In celebration of Women’s Month, She Is Forestry SA announced the launch of its bold new Mentor Me Initiative, a five-year programme designed to shatter the mentorship gap that continues to hold women back from leadership in the forestry sector. Building on five years of elevating women’s voices in a male-dominated industry, Mentor Me creates around-the-clock access to female mentors and personal growth resources – designed for women, by women.
“The women we have spoken to cite confidence, experience and flexibility as the biggest barriers to advancing their careers,” explains Makhosazana (Khosi) Mavimbela, Executive Director of the Forest Sector Charter Council and Director of She Is Forestry SA. “The Mentor Me Initiative offers women the mentorship, growth tools and inspirational role models they need – accessible anytime, anywhere – to help them step into leadership roles with courage and conviction.”
At the heart of the programme are the Mentor Me Talks – powerful, on-demand talks from leading female voices in forestry and beyond. The first of these were filmed during the annual SIFSA webinar, with the line-up including:
- Nelly Ndlovu, CEO of Mondi Zimele – Resilience and Grit: Stories and Strategies for Overcoming Obstacles and Maintaining Motivation.
- Itumeleng Langeni, MTO Group Chief Stakeholder Relations Officer – Navigating Gender Bias
- Hlengiwe Msibi, Divisional Environmental Manager at Sappi – Mentorship and Sponsorship: The Distinction Between the Two and How to Seek Out Both in the Workplace.
- Amy Djamaluddin, Founder of jamjama marketing – Lessons Learnt: Moving from a Blue-Chip Corporate to a Small Business.
- Jacqui Meyer, Life Coach – Mentor Me Through Burnout
- Crystal Daniels, Counselling Psychologist – Communication: Why it Really Matters
The talks, available via the She Is Forestry SA website, are part of a growing catalogue that will, over the next five years, become a one-stop mentoring hub – complete with personal development toolkits, book reviews tailored for busy women, and practical strategies for career growth. There will also be our 10 She Is Forestry SA Role Model videos, developed to open the eyes of rural school children to the possibility of a career in forestry, by using relatable young women who have overcome similar barriers to the ones these learners face.
Early feedback underscores its impact. Eutricia Nkuna, Research Assistant at the FSCC, shared:
“Being at the start of my career, I would never have had access to these women and the wisdom they shared. It has been inspiring, practical and transformational.”
Pamela Naidoo, Executive Director of the Forestry and Agricultural Training Organisation, added:
“She Is Forestry SA has always championed women in forestry. Now, with Mentor Me, they are not just acknowledging women – they are actively shaping the future of the sector.”