Meet Debbie Ling

Debbie Ling was born in Johannesburg, she is an accountant and is now working as a finance manager for a malt extract producer in Scotland.

Read about why Debbie is proud to be Chinese and proud to be South African.

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Name: Debbie Ling

Occupation: Accountant

1. Where were you born?

2. What schools/colleges/universities did you go to?

3. What is your fondest childhood memory, growing up as a Chinese child?

Picnics at Germiston Lake with family, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. My mother and the aunts would cook up loads of food, and the cars would get jam packed with folding chairs, blankets, games, watermelons, lychees, the list goes on!

4. What is your favourite Chinese food?

In my youth it was my mother’s fried chicken drumsticks. When I am in Jo’burg it would be sui mai and char sui bao from Chinatown. In Dunbar it’s roast duck with Chinese mushrooms from our local Chinese take-away!

5. Where do you live?

6. What work do you do?

My current role is finance manager for a malt extract producer. My main responsibilities are producing monthly management reports for the Board and overseeing the daily accounting function.

7. What do you love about your job?

Working with a cross section of people, not just in finance. I get to speak to the sales and production teams to learn what goes on in the business. I also have the opportunity to develop the junior members of the finance team.

8. What is your proudest achievement?

Getting my ACCA qualification after getting back to studying when I emigrated to the UK

9. Why are you proud to be South African?

South Africa is where I was born and grew up, making me what I am today. It is a beautiful country with welcoming people and great food. I am always proud to say I am South African even if I don’t live there anymore.

10. Why are you proud to be Chinese?

It’s my heritage and we have an interesting history and rich culture. When my parents came to SA, they had to learn the language and cope with being in a foreign country and I am extremely proud of their resilience and achievements.

11. Name one Chinese tradition that you’d like future generations to continue with?

12. What advice would you give to the Chinese youth today in South Africa?

Be proud of your heritage and treat everyone with the respect that you would want for yourself. Listen to older generations as they will have interesting stories to tell.