Who Opened a Door for You? Six Women Share Their Perspectives on Mentorship

Ask a successful woman about the people who shaped her career and, somewhere in the story, there is often a person who opened a door, offered advice, provided an opportunity or simply saw potential before she did.

For six women taking part in She Is Forestry South Africa’s (SIFSA) Mentor Me initiative, mentorship is not simply about receiving that support. It is also about what happens next: becoming the person who opens the door for someone else.

Their careers span forestry operations, research, technology, communications, sustainability and certification, but their experiences share a common thread. Progress rarely happens alone.

Yoliswa Dlamini, now a Management Forester at Sappi Midlands, to study Forestry at Nelson Mandela University’s Saasveld Campus. Today she is responsible for eight teams comprising around 145 people. Looking back, she recognises how much her career was shaped by people willing to invest in her.

It is why she is now committed to helping young professionals and women coming into forestry build confidence, overcome obstacles and find their own paths. “For me, mentorship is a two-way journey. Just as I have learned from my mentors, I know I will also learn from those I mentor, while sharing what I have gained along the way,” says Dlamini.

Nonkululeko Ntinga, Nurseries Manager at Mondi South Africa, was the first Black African woman to receive the Sir William Schlich Medal twice for academic excellence after her studies towards a National Diploma in Forestry from Nelson Mandela University and a BSc Forestry Honours degree from Stellenbosch University. She too has experienced mentorship from both sides.

This laid the foundation for her to manage multidisciplinary teams, operational budgets and the production of high-quality clonal planting material.

In 2026, Ntinga joined She is Forestry’s Mentor Me programme as being a mentee seemed like a natural progression that would broaden her perspective and strengthen her own leadership journey through words of encouragement and intentional career conversations with senior leaders. For Ntinga, mentorship does not always require grand gestures. “It often about being present, sharing wisdom and believing in someone until they are able to believe in themselves.”

Mfundo Ngcobo, who leads NCT’s communications, public relations and corporate social responsibility, admits that she initially questioned whether her own career was remarkable enough to inspire anyone when she joined the Mentor Me programme in 2026. “I never thought of myself as particularly inspiring, but rather as someone working hard and making the most of every opportunity.”

Her career has since taught her that perseverance and a willingness to continue learning matter more than perfection. She adds that growth is never a solo journey and everyone has something to teach and something still to learn.

For Trudy Sebelebele, Forest Certification Manager at Sappi, mentorship is fundamental to leadership and that leadership carries a responsibility to create visibility, inspire possibility and help others see pathways they may not have considered for themselves. She lives this ethos through her work. She helps small and micro timber growers with certification strategies for sustainable forestry, market access and continuous improvement, enabling them to participate more fully in downstream markets.

“I am so grateful that my mentors challenged me to move beyond my comfort zone, and that I realised that learning should be possible regardless of seniority,” says Sebelebele.

Noxolo Kheswa, a GIS Analyst at Mondi South Africa, has built a career that brings together geography, technology and environmental stewardship. Having benefited from mentorship since her high school days, Kheswa is committed to creating the same opportunities for other young women.

“My success would be incomplete and futile if the door shuts behind me,” she says. “Mentoring keep those doors open by creating inclusive spaces for the next generation of young women.”

Dr Noxolo Ndlovu, a Forest Research Scientist at NCT Forestry, oversees research into tree improvement, protection and silviculture. Bursaries and sponsorships supported her studies at Nelson Mandela University from her first year through to her PhD, and she credits seeing other women succeed with giving her the confidence to pursue her own ambitions.

“Mentorship is a wonderful human experience and an integral part of growth,” says Ndlovu.

She echoes Kheswa’s sentiment: “Being mentored allows us to learn from the wisdom and experience of those who have gone before us, while being a mentor allows us to invest in the next generation.”

SIFSA’s five-year Mentor Me initiative brings women at different stages of their careers into relationships with experienced female mentors, while encouraging them to become role models for those following behind them.

For these women, that creates something of a virtuous circle: someone opens a door for you; you step through it, grow, and eventually hold it open for somebody else.

And perhaps that is one of the most useful questions to ask this Women’s Month: who helped you get where you are, and whose career could you help change next?

Interviews

Several of this year’s hosts are available for interviews and features on mentorship, resilience and building a career as a woman in business.

About She Is Forestry SA

She Is Forestry SA (She Is Forestry) is a non-profit organisation established by the Forest Sector Charter Council and Forestry South Africa, supported by the wider forestry sector and forest product value chain. She Is Forestry exists to encourage, support, promote and uplift women across the sector, its value chains and beyond, including through its five-year Mentor Me Initiative and its support of five schools across South Africa’s forestry provinces.

www.sifsa.co.za 

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