Hard work makes the dream work

Mariselle Stofberg



Zenneth Oosthuizen is a senior associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) who enjoys adventure and new opportunities.

“I would describe myself as a quiet and a reserved person - an introvert - but once I get comfortable around people you wouldn't say that. I am friendly and adventurous and I love trying out new things - you could say I am a bit of an adrenaline junky.”

Oosthuizen likes to see the best in others and strives to be a good motivator.

“My younger brother and I were raised by a single parent in Walvis Bay, where I completed my school years. I started my career with PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2016 after completing my honours degree at the University of Stellenbosch.”

She worked in the audit department as a trainee clerk for three years. She completed her articles on 31 January 2019. “I got exposure to different clients and different industries through providing external audit services.”

Once she completed her articles she moved to the Windhoek office to the accounting department. “Accounting is a passion of mine and a subject I always enjoyed at school and varsity and therefore I decided to transfer to this department.”

She is still transitioning to this department, while getting exposure by providing accounting services, preparing financial statements and getting clients “audit ready”.

“We focus on providing quality services to our clients and making a difference.”

Her biggest challenges in the past was to stay confident and remain motivated, even after she did not reach her goals such as school achievements and passing her second board exam the first time around.

“Once I started to work, the challenge was to obtain that balance between work, study and social life. It does feel good to have my studies completed and to now focus on future career goals.”

Oosthuizen says her biggest achievements so far are obtaining her honours degree at Stellenbosch, becoming a Golden Key Society member and achieving her chartered accountant qualification.

A typical day at the office for Oosthuizen is quite busy, as PwC provides a range of services. She is faced with many challenges and opportunities. “We work together in our teams to complete the assignments at hand. We are quite a young and energetic bunch and I enjoy being a team player.”

Her mom is her biggest inspiration and role model. “She is such a strong woman and I have a lot of respect for her for raising my brother and me on her own. I always strive to make her proud. Accomplishing my goals gives me a confidence boost and builds my self-esteem as an independent woman.”

Oosthuizen wants to encourage aspiring young people to never give up on their dreams and goals. She believes you have dreams for a reason and you should always remind yourself why you have them when you go through tough times. “The road to success is not a smooth ride and consists of bumps and humps, but the late nights and tears will all be worth it in the end, once you have that big smile and warm feeling in your heart. Most importantly you are not alone; our Heavenly Father is with you every step of the way. You got this!”

Oosthuizen plans to continue working at PwC in the future. “With the guidance of God I hope to start my own business in the hospitality industry, which will be focused on providing entertainment to the youth to keep them off the streets and out of trouble.”