Q & A: UFS SCHOOL OF FINANCIAL PLANNING LAW
The first is structural: caregiving still falls disproportionately on women, often colliding with the mid-career stage when leadership pipelines are built and unencumbered availability is assumed.
The second is subtler. A confidence gap reinforced by years of being interrupted or second-guessed. Neither is solved by telling women to“ lean in” harder. Institutions need to redefine merit and readiness for leadership.
How important are mentorship, sponsorship, and professional networks in helping women progress in their careers? They are critically important. A mentor gives advice; a sponsor lends their credibility to put your name forward in rooms where you are not present. I have benefited from both.
Networks matter too, particularly where relationships carry real weight. I’ m deliberate now about building rooms where women can find each other rather than leaving that to chance.
What responsibility do women leaders have to create opportunities for those who follow? It is a genuine obligation, and not simply a nice-to-have. Many people opened doors for me, and I owe those who follow the same, or better. That means actively sponsoring younger women; being transparent about decisions; and calling out bias rather than remaining diplomatically silent.
As the school marks 25 years, how has financialplanning education changed? Some 25 years ago, the profession was still finding its feet in South Africa, and the emphasis was heavily technical.
Today, we understand that financial planning is as much about behaviour, trust, and communication as it is about technical competence. Clients need someone who can help them make sense of decisions tangled up with fear and identity, so our curriculum has moved toward a more holistic model.
Your research explores how people communicate about money. How should that shape planners’ education? My research keeps confirming that financial decisions aren’ t purely rational. They’ re shaped by upbringing, anxiety, aspiration, and sometimes shame.
Training planners only in technical skills leaves them poorly equipped for client conversations. The best planners I know are excellent listeners first and technicians second. This is why the industry is embedding communication, ethics, and behavioural insight into curricula. A brilliant plan that a client doesn’ t understand or trust will simply sit in a drawer.
What are the school’ s main priorities as the profession evolves? Three stand out.
First, keeping pace with regulatory and technological change without losing the human judgment that makes planning valuable. Second, deepening our focus on ethics and trust.
Third, and closest to my passion, broadening access to financial-planning education so that the next generation of planners reflects the clients they’ ll serve.
What would you say to young women considering careers in financial planning, law, or academia? Don’ t wait to feel fully ready; none of us ever does. These fields reward people who are willing to keep learning and build genuine relationships, both of which you can practise from day one.
Find people who’ ll tell you the truth about your work, not just people who make you feel good. Your perspective is an asset, not something to apologise for. �
Automated advice tools, digital platforms, and the pace of regulation have also reshaped the profession and the way we teach it. We worked to prepare graduates for a profession that will keep evolving. sabusinessintegrator. co. za 27