From the rolling hills of kaVelezizweni, Ekukhulumeni to the executive corridors of the Revenue Appeals Tribunal Eswatini, Siphiwe Vilakati has built a life defined by an unyielding hunger for knowledge and an unshakable faith.
Born in the broader Mankayane area, her childhood was spent navigating a sharp contrast between deep rural surroundings and modern urban schooling. While her primary and early secondary education took place in Manzini, her family later relocated to a farm in kaZenzile just outside Hlatikhulu in 1996, before eventually returning to their paternal home at Velezizweni.
Reflecting on her early years, Vilakati notes that experiencing both ends of the socio-economic spectrum instilled in her a profound understanding of life’s complexities.
“Growing up I lived through a sharp contrast between living in deep rural surroundings while enjoying modern schooling. While my younger self experienced urban life, my father had a passion for farming which meant later in life around 1996 to be precise, we moved to a farm and that is where my rural experience took shape. Between these two extremes, I got to appreciate how hard life can get through seeing my surrounding neighbours yet also how good it can get. So, it was clear that life’s greatest message to me at that time was that the power to choose how I end up lay solely in my hands,” she recalls.
Her parents played a pivotal role in grounding her principles, firmly teaching their children that education is an inheritance that can never be stolen. Her father, in particular, offered a piece of advice that would come to dictate her trajectory: Whenever she hit a ceiling in life, it was her duty to push it open and set a new standard. Taking that counsel to heart, Vilakati embarked on an extraordinary academic journey that spans law, international economic relations, aviation and aerospace management.
To date, she holds six academic degrees and is actively working on her seventh:
Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Zululand
Master of Laws (LLM) in Rule of Law for Development from Loyola University of Chicago
Master of Laws (LLM) in International Aviation Law from Toulouse 1 Capitole University
Master of Laws (LLM) in International Economic Law from the University of South Africa (UNISA)
Postgraduate Diploma in Taxation from the University of Eswatini (UNESWA)
Global Executive Master of Business Administration (GEMBA) in Aerospace Management from Toulouse Business School
Doctor of Laws (LLD) candidate in Mercantile Law majoring in Aviation Studies at UNISA
Despite her formidable credentials, Vilakati remains deeply humble, refusing to allow academic titles to solely define her character. “However, I am reluctant to suggest that academic qualifications define my character. They are simply a reflection of my capacity for discipline, commitment and intellectual engagement but at my most basic I remain ‘inftombi yese Kukhulumeni kaVelezizweni’ who dared to dream and make every effort to pursue those dreams, and the biggest takeaway for me is to have someone else look at me and believe it is possible. Because with God, anything is possible!” she says.
Passion
Professionally, Vilakati serves as the Director of Technical Services at the Revenue Appeals Tribunal Eswatini. The specialised body is designed to expedite the resolution of tax disputes between the Eswatini Revenue Service and taxpayers. Her main focus involves streamlining appeals to ensure cases are heard in a fraction of the time required by mainstream courts, thereby preserving the time value of money.
Outside her official duties, her passion lies firmly in aviation and aerospace. After winning a US$15 000 (about E270 000) partial scholarship from the International Society for Transport and Aircraft Trading (ISTAT) to study her Aerospace MBA, she received complimentary membership to the organisation and regularly attends their major annual conferences in the Americas. Describing her core traits, Vilakati views herself as an incessantly curious, bold and courageous individual whose career is driven by multidisciplinary analytical thinking.
“Professionally, I would describe myself as a highly analytical individual, intellectually curious and particularly interested in complex problems that require multidisciplinary thinking. This has been aided by my having traversed beyond just legal qualifications to business administration. However, it is my legal training that primarily taught me to interrogate issues, appreciate different perspectives and understand the importance of sound institutions and the decisions that make those institutions strong,” she explains.
Milestone
Having recently turned 40, Vilakati celebrated a remarkable double milestone: Reaching four decades of life while possessing four master’s degrees. The milestone brought forth a rush of emotions as she reflected on the immense sacrifices required to complete three degrees abroad and one in South Africa.
“So, I will take it by double milestone you mean my recent celebration where I celebrated having attained four master’s degrees at 40 years. I think the true reflection I have of that is one of a mixed bag of emotions, the first being what is has actually taken to get here. You know three of those master’s Degrees were attained abroad and one in South Africa and if I tell you that each brought a unique set of challenges that if I would begin to describe the magnitude, it would seem surreal, but there, I saw God literally carry me through each and everyone,” she shares.
Looking towards the future, her values are centred on purpose, impact and service. She envisions utilising her vast expertise to shape policy conversations surrounding Africa’s economic development, institutional reform, international trade and the aviation sector. When addressing the economic challenges facing young people in Eswatini, Vilakati offers a perspective on unemployment and entrepreneurship.While acknowledging government’s efforts to foster an enabling environment, she highlights that entrepreneurship cannot be viewed as a simple panacea without strong supportive institutions. Instead, she advocates for collaborative business ecosystems.
Solutions
“However, with that said, I personally feel there is a critical element those seeking alternatives to employment are missing and that is product offerings that respond to societal issues as opposed to each entrepreneur seeking to carve a niche in one area. If collaborative solutions were a primary consideration for solutions to everyday pain points, this would create the web of development we so desire as a country, while also ensuring mutual benefit for entrepreneurs,” she notes.
For those hesitant to restart their education due to age or past delays, Vilakati offers direct advice, emphasising that the primary obstacle is often internal self-doubt.
“The painful truth is we cannot dig you out of the pit of your self-despair, excuses and worrying that you speak over yourself, you need to do that, life will meet you at the point of intentionality of thought and actions and make it a possibility that which you have ‘purposed in your heart’, you want to achieve. So, basically, my short answer is, I would advise that person to make a conscious decision of just how much they want to study, because there is no such thing as ‘on hold for too long’ as long as educational institutions exist,” she advises. An element of her life that often surprises the public is her deep devotion as a Christian and her commitment to youth ministry. She frequently preaches at various churches, using her journey to inspire young people to exercise faith in their biggest aspirations.
Reflecting on the popular adage that life begins at 40, Vilakati strongly agrees, describing the decade as a period of payoff for prior investments and a time of heightened consciousness. “Jesus!!! 40 is an entirely different ballgame. It is the stage of your life that will reflect to you the payoff of your investments. If you have spent the years before it investing well and putting the right seeds in the ground, you will begin to see fruit. If you have sold yourself short in the years before, your forties will show it,” she asserts. Throughout her trajectory, Vilakati credits a strong network of support for making her achievements possible. She singles out her parents for laying a firm educational foundation, alongside her aunt, uncle, siblings, church community, colleagues and mentors who stood by her during challenging times.
In her final words of inspiration to readers, Vilakati urges individuals to measure the true cost of their ambitions beyond financial constraints, highlighting that dedication and audacity are the real drivers of success.
“I would simply say this, the true aim is to, as Daniel in the Bible, did ‘purpose in your heart’ that you will do something. The bible also gives us wisdom that a man won’t just build a house unless he calculates the cost, and the cost of your dream may not always be clear enough to calculate, but one decision you want to make early on is, are you willing to pay the cost required, whatever it will be, are you willing to put in the blood, the sweat and tears required, money and resources aside. In this world, you will quickly learn it is more important who you are than what you have to have enduring success,” she concludes.
