About us
Back in 2006, our founder had the idea to build something for financial advisers that would solve a real pain point – keeping track of commission referrals and splitting commission between advisers.
He instinctively knew that the best way to approach this, was to build an easy-to-use, web-based solution that could be used by anybody, no special skills or experience required. This was in the era where desktop software was still king, when fax machines still abounded, when the only widely used document format for this stuff was PDF (at best, or scanned copies of hand-written notes at worst š). This was before The Cloud was a thing. Heck, Steve Jobs hadnāt even introduced the world to the iPhone yet š¤·āāļø
After a few years of going it alone, our founder realised that the only way to build his great idea into a truly successful offering was to attract the best and brightest, the most committed, passionate and real people to help build this dream. To be honest, on paper there wasnāt much to get people excited about joining the cause. At that point there were five existing clients. No external investment. No big budget. Nevertheless, in early 2015, armed with nothing but the modest beginnings of a potentially great product, a heap of passion and a fierce vision of what could be, our founder set out to find these unique individuals… and miraculously,Ā people began to join, people who bought into the vision.
The right people.
Or rather, as we like to call it, people with The Right Stuffā¢.
Our Secret Sauce
You know how Coca-Cola has its secret ingredient? How the Colonelās famous finger lickinā good is prepared with his secret blend of herbs and spices? Well, we have our own Secret recipe for Success… and I am going to let you in on it now… . Ready?
(Yes, that really is written on the back of a paper napkin. All the best ideas are.)
Meet the team
Executive Management
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
With infectious energy and enthusiasm, she desires true connection and building long-term relationships with people.
Besides her passion for growing Commspace, Marthaās 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
Business Intelligence & Strategic Initiatives
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
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.
Grahamās life motto: āThere 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
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 teamās drink after work!
Strengths:
Futuristic
Adaptability
Relator
Positivity
Focus
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 sheās 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 ā 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
Business Onboarding Analysts
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 š).
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 grew up in the small town of Wellington where most of her passions were ābrewedā. 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: āLive life to its fullest. Have no regrets.ā
Strengths:
Individualization
Deliberative
Learner
Achiever
Analytical
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 wasnāt 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 isnāt 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 clientās needs and to deliver excellence. She strongly believes that just because something works, doesnāt mean it canāt 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 isnāt busy studying then sheās 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
In her free time, she enjoys watching endless videos of puppies, doing her nails and lecturing her fiancĆ© on the ābenefitsā of eating chocolate at any time of day ā yes even as soon as you wake up.
Strengths:
Woo
Communication
Strategic
Developer
Positivity
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
Mariƫlle 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
Customer Success & Training
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
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, youāll 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
Software Engineering
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
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
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
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 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
Managed Services
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
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 Commspaceās 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. Sheās clearly in the right place!
When sheās not at work reconciling spreadsheets or closing off clients, sheās 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
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
Sheās 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
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
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
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 peopleās beliefs in life.
Strengths:
Empathy
Learner
Developer
Consistency
Positivity
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 āAs 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 elseās.ā
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
āIf I had eight hours to chop down a tree, Iād spend six sharpening my axe.ā 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
Personally, she lives by the quote: āIf there are nine rabbits on the ground, if you want to catch one, just focus on one.ā ā Jack Ma
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and exploring new things.
Strengths:
Harmony
Responsibility
Empathy
Developer
Consistency
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
What our clients say about us
In the media
Listen to our story, our why.
What we do and how we do it… and why it should matter to you.
SAIFAA Breakfast May 2022 – Martha Koekemoer from Commspace
One of the most time-consuming activities for IFAs involves managing the inflows and outflows of cash for your practice. Whether you’re a fee-only practice or earn commissions off products and AUM, keeping track of how you’re making and spending your money is foundational to the success (and saleability) of your practice.
Martha and the team at Commspace have created a seamless solution that helps you understand the value of your practice to earn better, pay better and build a higher value succession plan.
Financial Planners South Africa
Johan is the Founder of Commspace. He discusses starting Commspace, and how it grew from a One Man Show to a team of twenty-five people. Johan also talks about his perspective on what’s working (and what can improve) in the current Financial Advice industry.
Leveraging the finances of your financial services business like a boss
The foundation for any business is a solid financial management strategy. This is even more critical for financial professionals and their practices.
The ideal solution for managing your financial planning business revenue
Commspace has its origin in humble beginnings. It became clear quickly that there was a need for managing the revenue earned by financial planning practices. But in a simplified and easy-to-use manner.
Career opportunities
If you have a can-do attitude and are looking to join a kick-ass team with Pinky-and-the-Brain-like aspirations, then contact us today or check out our available positions.