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Dear Stakeholder
Women’s Month is always an interesting time to reflect on our past, as well as to contemplate the future. As much as I cherish events focused on the extraordinary women in our country who are leading from the front (and those who are hot on their heels), this is also a time to celebrate the women on whose shoulders we stand.
As I pause for reflection, I would like to acknowledge a few phenomenal women who had a positive impact on my life as a young woman. These four courageous women are my grandmothers, my mother, and my mother-in-law. All of them, at some point, were either factory workers, domestic workers, or caregivers to the children of family members, or neighbours. There were also the wonderful women who were my mentors in my early career at Macassar Secondary School, who showed me the ropes as a young schoolteacher in a tough socioeconomic environment.
These are the women I have to thank for my grounding and on whose shoulders I stand. I am proud to say they all played an important role in making me the person I am today, and I celebrate them.
In the month that we celebrate the contributions of all women, past and present, I was delighted to be invited to join a panel discussion at a Women’s Day event at TSiBA, the institution of higher learning that has been such an important partner to the ASISA Academy over the years. I felt very privileged to take part in the discussion themed ‘Igniting Inclusion in Finance, Investment and Fintech’, alongside inspiring women who have all made their mark in the industry: Noluthando Yeni: Project Finance Specialist – EDF Renewables, Wendy Selebi: Financial Literacy Coach & Author – Seeds to Forests Training and Coaching Services, Pooja Tanna: Head of Fixed Income – Perpetua Investment Managers, and Maseabi Marageni: Head of Business Development – Futuregrowth. The event was hosted by TSiBA alumnus, Thobela Mfeti: Senior Client Investment Specialist – Alexforbes.
We shared something of our personal journeys and talked about how we can continue to break down barriers, accelerate transformation and ignite the process of inclusion.
Women's Day event at TSiBA, clockwise, from top left: Pioneers in the world of finance – Alicia Davids, Noluthando Yeni, Wendy Selebi, Pooja Tanna, and Maseabi Marageni – took part in a vibrant panel discussion; ASISA Academy CEO Alicia Davids with panel host Thobela Mfeti; TSiBA students and panelists join corporate guests for a group shot; and TSiBA students engage with the panelists after the discussion.
A week later, the Women in Finance Network (WIFN) hosted its first ever full-day conference. The network’s mission is to support, encourage, mentor and grow the professionalism of women in the industry. Women in Finance’s recent efforts have included investing in two interns participating in the ASISA Academy Independent Financial Advisor Internship.
Through their support, Zharne Whiteboy (an intern at Delfin Financial Advisors) and Chandre Moodley (an intern at Bobats Wealth Solutions) received coaching from Verity Price, the 2021 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking.
During her guest speech at the WIFN conference, Verity shared a little about the work she has done with these young women of enormous potential. She talked about helping them overcome their fear of public speaking and building their confidence. I look forward to listening to speeches from them at similar events in the future.
Verity Price, the 2021 Toastmasters World Champion of Public Speaking, centre, and ASISA IFA interns Chandre Moodley, left, and Zharne Whiteboy.
GRADUATE PROGRAMMES
Fezeka Graduate Programme
Applications for the third iteration of the Fezeka Graduate Programme, which is starting to fulfil its promise of increasing the number of Black women in asset management, close on 16 September.
Having engaged with feedback from the various host employers who participated in the pilot programme, the ASISA Academy has proposed a few changes to be implemented in the next iteration of the programme, such as extending the programme, having graduates work at a single employer for a longer period, and including the CFA1 exams within the programme.
All eight graduates from the pilot group have completed their preparation for the CFA1 exams. A few of them sat for the August exams; the others will be writing in the next two sittings. We wish these fine young women well in their exams as well as their careers in the industry, and will be following their journeys in asset management with great interest.
The current cohort of 12 graduates are already halfway through their second five-month work rotation and progressing well. The 15-month programme is divided into three five-month work rotations, during which graduates are given exposure to different asset managers.
IFA Internship
Itumeleng Motlhale is a great example of how the ASISA Academy Independent Financial Advisor (IFA) Internship helps smart young graduates with no prior full-time work experience find their feet in the financial advice space through an internship that helps bridge the gap between university and the world of work. Now Internal Compliance Liaison Officer at Refuge Financial Services, Motlhale tells the story of how he arrived at the University of the Free State campus with nothing but his matric certificate and a plan to apply for a course (any course). Read his full story
The application window for the 2025 IFA internship for students has closed, but IFA practices have until the end of September to get involved. Email to find out more
Congratulations to the following interns for passing their RE5 exam:
Top row from left: Tiyani Mashimbye and Thandi Mdhluli from GCI Wealth, Yolanda Jali from Apex Group
Middle row from left: Sanele Shozi and Lindokuhle Msimango from GTC, and Khanyisile Mhlanga from Remnant Advisor Services
Bottom row from left: Nkazimulo Brightness Mahlomosa from Absolut Wealth Management, Candice Megan Harris from Olemera Financial Planners, and Thuto Shuping from Alpha Centauri Advisory Services.
FMP Learnership
The application window for the 2025 Financial Markets Practitioner (FMP) Learnership is open (closes: Friday, 13 December). Employers in the investment management industry are encouraged to enrol employees or unemployed graduates in our fourth FMP Learnership. The ASISA Academy maintains a database of eligible graduates who are unemployed for companies willing to partner with us in creating career pathways for them. The FMP qualification complies with the Financial Sector Code (FSC) criteria set out in categories B and D on the Learning Programme Matrix for scoring skills development points. Interested employers should please email us for more information.
SOME OF OUR COURSES PRESENTED IN AUGUST
Retirement Fund Trustee Education
A workshop on Trustee Governance & Ethics was delivered to the South African Police Union (SAPU) Trust and Sililanabo Trust in Pretoria on August 14.
We continue to offer workshops on the Two-Pot Retirement System to assist retirement fund trustees to get a better understanding of the intricacies, challenges and benefits of the new system that came into force on September 1.
Trustees who participated in one of the Two-Pot Retirement System workshops offered by the ASISA Academy in collaboration with the Institute of Retirement Funds Africa (IRFA).
COURSES IN SEPTEMBER
Retirement Fund Trustee Education
There are still some places on the following workshops for the month ahead:
- Infrastructure Investing – 9 September 2024
- Investment Fundamentals – 11 & 12 September 2024
- Exchange Traded Funds – 26 September 2024
The Academy offers a range of savings and investment courses as well as a variety of bespoke courses for member companies. Please email us to discuss a tailor-made course or workshop for your organisation. For a complete overview of learning opportunities, please visit the 2024 ASISA Academy Learning Calendar.
LEARN WITH US
The ASISA Academy is recognised as a Level 1 B-BBEE Qualifying Small Enterprise, with more than 75% of the Academy’s beneficiaries being Black South Africans. This means employers can claim 135% of their skills development spend with the ASISA Academy. Please get in touch with us to discuss how we can support your skills development requirements.
For a complete overview of learning opportunities, please visit the ASISA Academy Learning Calendar.
Please visit our website for more information on our many learning opportunities. We also invite you to interact with us on LinkedIn.
Best wishes
Alicia Davids
ASISA Academy CEO
