WELCOME TO COMENSA
COACHES & MENTORS OF SOUTH AFRICA
increasing role in empowering future generations to realise their full potential.
To meet this need, COMENSA ensures that the highest standard of professional
service is provided by serving as the globally recognised, self-regulatory,
professional body for coaching and mentoring in South Africa.
ABOUT COMENSA
Inspire | Enlighten | Empower
We provide a platform for all stakeholders to engage, educate, exchange, and evolve in pursuit of best practice.
We support the ongoing evolution of coaches and mentors through the promotion
of diversity, inclusion, education, and networking through our community of practitioners.
We reinforce professionalism through a process of credentialing,
the maintenance of participation and continued education tracking.
COMENSA VALUES
Accountability | Integrity | Inclusivity | Professionalism | Innovation
Accountability As a Professional Body, we are accountable for our
actions and behaviours to deliver results for the benefit of all our stakeholders.
Integrity We commit to maintaining trust and credibility,
through honest and transparent undertakings that are congruent
with our values, policies and professional purpose.
Professionalism We deliver our services according to professional standards,
and commit to continuous improvement thereof to the benefit of all our stakeholders.
Inclusivity We welcome non judgemental diversity amongst our members
and the value it brings to the coaching and mentoring professions.
Innovation We embrace a change mindset, being open to new ideas,
improvements and technology.


COACHING VS MENTORING
Understanding the difference

COACHING
COMENSA defines coaching as “a professional, collaborative and outcomes-driven method of learning that seeks to develop an individual and raise self-awareness so that he or she might achieve specific goals and perform at a more effective level”.
COACHING VS MENTORING
Coaching is about creating change that enhances performance and learning. Coaches emphasise new competencies, learning and goal attainment, acting as a personal navigator for the journey of life, while always focusing on the needs of the client. Everything in coaching hinges on listening with the client’s agenda in mind.
Coaching has been shown to help leaders develop a clearer understanding of their roles and responsibilities. When leaders are more confident about what they need to do, they are better able to motivate employees and mobilise them for action.
The mentor focuses on the development of the learner and passing on personalised, domain-specific knowledge. Mentors help to set the agenda, with their primary aim to develop an individual or small group to learn more comprehensively from their day-to-day working experience.
Mentoring of recently-promoted managers within an organisation, for example, can create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable and acknowledged.
COACHING VS MENTORING
Coaching is about creating change that enhances performance and learning. Coaches emphasise new competencies, learning and goal attainment, acting as a personal navigator for the journey of life, while always focusing on the needs of the client. Everything in coaching hinges on listening with the client’s agenda in mind.
Coaching has been shown to help leaders develop a clearer understanding of their roles and responsibilities. When leaders are more confident about what they need to do, they are better able to motivate employees and mobilise them for action.
The mentor focuses on the development of the learner and passing on personalised, domain-specific knowledge. Mentors help to set the agenda, with their primary aim to develop an individual or small group to learn more comprehensively from their day-to-day working experience.
Mentoring of recently-promoted managers within an organisation, for example, can create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable and acknowledged.


MENTORING
COMENSA defines mentoring as “a partnership in which a mentee is assisted in making significant advances in knowledge, perspective and vision in order to develop their full potential; the mentor’s wisdom is utilised by the mentee to facilitate and enhance new learning and insight”.
COACHING VS MENTORING
The mentor focuses on the development of the learner and passing on personalised, domain-specific knowledge. Mentors help to set the agenda, with their primary aim to develop an individual or small group to learn more comprehensively from their day-to-day working experience.
Mentoring of recently-promoted managers within an organisation, for example, can create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable and acknowledged.
Coaching is about creating change that enhances performance and learning. Coaches emphasise new competencies, learning and goal attainment, acting as a personal navigator for the journey of life, while always focusing on the needs of the client. Everything in coaching hinges on listening with the client’s agenda in mind.
Coaching has been shown to help leaders develop a clearer understanding of their roles and responsibilities. When leaders are more confident about what they need to do, they are better able to motivate employees and mobilise them for action.
COACHING VS MENTORING
The mentor focuses on the development of the learner and passing on personalised, domain-specific knowledge. Mentors help to set the agenda, with their primary aim to develop an individual or small group to learn more comprehensively from their day-to-day working experience.
Mentoring of recently-promoted managers within an organisation, for example, can create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable and acknowledged.
Coaching is about creating change that enhances performance and learning. Coaches emphasise new competencies, learning and goal attainment, acting as a personal navigator for the journey of life, while always focusing on the needs of the client. Everything in coaching hinges on listening with the client’s agenda in mind.
Coaching has been shown to help leaders develop a clearer understanding of their roles and responsibilities. When leaders are more confident about what they need to do, they are better able to motivate employees and mobilise them for action.
The benefits of JOINING COMENSA
As you progress from the first step of registering with COMENSA as a Student or Ordinary Member, you will enjoy an increasing array of benefits.
Find more information on which category of membership you qualify for as well as the detail of our very affordable membership fees on our Membership page.

Training Provider Programme (TPP)
How do Training Provider Programmes work, and why are they vital to the coaching and mentoring professions?
The extensive array of COMENSA approved Training Provider Programmes are vetted to strict standards to further the development of coaches and mentors, helping them maintain their CPD points as well as to stay abreast of rapidly developing industry knowledge.



EVENT CALENDAR
COMENSA holds a diverse range of events each month, providing insight to the latest coaching and mentoring trends and developments, and the opportunity to earn CPD points.
COMENSA prides itself on the diverse range of events held every month. Providing insight to the latest coaching and mentoring trends and developments.
Each event is hosted by one of our four regional chapters: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Limpopo, or by the specialised portfolio committees: Supervision, Marketing, Membership Criteria and Standards of Competence (MCSC), Research, or Social and Ethics.
The majority of our events are presently hosted online and are available free to everyone registered with COMENSA. If you are not yet registered, join us now to have access to this invaluable resource.
Face to face networking events will be returned to as soon as appropriate and will be held in each of the regions. Attendance is free for members and attracts a small fee for non-members.
You are worthy as a coach and you deserve to treat yourself accordingly.
We are approaching an elective Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled to take place on a virtual platform on the 18th May 2023. The main purpose of an AGM is to comply with legal prescripts, such as the presentation and approval of the audited accounts, election of directors, and appointment of auditors for the new accounting term. As we continue with the preparations for the AGM, it is important to announce the following pending openings:
- I will be stepping down as President and Chairperson of the Board at the upcoming AGM- the search for my successor continues;
- The Chair of Social and Ethics Committee(SEC) and Director will also be stepping down;
- The Chair of Membership Criteria and Standards of Competence (MCSC) and Director will also be stepping down;
- The Chair of Research Portfolio Committee (RPC) and Director will also be stepping down;
- The Chair of Supervision Portfolio Committee (SPC) and Director will also be stepping down.
It is important to state that such positions will require a lot of commitment and the spirit of volunteerism to ensure that COMENSA remains a truly professional body. In terms of the common law, the fiduciary duties of directors require that a director acts in good faith and in the best interests of the company or the organisation. Best wishes to those who aspire to occupy the positions that will be vacant soon.
In February 2020 I asserted against a lot of criticism that the spirit of volunteerism within COMENSA was starting to fade for several valid reasons.
It is not my intention to go into the peripherals of volunteerism and or the reasons why such seems to be dwindling within our organisation but rather to reiterate and caution that COMENSA still need to urgently find an alternative way of replacing the obvious reliance of the organisation upon volunteers. This does not in any way suggest that volunteers are not valued but more to highlight an obvious risk which needs to be mitigated. On a positive note, I can report that the Board of Directors have approved a strategic way of appreciating our volunteers and office bearers. The office of the Vice President will be implementing the incentives as approved effective May 2023.
We are still battling to attract the voluntary services of a Company Secretary and the Treasurer. Alternative means were employed during the period under review to ensure continuity. We instantly appeal to our members with requisite skills to raise their hands and avail themselves to serve COMENSA.
As I conclude, I would like to share the following exciting developments:
- We have secured a virtual office and the physical address is Regus Bedfordview, AMR Office Park, 3 Concorde E Road, Bedfordview- Johannesburg, 2008;
- We are currently soliciting proposals for a Quality Management System (QMS)-Lite and those interested should please contact either myself or the Vice President in writing and submit their proposals by the 10th February 2023 latest;
- We renewed our partnership with the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP) on the 4th November 2022 for a further period of three (3) years;
- We were visited by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) for a Mid-Term Monitoring Site Visit on the 11th November 2022;
- We signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Mentorship Movement (NMM) on the 15th November 2022.
Yours in the Coaching and Mentoring Fraternity
Mokadi Mathye
National President: +2783 325 4676
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This time of the academic year there are many coaching students in the 2nd part of the curriculum, which typically concentrates on the completion of a research report. This is a daunting task for most students, because it is not everyone who enjoys doing research. To those of you busy with your research project plan, the COMENSA Research Committee wishes you all the best for the next few months!
In this month’s newsflash contribution, I want to highlight 2 articles (both open-access, i.e., available to the general public) about coaching in the medical field. The first article, “Coaching for Surgeons: A Scoping Review of the Quantitative Evidence”, published in Sep 2022, summarizes the reason I decided on this topic for the month: “There is an emerging interest in coaching programs to improve surgeons’ performance by targeting their professional skills and personal factors”. The meta-study included the Kirkpatrick learning program model to classify outcomes. Coaching in the medical field is relatively new (compared to coaching in the managerial field, for example). This study is a work in progress and preliminary results show how surgeons experience a positive effect of coaching.
The second article’s title is “Developing a feedback‑rich culture in academic medicine: the effect of coaching and 360‑feedback on physician leadership”, published in Oct 2022 and is available here. This article shows how physicians benefitted from new understanding of leadership and gaining relational skills as a result of the 5-session 1-1 coaching program. Adding the increased self-awareness of the 360-feedback tool, the coachees are now able to take more responsibility for their professional environment.
Coaching is still a growing field of practice, and coaches and their coachees are still finding new environments where coaching has a positive effect. By doing continued research into these fields we support the development of an evidence-based practice and profession.
All the best for 2023
Jacques Myburgh
(Acting) Chair: COMENSA Research Portfolio Committee
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“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
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I am pleased to advise that we have a new Marketing Committee in place, the team members are Sally, Mandla, Livashnie and Peter.
We look forward to bringing you interesting and relevant events and communication that will add value to your coaching and mentoring journey this year.
Please if you are not already a member of our COMENSA Facebook and LinkedIn groups we would love to welcome you to the groups where we will also share news, views and events.
Sally Witherden
COMENSA Marketing
We are on Day 30 of 365 days and it already feels like the year is moving at speed. This is the sentiment of the ARF Committee. Since inception of the Committee in September we have had to move at a fast pace to acclimatize to our responsibilities and start to create a risk free COMENSA.
Risk Management has been prioritised as one of the strategic imperatives of COMENSA. The ARF was mandated to draft the Top 5 Risks facing COMENSA. The Committee drafted the 5 top risks. The risks were presented and accepted by the Board. The next step is the drafting of the risk register that will be used to assess COMENSA performance on the risks identified and syatems put in place to address these risks.
The strides taken to address risk management as a strategic imperative of COMENSA are a step in the right direction. In the words of Gary Cohn: “If you don’t invest in Risk Management, it doesn’t matter what business you are in, it’s a risky business”.
Compiled by:
Theresa Vivian Moila
Chairperson: ARF Committee
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Coaching Beyond: Extending the Reach and Boundaries of Coaching
Speakers: Dr. Anne Dolly Kuzhimadathil and Veronica Wantenaar
When: Friday, 17 February 2023
SA time: 12h30
Virtual Zoom
Join us for this complimentary joint event between APAC and COMENSA with Climate Change in mind. During this interactive and informative session, hosts Dr. Anne Dolly Kuzhimadathil and Veronica Wantenaar, will take a peek into the future of coaching. Understand more about how coaches can bring climate change and biodiversity into coaching conversations. And, also learn about opportunities for Pro Bono Coaching through Ethical Coach.
To register for your FREE place, email administrator@comensa.org.za
WELCOME TO COMENSA
COACHES & MENTORS OF SOUTH AFRICA
In a world of constant change, coaching and mentoring are playing an increasing role in empowering future generations to realise their full potential.
ABOUT COMENSA
Inspire | Enlighten | Empower
We provide a platform for all stakeholders to engage, educate, exchange, and evolve in pursuit of best practice.
We support the ongoing evolution of coaches and mentors through the promotion of diversity, inclusion, education, and networking through our community of practitioners.
We reinforce professionalism through a process of credentialing, the maintenance of participation and continued education tracking.
COACHING VS MENTORING
Understanding
the difference

COACHING
COACHING VS MENTORING
Coaching is about creating change that enhances performance and learning. Coaches emphasise new competencies, learning and goal attainment, acting as a personal navigator for the journey of life, while always focusing on the needs of the client. Everything in coaching hinges on listening with the client’s agenda in mind.
Coaching has been shown to help leaders develop a clearer understanding of their roles and responsibilities. When leaders are more confident about what they need to do, they are better able to motivate employees and mobilise them for action.
The mentor focuses on the development of the learner and passing on personalised, domain-specific knowledge. Mentors help to set the agenda, with their primary aim to develop an individual or small group to learn more comprehensively from their day-to-day working experience.
Mentoring of recently-promoted managers within an organisation, for example, can create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable and acknowledged.
COACHING VS MENTORING
Coaching is about creating change that enhances performance and learning. Coaches emphasise new competencies, learning and goal attainment, acting as a personal navigator for the journey of life, while always focusing on the needs of the client. Everything in coaching hinges on listening with the client’s agenda in mind.
Coaching has been shown to help leaders develop a clearer understanding of their roles and responsibilities. When leaders are more confident about what they need to do, they are better able to motivate employees and mobilise them for action.
The mentor focuses on the development of the learner and passing on personalised, domain-specific knowledge. Mentors help to set the agenda, with their primary aim to develop an individual or small group to learn more comprehensively from their day-to-day working experience.
Mentoring of recently-promoted managers within an organisation, for example, can create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable and acknowledged.
COACHING VS MENTORING
Understanding
the difference

MENTORING
COACHING VS MENTORING
The mentor focuses on the development of the learner and passing on personalised, domain-specific knowledge. Mentors help to set the agenda, with their primary aim to develop an individual or small group to learn more comprehensively from their day-to-day working experience.
Mentoring of recently-promoted managers within an organisation, for example, can create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable and acknowledged.
Coaching is about creating change that enhances performance and learning. Coaches emphasise new competencies, learning and goal attainment, acting as a personal navigator for the journey of life, while always focusing on the needs of the client. Everything in coaching hinges on listening with the client’s agenda in mind.
Coaching has been shown to help leaders develop a clearer understanding of their roles and responsibilities. When leaders are more confident about what they need to do, they are better able to motivate employees and mobilise them for action.
COACHING VS MENTORING
The mentor focuses on the development of the learner and passing on personalised, domain-specific knowledge. Mentors help to set the agenda, with their primary aim to develop an individual or small group to learn more comprehensively from their day-to-day working experience.
Mentoring of recently-promoted managers within an organisation, for example, can create an atmosphere where people feel comfortable and acknowledged.
Coaching is about creating change that enhances performance and learning. Coaches emphasise new competencies, learning and goal attainment, acting as a personal navigator for the journey of life, while always focusing on the needs of the client. Everything in coaching hinges on listening with the client’s agenda in mind.
Coaching has been shown to help leaders develop a clearer understanding of their roles and responsibilities. When leaders are more confident about what they need to do, they are better able to motivate employees and mobilise them for action.
The benefits of
JOINING COMENSA
As you progress from the first step of registering with COMENSA as a Student or Ordinary Member, you will enjoy an increasing array of benefits.
Find more information on which category of membership you qualify for as well as the detail of our very affordable membership fees on our Membership page.
Training Provider
Programme (TPP)
How do Training Provider Programmes work, and why are they vital to the coaching and mentoring professions?
The extensive array of COMENSA approved Training Provider Programmes are vetted to strict standards to further the development of coaches and mentors, helping them maintain their CPD points as well as to stay abreast of rapidly developing industry knowledge.
EVENT CALENDAR
COMENSA holds a diverse range of events each month, providing insight to the latest coaching and mentoring trends and developments, and the opportunity to earn CPD points.
COMENSA prides itself on the diverse range of events held every month. Providing insight to the latest coaching and mentoring trends and developments.
Each event is hosted by one of our four regional chapters: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Limpopo, or by the specialised portfolio committees: Supervision, Marketing, Membership Criteria and Standards of Competence (MCSC), Research, or Social and Ethics.
The majority of our events are presently hosted online and are available free to everyone registered with COMENSA. If you are not yet registered, join us now to have access to this invaluable resource.
Face to face networking events will be returned to as soon as appropriate and will be held in each of the regions. Attendance is free for members and attracts a small fee for non-members.
We are approaching an elective Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled to take place on a virtual platform on the 18th May 2023. The main purpose of an AGM is to comply with legal prescripts, such as the presentation and approval of the audited accounts, election of directors, and appointment of auditors for the new accounting term. As we continue with the preparations for the AGM, it is important to announce the following pending openings:
- I will be stepping down as President and Chairperson of the Board at the upcoming AGM- the search for my successor continues;
- The Chair of Social and Ethics Committee(SEC) and Director will also be stepping down;
- The Chair of Membership Criteria and Standards of Competence (MCSC) and Director will also be stepping down;
- The Chair of Research Portfolio Committee (RPC) and Director will also be stepping down;
- The Chair of Supervision Portfolio Committee (SPC) and Director will also be stepping down.
It is important to state that such positions will require a lot of commitment and the spirit of volunteerism to ensure that COMENSA remains a truly professional body. In terms of the common law, the fiduciary duties of directors require that a director acts in good faith and in the best interests of the company or the organisation. Best wishes to those who aspire to occupy the positions that will be vacant soon.
In February 2020 I asserted against a lot of criticism that the spirit of volunteerism within COMENSA was starting to fade for several valid reasons.
It is not my intention to go into the peripherals of volunteerism and or the reasons why such seems to be dwindling within our organisation but rather to reiterate and caution that COMENSA still need to urgently find an alternative way of replacing the obvious reliance of the organisation upon volunteers. This does not in any way suggest that volunteers are not valued but more to highlight an obvious risk which needs to be mitigated. On a positive note, I can report that the Board of Directors have approved a strategic way of appreciating our volunteers and office bearers. The office of the Vice President will be implementing the incentives as approved effective May 2023.
We are still battling to attract the voluntary services of a Company Secretary and the Treasurer. Alternative means were employed during the period under review to ensure continuity. We instantly appeal to our members with requisite skills to raise their hands and avail themselves to serve COMENSA.
As I conclude, I would like to share the following exciting developments:
- We have secured a virtual office and the physical address is Regus Bedfordview, AMR Office Park, 3 Concorde E Road, Bedfordview- Johannesburg, 2008;
- We are currently soliciting proposals for a Quality Management System (QMS)-Lite and those interested should please contact either myself or the Vice President in writing and submit their proposals by the 10th February 2023 latest;
- We renewed our partnership with the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP) on the 4th November 2022 for a further period of three (3) years;
- We were visited by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) for a Mid-Term Monitoring Site Visit on the 11th November 2022;
- We signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Mentorship Movement (NMM) on the 15th November 2022.
Yours in the Coaching and Mentoring Fraternity
Mokadi Mathye
National President: +2783 325 4676
|
|
This time of the academic year there are many coaching students in the 2nd part of the curriculum, which typically concentrates on the completion of a research report. This is a daunting task for most students, because it is not everyone who enjoys doing research. To those of you busy with your research project plan, the COMENSA Research Committee wishes you all the best for the next few months!
In this month’s newsflash contribution, I want to highlight 2 articles (both open-access, i.e., available to the general public) about coaching in the medical field. The first article, “Coaching for Surgeons: A Scoping Review of the Quantitative Evidence”, published in Sep 2022, summarizes the reason I decided on this topic for the month: “There is an emerging interest in coaching programs to improve surgeons’ performance by targeting their professional skills and personal factors”. The meta-study included the Kirkpatrick learning program model to classify outcomes. Coaching in the medical field is relatively new (compared to coaching in the managerial field, for example). This study is a work in progress and preliminary results show how surgeons experience a positive effect of coaching.
The second article’s title is “Developing a feedback‑rich culture in academic medicine: the effect of coaching and 360‑feedback on physician leadership”, published in Oct 2022 and is available here. This article shows how physicians benefitted from new understanding of leadership and gaining relational skills as a result of the 5-session 1-1 coaching program. Adding the increased self-awareness of the 360-feedback tool, the coachees are now able to take more responsibility for their professional environment.
Coaching is still a growing field of practice, and coaches and their coachees are still finding new environments where coaching has a positive effect. By doing continued research into these fields we support the development of an evidence-based practice and profession.
All the best for 2023
Jacques Myburgh
(Acting) Chair: COMENSA Research Portfolio Committee
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“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
|
I am pleased to advise that we have a new Marketing Committee in place, the team members are Sally, Mandla, Livashnie and Peter.
We look forward to bringing you interesting and relevant events and communication that will add value to your coaching and mentoring journey this year.
Please if you are not already a member of our COMENSA Facebook and LinkedIn groups we would love to welcome you to the groups where we will also share news, views and events.
Sally Witherden
COMENSA Marketing
We are on Day 30 of 365 days and it already feels like the year is moving at speed. This is the sentiment of the ARF Committee. Since inception of the Committee in September we have had to move at a fast pace to acclimatize to our responsibilities and start to create a risk free COMENSA.
Risk Management has been prioritised as one of the strategic imperatives of COMENSA. The ARF was mandated to draft the Top 5 Risks facing COMENSA. The Committee drafted the 5 top risks. The risks were presented and accepted by the Board. The next step is the drafting of the risk register that will be used to assess COMENSA performance on the risks identified and syatems put in place to address these risks.
The strides taken to address risk management as a strategic imperative of COMENSA are a step in the right direction. In the words of Gary Cohn: “If you don’t invest in Risk Management, it doesn’t matter what business you are in, it’s a risky business”.
Compiled by:
Theresa Vivian Moila
Chairperson: ARF Committee
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coaching Beyond: Extending the Reach and Boundaries of Coaching
Speakers: Dr. Anne Dolly Kuzhimadathil and Veronica Wantenaar
When: Friday, 17 February 2023
SA time: 12h30
Virtual Zoom
Join us for this complimentary joint event between APAC and COMENSA with Climate Change in mind. During this interactive and informative session, hosts Dr. Anne Dolly Kuzhimadathil and Veronica Wantenaar, will take a peek into the future of coaching. Understand more about how coaches can bring climate change and biodiversity into coaching conversations. And, also learn about opportunities for Pro Bono Coaching through Ethical Coach.
To register for your FREE place, email administrator@comensa.org.za
Like if you enjoyed this month’s Newsflash

Like if you enjoyed this month's Newsflash

Like if you enjoyed this
month’s Newsflash
