During her period as deputy president of South Africa, she oversaw programmes to combat poverty and ensure the poor benefit from the advantages of a growing economy.

From 1987 to 1989 Mlambo-Ngcuka was director of TEAM, a developmental Non-Government Organisation (NGO) in Cape Town, as well as being involved with squatter women and African independent churches to promote economic self-reliance and running skills training programmes.

[4] Throughout her career, Mlambo-Ngcuka directed her energy towards issues of human rights, gender and youth development, equality and social justice.

She was deputy minister in the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) from 1996 until 1999, during which time she also was a founding member of the Guguletu Community Development Corporation.

Mlambo-Ngcuka's policy of 'use it or lose it' created a situation where mining rights became available to a much broader segment of the population including many previously disadvantaged black people.

"[citation needed] During Mlambo-Ngcuka's tenure as Minister of Minerals and Energy, the parastatal company PetroSA made an advance payment of ZAR15 million (approx.

Mlambo-Ngcuka's husband, Bulelani Ngcuka, was head of South Africa's National Directorate of Public Prosecutions at the time and charged with fighting organised crime.

Soon after her appointment she was booed by Zuma supporters at a rally in KwaZulu-Natal, an incident that was not covered by the public broadcaster, the SABC, which led to accusations of bias.

[16] In November 2017 Mlambo-Ngcuka welcomed the Elsie Initiative to help increase women's participation in peacekeeping operations in a joint statement with fellow UN Under-Secretary-General Pramila Patten.

[17] In addition to her role at UN Women, Mlambo-Ngcuka also served a two-year term as member of the World Bank Group's (WBG) Advisory Council on Gender and Development from 2015 until 2017.

[21][22] Mlambo-Ngcuka has successfully mobilized 40 billion USD in financial commitments from Member States, private sector, philanthropies and civil society as well as young people.