SARIPA Mentorship Programme

18 January 2024

Hello to all SARIPA members,

We are excited to announce that we hosted our first workshop for our Mentorship Programme 2024 at the offices of Deloitte yesterday, 17th January 2024.

Our Chair, Dr E Levenstein, gave the following address: “The objective of the programme is to allow for the transfer of skills, experience, and know-how and where we aim to get our younger members to better understand the practical (hands-on) intricacies of insolvency, restructuring and rescue practice. 

The programme is focused on setting the bar for young practitioners and educating them on what we believe to be the sought-after qualities for practice, and where much focus is placed on professional awareness and ethical conduct.

Empowerment in the true sense of the word is what we want to try and achieve, and by allowing our mentees to engage with our mentors, (whether it be face-to-face or virtually), we can assist in the development of their careers over time.

Many of our young mentees might very well be licensed insolvency practitioners or BRPs but have never yet had the opportunity to take on a live mandate or appointment. One of the purposes of the SARIPA mentorship programme is to get them to the point where they can confidently take on live insolvency and business rescue mandates.

It is hoped that the mentor will share with his or her mentee "a way of doing things". The mentorship programme allows a mentor to engage with a younger, less experienced individual where the mentor can show the mentee "the ropes" and share with them the way in which one manages and runs a practice, and where ultimately, they are able to deliver a work product to clients more effectively.

To our Mentors – Angie, Anneke, Reynette and Garth, thank you for your willingness to give up your valuable time for this important programme. SARIPA is highly appreciative of your having put up your hands to assist us with the task of mentoring. We are all aware that you are busy and have successful practices, and by giving up your valuable time, you are no doubt going to make a "difference" in the lives and working careers of our SARIPA mentees.

Bob Proctor once said - "A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within his/her mentee than the mentee might see in themselves. A mentor is someone who helps the mentee to recognise his/her ability to bring out talent and ability to the surface and which will become quickly evident to all concerned".

There is no doubt that you will be able to meaningfully contribute to our young mentees’ growth, build confidence levels and their ability in the insolvency and business rescue area of practice. This is a fantastic opportunity for them, especially at such an early stage of their careers and particularly at a stage when they are starting to plan and map out their futures as young insolvency and business rescue professionals in South Africa.

Your role as a mentor reminds me of a famous old Chinese proverb - "If you want a harvest in one year, grow a crop; If you want a harvest in 10 years, grow trees; If you want a harvest to last a lifetime….grow people".

To our Mentees – Hemisha, Sifungile, Naphtali and Thabo, to be able to partner with SARIPA and with your allocated mentors is a truly incredible opportunity.

As J. Lauren Norris put it - "If you cannot see where you are going ask someone who has been there before".

The SARIPA Mentorship Programme remains a groundbreaking initiative and one, of which I as Chair, and René our COO, and the board, are very proud!! A special word of thanks to Jo Mitchell-Marais and Christopher Rey for their dedication to this very important workstream, and to Deloitte for hosting us. “

Take care,
Dr Eric Levenstein
SARIPA Chairperson