still largely shaped by male voices. And that respect isn’t something she demands – it’s something she earns, every single day.

It would be easy to overlook what it takes – the early hours, the physical demands of the role, the quiet authority required to lead a team where you are not just the only woman, but one living with a permanent physical impairment. There are no shortcuts when you’re responsible for people, stock, vehicles and delivery schedules. And Phyllis doesn’t want any. “I know I can do it,” she says simply. And she does.

Her journey to Depot Controller wasn’t about chasing titles – it was about showing up, proving herself, and pushing through. She started in reception when she joined RCL FOODS in 2015. Within six months, she’d earned her first promotion. She moved through telesales, then channel representation, learning the business from the inside out. But her ability to adapt was deeply personal. The lasting effects of her injury meant every new role came with fresh physical demands.

At the depot, her leadership is rooted in respect and emotional intelligence. “You have to know how to speak to different people. Not everyone responds the same. And sometimes, as a woman, you need to earn that trust before they’ll follow you,” she says. Her approach is calm, measured and intentional – she leads by example and navigates tough conversations with patience rather than power.

It’s a mindset she’s continued to build through the RCL FOODS Humans in Leadership programme – a course she’s close to completing. Along the way, she’s found her voice. She carries herself with more confidence, speaks up in tough moments, and backs herself to lead with clarity – even in rooms where she might once have stayed quiet.

Outside the depot, she finds strength in her church, where she sings in the choir and leans on faith as her foundation. Her personal life, like her work, has required resilience. As a single mother of four, she’s often had to be far from her children to provide for them – a sacrifice she doesn’t take lightly. “I don’t have someone to fall back on,” she says. “But I know what I want to achieve. And I know I’m not doing it just for myself.”

Phyllis doesn’t frame her story as extraordinary. She speaks with quiet pride, not about overcoming, but about enduring – about doing the work, even when it’s hard, even when no one sees it. She knows the power of visibility. She knows what it means for other women to see her leading from the front.

Her purpose is clear: to uplift and inspire those who’ve ever questioned their place in leadership. She doesn’t demand authority or raise her voice to be heard. She leads by showing up – consistently, capably – and proves her strength in every decision, every quiet win, every day.