As Women’s Month closes and Arbour Month approaches, She Is Forestry South Africa and Forestry South Africa (FSA) are breaking barriers for women in the forestry sector with the launch of the Mentor Me Initiative, a five-year programme aimed at accelerating female leadership in a male-dominated industry.
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Building on five years of amplifying women’s voices, Mentor Me provides 24/7 access to female mentors and personal growth resources.
“It is designed for women, by women,” says Khosi Mavimbela, executive director of the Forest Sector Charter Council and director of She Is Forestry.
Mavimbela explains the programme tackles the most common barriers: "The women we have spoken to cite lack of confidence, limited experience and inflexibility due to family responsibilities as the biggest barriers to advancing their careers.
"The Mentor Me Initiative offers women the mentorship, growth tools and inspirational role models they need. These tools are accessible anytime, anywhere to help women step into leadership roles with courage and conviction."
On-demand talks from leading women
Central to Mentor Me are on-demand talks featuring prominent female leaders in forestry and beyond. The first series, filmed during the She Is Forestry annual webinar, includes:
• 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, hosted on the She Is Forestry website, will expand into a comprehensive mentoring hub featuring personal development toolkits, book reviews for busy women, and actionable strategies for career growth.
"We also have 10 videos featuring women who have overcome common barriers to find their place in the forestry sector," notes Mavimbela. "The original purpose for these videos was to open the eyes of rural school children, using testimonies by women they can relate to."
Real impact for women starting out
The initiative is already resonating with early-career professionals.
"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," says Eutricia Nkuna, a research assistant at the FSCC.
Pamela Naidoo, executive director of the Forestry and Agricultural Training Organisation, adds: "She Is Forestry 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.
