Young graduate is living his dream

It’s every graduate’s dream to finish tertiary education with flying colours and land a job in the corporate world for a big commercial bank. This is exactly what happened to 29 years old Samuel George Hamata, who has been working as a Legal Risk Officer at Standard Bank Namibia since December 15, 2011. “I’m happy to work for a bank that invested in me and in a few years from now, I see myself applying my knowledge and skills at a more senior level within the Legal Services Department,” says Hamata, reflecting on his short yet productive years within Standard Bank’s Legal Services Department. Hamata first completed a National Diploma in Business Administration at the Polytechnic of Namibia in 2006, where he obtained an average of 76.3% with distinctions in six modules, during his final year. Among the modules he loved and for which he received a distinction, was Commercial Law. It was because of this module, coupled with the enthusiasm with which it was taught by his former lecturer at the Polytech, Retha van Zyl, that he then developed an interest in the study of law. Hamata was granted a fully paid bursary from Standard Bank Namibwhich enabled him to study for an under-graduate B-Com (Law) degree at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in South Africa in 2007. He also completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Law from UWC in 2011, where he specialised in Corporate Governance, Corporate Finance and International Trade Law, among others. He is currently studying for a Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree through the University of South Africa (UNISA). “I really enjoy the great team spirit at Standard Bank and being part of a vibrant legal team whose primary role is the provision of legal advisory services to business units and the branch network of the bank. It feels like I’m living my Standard Bank dream,” he says laughingly. However, his journey to where he is today was not always rosy, as it was his hard work, determination and passion that got him to where he is today. “My parents struggled financially to cover my education. Yet this never made me give up on my dreams to study law and when I received a bursary from Standard Bank, I grabbed the opportunity with both hands and since then never looked back,” said the young man with a smile. He adds that he is grateful to Standard Bank for not only ploughing funds into his education, but also for giving him on the job experience during holidays while he was still pursuing a B-Com (Law) degree at UWC. “During my holidays, it was required of me to work as temporary staff member in the Legal Services Department and this was highly valuable to me to gain an understanding of commercial law in practice and learn from those already in the industry,” adds Hamata. Managing risk As part of his day-to-day activities as a Legal Risk Officer, Hamata is tasked with assisting the Legal Services Department in managing legal risk within the bank. “Legal risk refers to the risk that results from unenforceable contracts, breach of contract, law suits (litigation) and unfavourable judgments. Legal risk also refers to the bank’s exposure to penalties; punitive damages and legal fees, both from the regulator and private settlements. These items are risks to the bank not only because they can result in financial losses, but also reputational risks, where the bank’s reputation may be tainted in the public eye, and this affects the earnings of the bank,” he adds. “The joys of working in the Legal Services Department of Standard Bank includes, amongst other things, that I am expected to give not only legal advice, but also opinions on other aspects of matters that I deal with. This enables me to combine a mix of skills and develop non-legal skills as well. In addition, I also gain a better understanding of the business, this from solving legal queries from business units and the branch network.” Hamata summarises his secret to success as follows: “Always dream big, follow your dreams, know that anything is possible if you put your heart and mind into it and most importantly take your studies and career seriously.”