South African envoy Phumelele Gwala part of tide of women in government

South Africa's consul general in Hong Kong never thought of being a diplomat, not even when she turned 50 a few years ago.

For 18 years, education was Phumelele Gwala's forte, having spent three years as a secondary teacher in KwaZulu-Natal province and the next 15 years training teachers.

As the eldest of eight children, Gwala says her family life was good preparation for learning the skills of mediation and conflict resolution needed for her move into international relations.

"I'm not a career diplomat as I come from outside foreign affairs. But the role of consul general is just about people, how you relate to people," Gwala, 54, said.

"And coming from the type of family I come from, I do have strong qualities like being a leader because I was the eldest. People management, that's not a problem for me."

Gwala left home for boarding school when she was 11. "That made me develop survival and adapting skills and it also gave me confidence to engage with people," she said.

In 1999, her career trajectory shifted after the teacher training college where she worked closed, leading her to move into development and then diplomacy. After a six-month diplomatic training course in Pretoria, Gwala took up her role in Hong Kong in March.