About us

Johan graduated from NMMU (then UPE) with a double major in Computer Science and Psychology. He has been doing software development, design and architecture for the better part of two decades, primarily for bluechip corporates in the financial services industry – both locally and in Europe.

Johan started development on Commspace in 2006 as a side-project, initially for a single IFA office. After seeing the enthusiastic response of the early users, he decided to develop it into a fully-fledged solution for the broader independent financial services market.

He believes that if it ain’t broke, fix it anyway because there is always room for improvement.

Strengths:
Ideation
Achiever
Adaptability
Positivity
Individualization

Martha attended Stellenbosch University and qualified as a Chartered Accountant. Along with extensive international experience, she also worked in various industries including management consulting, interior decorating and franchising. In 2008, Martha joined the Torre group and served as Supply Chain Executive for 7 years. She joined Headspace as Managing Director in 2015.

With infectious energy and enthusiasm, she desires true connection and building long-term relationships with people.

Besides her passion for growing Commspace, Martha’s favourite place to be is on a mountain. Being an avid trail runner and mountain biker, you will often find her exploring new viewpoints.

Strengths:
Positivity
Woo
Communication
Activator
Achiever

Not being able to accept average as the norm, this “plaasmeisie” studied at both the University of Stellenbosch and the Katholieke University in Leuven Belgium, smashing a double major in both marketing and financial management.

She always goes the extra mile when it comes to planning and optimisation of client accounts. She eats process optimisation for breakfast, lunch, and dinner since apparently there’s always a better, quicker, faster way to get things done.

Away from work, she is a mom of three busy boys. Her life is basically trucks and tractors with a hint of mud. Married to a Karoo boytjie, they love entertaining friends or hitting the road.

Strengths:
Individualization
Achiever
Activator
Relator
Learner

Graham was born in the heart of Pretoria, but raised in the quiet, but busy town of Paarl. He is the child of an Engineer and an Artist, bound to be an interesting person, right?! He attended Paarl Boys’ High and went on to obtain his Honors Degree in Financial Management at the University of Stellenbosch.

He currently fulfills the role of Lead Business Intelligence Analyst where he is a firm advocate for big data and the advantages it holds for businesses, no matter what the size. He enjoys uncovering the story that data provides as well as sharing the knowledge gained from analysing it.

Graham’s life motto: “There is a big difference between change and transformation. Change is merely an improved past, but transformation is creating a better future. Be a transformer, not a fixer.

Strengths:
Competition
Analytical
Restorative
Learner
Ideation

Gerrit is from a small town in the karoo called Beaufort West, he is part of triplets and has a love for all things data and analytics! Upon obtaining his Bachelors Degree in Information Systems Management at the University of Stellenbosch, he immediately started working as a Business Analyst and instantly fell in love with the BI field.

He is extremely passionate about turning large amounts of data into valuable insights that help drive business decisions and is in awe of the fact that you can get an oversight of your whole business by simply looking at one dashboard. He strongly believes that you should always look to find a solution that leverages the available data, because, without it, you are merely just another person with an opinion.

Gerrit really enjoys hikes up the Coetzenburg mountains and will never, without a shadow of a doubt, miss a team’s drink after work!

Strengths:
Futuristic
Adaptability
Relator
Positivity
Focus

In 2016, McKayla started her career as a Foundation Phase teacher at Curro in Pretoria. Fast forward to 2023, she made a transition to join Commspace as an assistant, marking a new chapter in her professional journey. McKayla’s affection for people and children is truly evident, as she wholeheartedly embraces opportunities to lend a helping hand.

Driven by self-motivation and unwavering determination, McKayla approaches every task with immense pride and commitment. Her motto in life is, “I am capable of achieving anything; just show me how.” This mantra serves as a constant source of inspiration for her, empowering her to overcome challenges and reach new heights.

When she’s not being awesome at work, McKayla nurtures her creative side as a leisure artist, enjoying painting and crafting candles. It then comes as no surprise that she’s become very fond of the Winelands, especially Franshoek – all thanks to the amazing art galleries and super-friendly locals.

Family time holds a special place in McKayla’s heart, and she cherishes every moment spent together. Picnics and seaside adventures are among her favorite activities.

Strengths:
Belief
Responsibility
Developer
Restorative
Connectedness

Analytically inclined, process obsessed, and solution-driven. Glenda lives for process improvement, and strongly believes that big changes are the culmination of small, incremental steps taken each day.

She joined Commspace after spending 8 years in a prominent IFA practice, where she was given directorship during the second half of her tenure. This, along with her Bcom in Business Administration, gave her valuable insights into all aspects of IFA practices, from products, clients, and adviser needs to business and finance. Capitalizing on her experience, she helps our clients improve and streamline their revenue management processes by utilizing the features Commspace has to offer (sometimes in very creative ways 😏).

Her approach to life is simple: Change, evolve, progress.

Most weekends you will find her in a nursery or in her garden, as she grew up in a family completely OBSESSED with plants (she specifically thanks her mom for this gift!). She also loves animals, although she never thought she would marry a man who came with hundreds of snakes in tow! Yikes!

Strengths:
Command
Analytical
Strategic
Relator
Deliberative

Lauren graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Logistics Management from the University of Stellenbosch. She is a motivated and hardworking young woman that has a heart of gold! When she is not overachieving in the workplace, is she an inspiring philanthropist helping her local church.

Lauren grew up in the small town of Wellington where most of her passions were “brewed”. She is a family girl and if she has free time, you can count on it that she will be at some weird and wonderful restaurant/wine farm with her family and friends. She is also our in-house wine connoisseur.
Her motto in life is: “Live life to its fullest. Have no regrets.”

Strengths:
Individualization
Deliberative
Learner
Achiever
Analytical

Sasha-Lee joined Commspace in 2019 in the Managed Services team as a junior account manager and in 2020 made the move to the Onboarding team as a Business Onboarding Analyst.

Sasha-Lee was born and bred in Johannesburg but now finds herself in the Northern Suburbs of Cape Town. Sasha felt like the full-time studying wasn’t for her, so she opted to start working whilst studying and has graduated with her BCom Financial Management degree at the University of South Africa. But she isn’t done yet! She aspires to delve into the Business Analyst industry and explore all the goods it has to offer.

She is extremely passionate about the quality of her work and service to her clients, she makes it her mission to always exceed her client’s needs and to deliver excellence. She strongly believes that just because something works, doesn’t mean it can’t be improved!

Sasha believes that a bad day with coffee is better than a good day without it. She claims it as her lifeline as it gets her through most of her days. She is a big learner so when she isn’t busy studying then she’s either busy with a short course or watching some documentaries or listening to documentary podcasts and maybe a little sudoku in between.

Sasha lives by the words of the great Babe Ruth: “Never let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game.”

Strengths:
Context
Learner
Restorative
Relator
Individualization

Born at the foot of Plattekloof hill, in the picturesque Mother City, Nicole is known for her tenacious, go-getting attitude and determination. Bestowed with a kindred spirit and kind heart, she easily brings out the best in everyone around her. With a degree in Industrial Psychology and a current goal of completing her Law degree on top of that, no mountain is too high for this one. Passionate and driven beyond what is expected of a normal human being, she invests her time and energy into things she believes in and always manages to smile and laugh while doing it.

In her free time, she enjoys watching endless videos of puppies, doing her nails and lecturing her fiancé on the “benefits” of eating chocolate at any time of day – yes even as soon as you wake up.

Strengths:
Woo
Communication
Strategic
Developer
Positivity

Although born and raised in a small town on the edge of the Namakwaland, Chrisri has big dreams to make a difference in the lives of those who cross paths with her. After completing her bachelor’s degree in Theology, she ran the logistics for the outreaches of a local gap-year program before joining the Commspace team in 2020, where she now considers herself part of the (newer) furniture.

Ever motivated by a new challenge, she started studying a BA in International Relations in 2021.

Chrisri believes that excellence makes all the difference. In her free time, you will find her somewhere in nature, or on the couch with a sudoku puzzle.

Strengths:
Command
Restorative
Relator
Strategic
Activator

Adept at strategy, guided by a strong sense of purpose, and deeply analytical.

Mariëlle successfully completed her BCom Hons in Risk Management along with PGFD in Financial Planning. This solid educational background has equipped her to excel in various roles within different IFA practices for the past 7 and a half years. These roles have included operational management, para-planning, and office management. Numbers, processes, and problem-solving are what makes her tick in the workspace.

Her family, the needs of others, and animals are what keep her busy after hours.

Motto: Live in the present, Love in the present, hope in the future.

Strengths:
Restorative
Strategic
Learner
Individualization
Analytical

Sanette has been in the service industry for many years and understands what it takes to run a successful back-office operation. She is passionate about gettings things done the right way and keeps everyone around here honest when it comes to staying focused.

She also takes customer success very seriously, as many of our clients can attest to.

In her spare time …. errr … we have no idea when that might be, because she seems to be around all the time.

Strengths:
Responsibility
Ideation
Analytical
Relator
Achiever

Originally from PE, Janell graduated from the Nelson Mandela University (previously, UPE) with a double major in Psychology and Language.

Upon graduating, Janell pursued a career in finance at Momentum where she was the Franchise Assistant to several Financial Advisors. This is where Janell found her passion for working with people and solving the queries and difficulties clients may experience with their financial products.

In the little bit of free time that she has, if any, you’ll find Janell on the Paarl Mountain Trails with her running shoes or at home with her husband and son.

Strengths:
Learner
Achiever
Responsibility
Input
Focus

Kevin is a born and bred Paarlite who matriculated at Paarl Boys High. He comes with 20+ years in the IT industry in various business domains ranging from transport and logistics to mobile telecoms to financial services. His career background and experience are largely in big American corporates such as IBM and FIS, but now finds himself in a FinTech company located in his home town Paarl and is relishing the different challenges and new adventures it brings!

He is dedicated, focused, and reliable, with a get-it-done attitude and easy-going nature that believes in great team culture.

His beliefs are underpinned by the fact that time is precious, so spend it wisely getting the most out of it, making a difference in people’s lives, and deriving real value for businesses.

He loves spending time with family and friends, visiting local wine farms and exploring new locations, travelling overseas and experiencing different cultures.

Strengths:
Input
Relator
Achiever
Analytical
Responsibility

Stefan is an experienced software developer who is passionate about creating software that not only gets used, but also empowers individuals through technology.

He holds an honours degree from the University of Pretoria in Computer Science and an honours degree in Technology Management, which he passed with distinction (cum laude).

With more than 15 years of experience in designing and developing user-centric enterprise software applications, he is committed to continuous learning and staying up to date with the ever-evolving technology stack.

Outside of work, Stefan enjoys spending quality time with his wife and two boys. They like spending time camping, hiking and fishing. He has travelled to Europe, UK and the USA with his wife and they hope to also travel Internationally with their boys in the future.

Strengths:
Learner
Achiever
Analytical
Belief
Focus

Louw is a developer who is on a lifelong journey to improve his skills in the ever-growing Front-End stack.

He has a degree in Multimedia and over 4 years of experience in developing for the web. He loves working as part of a team and is obsessed with best practices.

In his spare time, he likes hiking, going to the beach, eating out, playing video games, and teaching.

Strengths:
Connectedness
Intellection
Analytical
Deliberative
Input

Kim studied Computer Science at the University of Cape Town, and after many years of experience as a Software Developer, she joined Commspace in 2021 helping us build new product features that enrich the experience of our users. She spent many years living abroad and loves to travel and experience foreign cultures. She is even fluent in Mandarin Chinese – incredible!

Loving animals, she often helps rehabilitate sick and injured birds and now has a few pigeons as pets since they decided to stay.

Strengths:
Achiever
Learner
Futuristic
Context
Relator

Tyrone is passionate about getting people engaged with technology to improve their lives or grow their business.

Tyrone went to UNISA for a BSc in Computer Science. He started his career as a hardware technician in 2014 and evolved to software and web developer since 2017. Tyrone has been a developer across 11 projects through out his growing career, including sectors such as Health Care and Insurance.

When he’s not brainstorming ideas or coding, Tyrone enjoys the outdoors, botany, and mycology.

Strengths:
Deliberative
Restorative
Strategic
Individualisation
Analytical

Niekie completed high school at Paarl Gymnasium and went on to study Marketing and Business Management. After starting off his career in retail management, he pivoted to the financial services sector, spending time at the likes of Sanlam and PSG, where he gained experience as a finance and commission administrator.

Niekie is a natural-born leader who not only empowers his team to reach new heights but is also a calming influence on his colleagues when the pressure is on.

“Hiking, camping and spending quality time with family and friends” … a finance geek with a life. Now we’ve seen it all.

Strengths:
Relator
Belief
Restorative
Responsibility
Deliberative

“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” – John Quincy Adams. If the words “patient” and “perseverance” don’t shout Elsa, we don’t know what will.
Born and bred in the Karoo, Elsa briefly tried her hand at teaching and while she enjoyed it very much, she returned to Cape Town. She then continued to build a career in financial administration, along with a healthy dose of IT admin. Being blessed (or is that cursed?) with a strong sense of perfectionism, she takes pride in her work and won’t stop until the last cent is accounted for.
Flourishing in Commspace’s Training and Support department, as well as being a Senior Account Manager, it is evident that she loves working with people and strives for happy, satisfied clients. She gets a kick out of accuracy, processes, and most importantly, helping people grow to their full potential. She’s clearly in the right place!

When she’s not at work reconciling spreadsheets or closing off clients, she’s out on the field, practicing her throwing arm at bowls, where she has received her Winelands colours as well as joined the Boland Kuipers team.

Strengths:
Developer
Empathy
Achiever
Relator
Includer

Amanda is considered as part of the furniture, as she has been part of the Commspace family for close to 5 years.

Taking pleasure in detailed organisation, structure, and processes, we believe she is perfectly placed as a Senior Account Manager in the Managed Services department. She has the gift of building meaningful relationships with her clients whilst developing our Junior Account Managers to unlock their full potential (“working yourself out of a job”, right?)

She lives by the quote: “Lead from the back and let others believe they are in front” spoken by a truly inspirational leader, Nelson Mandela.

Being recently chosen as Worship Team Leader at her church’s Youth Program, she furthers her skills as a leader whilst living out her love for singing. For relaxation, she enjoys getting a drink with a friend or taking a ride on her scooter. Meep meep!

Strengths:
Connectedness
Relator
Empathy
Arranger
Includer

Chantal graduated from Paarl Gymnasium in the year 2000. Ever since then, she has always been in the finance industry where she dealt with everything from personal loans up to consolidation and debt recovery or collection. She even spent some time between lawyers, assisting with court documents and debt collection.

She’s an absolute extrovert who is eager to learn new things. Never backs down from whatever life throws her way.

Outside the office, her family is her biggest priority.

Strengths:
Developer
Empathy
Communication
Includer
Arranger

Henriette started as a Junior Account Manager in early 2021 after working as an estate administrator for a liquidation Company. Her retail experience has equipped her with valuable customer service skills that help her provide the best service possible.

A good balance between work and fun is what enabled her to work and study part-time as she is currently in her final year of studies, completing her Bcom Financial Management degree through Unisa.

Her fun time consists of exploring unique locations where she can leisurely enjoy a glass of wine with her loved ones. When she’s not catching up on new beauty tips, she also enjoys baking all sorts of yummy things!

Her motto is that for each setback we face, an opportunity surfaces to return stronger than before.

 

Strengths:
Individualization
Relator
Input
Empathy
Achiever

She is a social butterfly and absolutely LOVES meeting new people – a characteristic that shines through whenever she interacts with our clients and team. Jodie’s mission in life is not merely to survive but to thrive, and to do so with a whole lot of passion and compassion.

Apart from work, she is a part-time student (a future teacher in the making) and a full-time mom. She believes that with the right mindset you can accomplish whatever you put your mind to. The sky is the limit.

Strengths:
Woo
Communication
Restorative
Includer
Achiever

Jennifer, better known as Jenni, joined the Commspace family at the beginning of October 2021.
Having a full-time job and being a student taught her great organizational and planning skills which helps her in her position as Junior Account Manager. Her previous job also developed her people skills and patience. Jenni enjoys learning and we just love her positive outlook on life!

In her free time, she likes to spend time with her loved ones, baking, and even more studying! She particularly enjoys learning about different cultures and people’s beliefs in life.

Strengths:
Empathy
Learner
Developer
Consistency
Positivity

This lady studied Beauty Therapy and completed a TEFL certificate in 2017. Since then, she’s been to China to teach English and worked mainly in sales and administration thereafter. She is passionate about customer relationships, she is very detailed, and likes to write everything down and plan ahead.

She enjoys learning new languages and spontaneously exploring different locations. Her ultimate goal is to speak at least 8 languages fluently, putting her in a position to communicate with a larger variety of people and be able to build more diverse relationships. Her motto in life is “As long as you are alive, you will either live to accomplish your own goals and dreams or be used as a resource to accomplish someone else’s.”

In her spare time, she is mainly on Duolingo or watching crime related series. She loves animals and strongly believes that her spirit animal is a cow.

Strengths:
Consistency
Positivity
Restorative
Relator
Discipline

Ethan holds a BComm degree from the University of the Western Cape and shortly after joined Commspace. (Aren’t we lucky?) He is an exceptionally motivated person, with wisdom beyond his years. He enjoys learning new skills and firmly believes that you should, above all else, invest in yourself to truly get the most out of life.

“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six sharpening my axe.” Work smarter, not harder – words we live by, Ethan!

In his spare time, he is actively involved in his church, plays drums and sports, reads and learns.

Strengths:
Responsibility
Competition
Analytical
Futuristic
Belief

Amber joined the Commspace family at the beginning of March 2023. She obtained her BCom Honours degree in Transport Economics at Stellenbosch University and shortly thereafter worked at a clearing and forwarding company. This has equipped her with the capability to work in a fast-paced environment where she learned the necessary skills to manage deadlines and have great attention to detail.

Personally, she lives by the quote: “If there are nine rabbits on the ground, if you want to catch one, just focus on one.” – Jack Ma

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and exploring new things.

Strengths:
Harmony
Responsibility
Empathy
Developer
Consistency

Divan, a driven individual with a passion for growth, studied BCom degree in Business Management and also Accounting. Having delved into the world of business from a young age, he possesses a sharp, entrepreneurial mind, always seeking opportunities to excel and succeed.

Embracing the philosophy of “work smarter, not harder,” Divan firmly believes that investing in oneself is the key to unlocking life’s full potential. He is continually motivated to learn and acquire new skills, knowing that personal development is a lifelong journey.

Driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge, Divan dedicates time to reading and learning, knowing that every piece of wisdom gained is an invaluable asset on his journey to success.

With an entrepreneurial spirit and a love for sports and learning, Divan embodies the idea that diverse experiences and constant growth lead to a fulfilling life.

“Success is not a destination but a journey of continuous growth; embrace every step of the way, and greatness shall be your companion.”

Strengths:
Futuristic
Restorative
Focus
Command
Deliberative