From the very start, The Mentorship Challenge was conceived as a project that would go far beyond being an engaging and highly informative talk show. Redefine Properties’ original intention was to revive and recreate the conditions for a culture of mentorship. In a skills-scarce South Africa, this seemed a matter of urgent necessity – to create a bank of beneficial hours that could be drawn on by future leaders, budding entrepreneurs and promising trailblazers.
But we could never have anticipated the commitment of the passionate leaders, creatives and trendsetters that we have in such abundance in this country – and their willingness to donate hours of their valuable time to grooming and guiding future leaders.
The list of leadership luminaries is endless and diverse, including sculptors, fashionistas, artists, philanthropists and business moguls: Zuki Mzozoyana, Dawie Roodt, Grace Harding, Lira, Chris Bishop, Papama Mtwisha, Taddy Blecher, Brian Joffe, Dr Pearl Kupe, Judge Bernard Ngoepe, René Otto, Ntando Kubheka, John Nicolakakis, Mauritz Lotz, Ruda Landman, Mike Whitfield, Bernie Brookes, Vuyiswa Mutshekwane, Jacky Fick, Pierre van Tonder, Malcolm Gooding, Angus Taylor, Vito Rugani, Gisèle Wertheim Aymés, Magnus Heystek, Jane Trembath, Rosemary Nalden, and Marc Lubner.
How do we begin to sing their praises? They have so generously pledged time to pay it forward and share those invaluable lessons that only a lifetime of leadership can confer. And they’ve challenged other industry titans to join the cause and proliferate the mentorship hours, so that we have an ongoing, rich resource of masterclasses – through one-on-one sessions available to all aspiring South Africans – that will endure for generations to come.
We thus invite mentors and mentees across the country to take up the challenge, and sign up to either pledge or register for personal mentorship sessions. Be the ripple in the pond, and help us to drive The Mentorship Challenge to 2000 powerful hours.
Visit www.mentorshipchallenge.co.za.