It has been just four weeks since I had the honour of being elected as Chairperson of SARIPA for the next three-year term – and already, so much has happened! I am excited to share some key updates with you.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Zeenath Kajee as Treasurer on the Board and Exco. Zeenath has served on the SARIPA Board for many years, bringing valuable expertise and a respected perspective to our discussions. She fills the vacancy left by Haroon Laher and will serve for the remainder of the three-year term.

Additionally, we have co-opted Marlo Chipunza, an Associate Fund Principal at the Public Investment Corporation SOC Limited, to the Board. Marlo’s financial institution experience and insights will add a fresh perspective to SARIPA’s strategic direction.

Please join us in welcoming Zeenath and Marlo—their leadership further strengthens our already energised and dynamic Board.

To align with SARIPA’s financial year, membership fee invoices will now be issued in March 2025, instead of April as in previous years. The Board has approved a 7% increase in the annual membership fee to R4,600 (including VAT); however, for the 2026 financial year, invoices will reflect a pro-rata charge for 11 months. While this adjustment will have an impact on revenue collection for the financial year, I am confident that the strength of our events, seminars, and conferences will help bridge the gap.

The board is delighted to announce that our valuable and educational webinar series is now available for free to SARIPA members. This is a significant investment in our members as it allows our members to earn their CPD points without incurring cost.

Compliance with the CPD policy is compulsory. We will shortly be hosting another training video to explain how to comply with this critical aspect of professional membership.

Our inaugural IP Summit, held on 17 February 2025 at Irene Country Lodge, was a resounding success! The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and it was a fantastic day of connection and learning.

A huge thank you to our Summit Co-chairs, Joelene Brown and Angie Poole, as well as our dedicated SARIPA team: René Bekker, Angela Bailey, and Wiida Barnard Hamman. Your hard work made this event possible!

At the summit, I had the opportunity to share my vision for SARIPA over the next three years—one that focuses on innovation and revitalisation of our organisation and profession. This year will be a year of strategic investment, leveraging the strong financial foundation built over the past few years.

We are thrilled to announce that the 2025 SARIPA Annual National Conference will take place in the Western Cape from 22–24 October 2025. Stay tuned for venue details!

I also want to extend my deep appreciation to Dr Eric Levenstein and Haroon Laher for their leadership, guidance, and vision over the past six years. Their dedication has positioned SARIPA for continued growth and success. Colin and I have very big shoes to fill!

This is just the beginning of an exciting chapter for SARIPA, and I look forward to working alongside all of you to drive meaningful progress for our profession.

Kind regards,

Jo Mitchell Marais
SARIPA Chairperson