As the chief information  officer (CIO) at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Poppy Tshabalala is respected by peers for her gentle and involved leadership style. She's actively involved in the development of previously disadvantaged individuals and promotes the empowerment of the people around her, nurturing and honing their strengths. She wants to use computers to change people's lives and measures her success by the number of lives she touches.

Tshabalala admits to spending a great deal of time in her personal capacity, and through her church, helping disadvantaged communities and individuals, including AIDS orphans and, more recently, victims of the xenophobic attacks.