Team – Essential Skills

Training that is aligned
with your business needs

We spend time getting to understand your business and its unique needs and objectives.

Skills development that provides a commercial ROI

Our solutions go beyond spending for B-BBEE compliance to creating real value.

Hosted unemployed learnerships with guaranteed absorption

Our partners will employ learners so that you get the bonus points.

High-impact team effectiveness workshops

We’ll work with your teams to create inclusive cultures, build trust and develop resilience and leadership.

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Our Management Team

Our management team comprises leaders who are passionate and equipped with relevant skills and proven industry experience.

Dr. John Eliastam

Managing Director

Dr. John Eliastam

Managing Director

John has decades of experience in skills development, with a particular focus on helping leaders to thrive in a world characterised by diversity and disruptive change. As a facilitator he has worked with organisations to develop and execute strategy, solve problems, innovate, and create a high-performance and inclusive work culture. He is a published author, a competitive mountain biker in his age group, and has a number of degrees, including a PhD from the University of Pretoria.

Ronett Nareen

Training Manager

Ronett Nareen

Training Manager

Ronett is experienced in training and Skills Development with skills in operations management, training facilitation, the management of Learnerships, Employment Equity, submissions of WSP/ATR and ETI benefits. She is able to provide efficient assistance with strategies to improve your B-BBEE scorecard, increase Social Economic Responsibility, optimise Skills Development spend and reduce the actual cash effect on an organisation.

Thembi Kgengwenyane

Lead Consultant: People & Culture Solutions

Thembi Kgengwenyane

Lead Consultant: People & Culture Solutions

Thembi is a people guru and has 17 years of experience in individual and team-related interventions. Her academic background is Social and Health Psychology and Industrial & Organizational Psychology. She is a certified Analytic network coach, and she has extensive training in group relations (Systems Psychodynamics approach). She has owned and managed her own business, has extensive experience across all sectors in the fields of organizational excellence, transformation, and strategic facilitation. She has been involved in, co-designed, and co-facilitated numerous training programmes on diversity and inclusion. She has coordinated and consulted at various national and international events including the Annual Employment Equity, Diversity and Transformation Summit, the Robben Island Diversity Experience, and the Annual Disability Equity Conference.

Dr Neetha Nirhoo

Academic Manager

Dr Neetha Nirhoo

Academic Manager

Neetha is a veteran educationist with over 20 years of experience in planning, implementing, and compliance within the education landscape. She is deeply passionate and effective with success in accreditation and instructional strategies. She has worked with and managed higher education institutions, Skills Development providers, and Further Education and Training Institutions and developed qualifications from NQF 5 to 8. Neetha has successfully worked with regulatory bodies including, CHE, QCTO, SETAs, and DHET. Neetha is a true academic and an avid reader who has published a number of articles. She is a strong advocate for the idea that “transformation can occur through education”

Offer Sambo

Skills Development and Admin Support

Offer Sambo

Skills Development and Admin Support

Offer is the youngest member of the team and a qualified project manager who provides enthusiastic support in the form of Administrative Management, Facilities Management, Health and Safety Compliance and general Team Support.

Kim van Kets

Consultant: People & Culture Solutions

Kim van Kets

Consultant: People & Culture Solutions

Kim is an admitted attorney and a qualified mediator who spent many years in legal practice and the corporate world who is now a facilitator and coach whose passion is finding holistic people solutions beyond those offered within the confines of the law. She has created and taught courses on Leadership, Social Media Law, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism, Resilience and Uncertainty Training, Conflict Management and Emotional and Cultural intelligence. She is also an inspirational key-note business speaker. She is an endurance athlete who is best known for her 6772km circumnavigation of South Africa on foot, mountain bike and kayak in 148 days (Tri the Beloved Country). She has participated in many extreme, multi-day endurance events and draws from these experiences in her storytelling and facilitating. Kim is a twice published author and a regular contributor to many publications. She is also the co-founder of Wild Women on the Run; an initiative created to empower women and teach the value of journeying and play as a means of growth.

Wendy Govindsamy-Kissoon

Business Development

Wendy Govindsamy-Kissoon

Business Development

Wendy has over a decade of experience in the corporate sales environment, including 15 years in the field of learning, training and skills development. Driven by her passion for empowering people to reach their goals, she takes pride in providing the most elegant solutions for your business. She is a successful business entrepreneur who holds a Diploma in Events Management, she is a Certified SDF (Skills Development Facilitator) and Qualified OD-ETDP (Occupationally Directed Education, Training and Development Practitioner)

Marlini Mansingh

Advisory

Marlini Mansingh

Advisory

Marlini is an experienced Finance & B-BBEE Transformation professional having successfully project managed the B-BBEE strategy of multinational clients across multi-faceted industries with Group structures. Marlini’s credentials include Finance, Internal audit, Forensics, BEE MDP and Executive Development at the Stellenbosch Business School.

Lyndal Naidoo

Development Specialist

Lyndal Naidoo

Development Specialist

Lyndal is a dynamic Learning and Development Specialist with expertise in instructional design, digital learning, and learner support. She is passionate about transforming training materials into engaging, professional, and learner-friendly online experiences. With a background in education and a keen eye for design, Lyndal develops interactive content that promotes active participation and continuously explores innovative ways to make learning meaningful and accessible. Collaborating closely with operations and academic teams, she ensures seamless programme delivery and a high-quality learning experience, reflecting her belief in the power of learning to transform individuals and organisations.

Londiwe Mbanjwa

Skills Specialist.

Londiwe Mbanjwa

Skills Specialist.

Londiwe is a passionate and driven training professional who loves to make learning simple, effective, and organised. Her role involves SETA and Training Compliance, Learner Administration and Data Management as well as Learner and Programme Support where she works closely with the Operations Manager and Academic Manager She has an honours degree in psychology and enjoys collaborating with teams, supporting learners, and creating environments where everyone is able to grow and succeed. She is motivated by challenge and able to combine structure and creativity.

Johanita Thwaits

Head: Impact and Innovation

Johanita Thwaits

Head: Impact and Innovation

Johanita brings over 20 years of experience in skills development, B-BBEE, Enterprise and Supplier Development, executive coaching and entrepreneurship. In her Group-wide role she drives business development, programme design and strategic growth, building the partnerships and stakeholder relationships that transform skills development into measurable commercial and social value. She is the creator of the CORE Framework (Clarity, Optimisation, Results, Empowerment), a proprietary methodology she uses to help businesses move from scattered to scaling. She is also the author of 37 publications. Beyond Essential Skills, Johanita is the founder of several businesses and has dedicated herself to entrepreneur development across the continent in recent years. She is driven by the belief that skills, opportunity and innovation can change lives and is passionate about creating real impact rather than compliance. A stroke survivor who rebuilt her health, voice, and business from the ground up, Johanita leads with resilience and a conviction that transformation is always possible.

Our Management Team

Our management team comprises leaders who are passionate and equipped with relevant skills and proven industry experience.

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