Board perspectives
What does meaningful impact look like to you in the context of INSETA’ s mandate, and where do you believe the organisation can make its greatest difference?
BEN BOTHA
Human Resources and Remuneration Committee Chairperson
Meaningful impact goes beyond the number of people trained. We should measure not only how many learners we train and upskill, but how many we place in jobs, continue to support after placement, and retain in positions where they can thrive.
In the context of INSETA ' s mandate, it is about creating real pathways from learning to earning. The insurance sector is being transformed by AI, technology, big data, inclusivity, and new risk models, while South Africa faces a youth unemployment crisis. INSETA can make its greatest difference at that intersection.
This requires relevance, inclusivity, and absorption. We must fund the skills the sector will need tomorrow, deliberately open doors for young black professionals, women, people with disabilities, and people from rural and township economies, and ensure learners progress into employment, entrepreneurship, or further learning.
A certificate on a shelf is not impact. A young person who is employed, retained, and growing in the sector is.
AMANDA KHOZA
Finance Committee Chairperson
Meaningful impact is ultimately about whether every rand entrusted to INSETA contributes to measurable and lasting change. Skills development is an investment, and we should be able to demonstrate economic and social returns.
That means going beyond measures of activity and expenditure. We should ask whether an intervention addressed an identified skills gap, improved employability, enterprise development, or career mobility, and strengthened capability within the insurance sector.
Good stewardship is not simply about spending resources compliantly. It is about allocating them deliberately, using evidence and sector intelligence to identify where they can have the greatest impact.
INSETA can also use its funding to bring employers, education providers, and other partners together around shared skills challenges. That is where public investment in skills becomes human capability, economic opportunity, and a stronger, more inclusive insurance sector.
What’ s one recent insight that has influenced how you think about skills development?
SIPHIWE MTHETHWA
Governance and Strategy Committee Chairperson
One important lesson is that collaboration and adaptability are key. Impact is strongest when regulators, employers, professional bodies, educational institutions, and organised labour work together to shape programmes. The interests of employees are critical, and their voices must be heard in conversations about the sector’ s future.
The pace of technological change also means that programmes must remain flexible and learner-focused. The hybrid learning models introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the value of blending classroom and workplace learning, while monitoring outcomes.
As INSETA moves through this period of transition, what is the most important priority for the board?
The Board must keep INSETA aligned with sector priorities and national goals, while ensuring that operations run smoothly.
This means maintaining strong governance and financial health, protecting stakeholder confidence, and continuing to deliver programmes for young people, women, people with disabilities, and learners in rural areas. We must also prepare the workforce for digital change and emerging industry needs.
Keeping these priorities in focus will position INSETA as an enabler of inclusive, innovative, and resilient skills development.