Mentorship Programme

THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

Sub-saharan Africa is home to some of the world’s poorest nations as well as other countries with the highest inequality of wealth. Despite the multiple social, political and economic issues that prevail, most of these countries are immensely rich in natural resources and have a young, growing population. It is also understood that finance can be a powerful lever to allocate and mobilise capital to meet the development and economic growth imperatives for all society. To this end Africa needs to develop and foster an ethical, responsible and professional investment community that can drive financial solutions for a sustainable society. 

As part of our CFA South Africa’s mission to drive and develop industry professional initiatives that benefit the broader society and enhance investor protection, we have launched a mentorship programme to assist entry level charterholders to build the correct foundations for their professional journey in investments and associated fields.  We believe our role is to nurture the ecosystem of CFA members and partners to enable this to happen. The mentorship programme is one of the projects we believe will assist new charterholders to gain a practical understanding to:

• navigate the challenges that they will confront (or currently confronting) in order to develop  their careers,

• develop the types of skill sets, behaviours and other toolkits that they would need to support them in their journey,

• meet the broad challenges and complexities facing their industries and markets,

• apply best-practice in the areas of ethics and professional excellence,

• open the opportunity set for charterholders to renew their enthusiasm to grow their career in the industry in the medium to long term, 

• find opportunities that match their skillset and preferences; and develop into ethical, inspiring and contributing leaders in society, 

• develop into upstanding CFA charterholders to be the face of change for the mission of the society in Africa. 

By matching aspirant mentees with CFA charterholders that have established senior positions in industry, we hope that this process of engagement and interaction will build a robust pool of young motivated CFA charterholders

We believe our role is to nurture the ecosystem of CFA members and partners to enable this to happen. The mentorship programme is one of the projects we believe will:

• open the opportunity set for new charterholders/ charterpendings to renew their enthusiasm to grow their career in the industry in the medium to long term, 

• find opportunities that match their skillset and preferences; and 

• be the face of change for the mission of the Society in Africa.

 Mentees will benefit from their mentors’ shared experiences and guidance, as they explore career paths in the investment industry. Mentors will provide the perspective necessary for success in the investment profession while strengthening their leadership skills as they coach, motivate, and empower mentees.

Please note that the Mentorship Programme is not designed to be used as a recruiting platform by mentors or as a job search opportunity by mentees.

What is mentorship?

The simplest way to define mentorship is a helping relationship in which one person, usually more experienced or senior, takes time to assist the career, professional or personal development of someone else, who is known as a mentee. Mentorships are most often a one-to-one relationship but is sometimes conducted in groups.

In the context of the CFA Society South Africa, mentors are CFA charterholders with many years of experience in investment management, along with a diverse skills and network set. Mentees are CFA Program Level 3, charterpendings and new charterholders, who are looking for guidance and ideas on how to establish their career fully within the investments industry.

A mentoring relationship is one that is built on trust, in which there is an exchange of knowledge, experience and goodwill. In developmental mentorships, such as the CFA Society South Africa Mentorship Programme, the focus is on the development of the mentee’s capacity, rather than just the handing down of advice or solutions. The mentee builds their ability to navigate new waters, with the help of the mentor. And the mentor often learns a great deal from the mentee in return. Thus, there is a two-way relationship.

2024/ 2025 Mentors