About us
RetirementWise (RW) is a micro-enterprise that is B-BBEE exempt. The owner and Managing Director of RW is Estie van Coller, who has been working in the retirement fund industry since 1989 and has proven her competency with an illustrious career spanning 35 years, providing member communication services to many of the retirement funds in the country. Estie is also an accomplished public speaker and has written and published articles on member communication for the IRF Focus and other publications.
Estie holds a BA degree in Human Sciences (1989) and a BA Honours degree (1997) in Communication (through UNISA) and completed a Post Graduate diploma in Management through the UCT Business School in 2007 (with Distinction). This programme was an INSETA initiative and Estie was given a scholarship by INSETA to complete this two-year programme.
Estie has also completed the Trustee Toolkit (all 22 new modules) and is a Chartered Principal Executive Officer (Batseta qualification obtained in 2019). Estie is a member of Batseta.
Although RW is a micro–enterprise, Estie has a team of energetic individuals that have worked with her for the past fifteen years. Member communication is our passion and we strive to continuously improve and innovate regarding how best to engage with fund members, how to keep fund information interesting and ultimately, how to make sure members take action when required and avoid taking action when appropriate. We have developed a ‘Call to Action’- methodology and a ‘Good News’ way of writing content, to tell members what is in it for them and why they should act.
We would love the opportunity to work with your Fund to:
improve on and develop communication strategies that will help the Fund members to really understand and engage with their Fund;
assist the Fund to grow its membership through excellence in member communication;
improve the reputation of the Funds and that of the employer/sponsor.
Profile Of The Organisation & Current Clients
RetirementWise (RW) is a small, independent communication company that is ideally suited and has the capacity to partner with the Funds to provide member engagement and communication services.
Some of our current clients/funds include:
- Transport Sector Retirement Fund (TSRF) is an Umbrella Fund and over the last 10 years we have helped the TSRF to win annual IRFA Overall Gold Standard Awards and Best Practice Awards for Stakeholder Engagement (5), Investment (3) and Transformation (3). We have provided a full-service communication consulting service to 70 000 truckers since 2013.
- ISASA Retirement Fund (independent schools). This Fund is an Umbrella Fund (DB and DC) and won the IRFA Overall Gold Standard Award in 2022. RW has provided a full service communication consulting to the Fund’s 9000 members and 1200 pensioners since 2013.
- Contract Cleaning National Provident Fund (130 000 cleaning staff), we have provided an annual newsletter, website hosting and video production services since 2017.
- Mineworkers Provident Fund; (120 000 mining staff) we provide mostly translation services and video production since 2017.
- AECI DC Pension Fund and Provident Fund; we provide biannual newsletters to the funds. We have been assisting the funds with communication since doing the member communication for their DB/DC conversion in 2013.
- Germiston Retirement Fund; we have provided bulk sms services and website hosting to the Fund since 2018.
We have a good reputation in the retirement fund industry and have done work for many of the large retirement funds and administrators in the country. We understand what members want (information and channel needs) and have done independent member research in the industry since 1996.
We are passionate about member communication and understand the challenges of the retirement fund industry in relation to engaging meaningfully with members.
Staff Capacity
Estie van Coller is the owner and Executive Director of RetirementWise. She is ably assisted by Zelda Reyneke to help manage and execute work for our various clients.
Estie and Zelda generate copy and are responsible for the development of communication strategies and action plans for clients and then for ensuring action plans and budgets are managed and implemented. Estie will attend the Corporate Selection Suite of Umbrella Funds C&D sub-committee meetings.
RetirementWise has six part-time contract workers, who do the graphic design, website and social media updating/monitoring as well as the creation of videos, emailers and bulk sms messaging. These specialists provide the necessary expertise to her service offering, while keeping overheads to the minimum.
Most of the part-time experts have worked for RetirementWise for the last 15 years. The benefit of having contract workers is their ability to work after-hours and weekends to meet and exceed client expectations. Being free agents, their work for/with other clients ensures that they remain on top of their game and bring new, fresh perspectives to retirement fund communication. Together, our team has an excellent mix of older and younger experts with creative ideas; and in a way we emulate the various segments of the members of the funds with whom we work. Our staff complement includes individuals in their 60s, 50s, 40s, 30s, and 20s.
Another benefit of part-time staff is that we are able to save on overheads and able to keep costs low.
Staff Organogram
| Staff |
Qualifications |
Years’ experience |
|---|---|---|
| Owner and Key Account Manager | ||
| Estie van Coller Owner FULL TIME |
BA Honours in Communication (UNISA) Post Graduate Diploma (Management) from UCT Business School (Cum Laude) Batseta qualified Chartered Principal Executive Officer (CPEO) Trustee Toolkit (22 Modules) |
34 years’ experience in the retirement fund industry. Independent PO of a small Umbrella Fund. Independent Professional Trustee of two funds. |
| Senior Communication Consultant | ||
| Zelda Reyneke FULL TIME |
Public Relations Management (UNISA) with Distinction | 22 years’ experience in education. 11 years’ experience in the retirement fund industry. |
| Social Media | ||
| Rachelle Koch PART TIME |
BA Honours Degree in Communication (Potchefstroom) | 10 years’ experience in retirement fund communication. |
| Graphic Designers | ||
| Cherice Liebenberg PART TIME |
BA Degree in Visual Communication (Open Window) | 18 years’ experience in designing infographics and newsletters aimed at members of retirement funds. |
| Zoe Clifford PART TIME |
BA Degree in Visual Communication (Open Window) | 30 years’ experience in designing newsletters and flyers aimed at members of retirement funds. |
| Website Developers | ||
| Bev Slabbert Part Time |
40 years’ experience in the IT sector. She was fortunate to have been involved in personal computer support and training when they first came onto the market in 1981. In the early days of Bev's career, she had the opportunity to help establish 3 computer training centers in the Eastern Cape. Bev has a particular wealth of experience when it comes to administering pension fund websites, as she has formed part of the Retirement Wise Website team for the last 12 years. | |
| Sarah van Rooyen PART TIME |
Master of Arts (Nelson Mandela University) | 5 years’ experience in website development alongside Bev Slabbert and the RW team. |
| Staff, Qualifications & Experience |
|---|
| Owner and Key Account Manager |
| Estie van Coller OwnerFULL TIME |
| BA Honours in Communication (UNISA) Post Graduate Diploma (Management) from UCT Business School (Cum Laude) Batseta qualified Chartered Principal Executive Officer (CPEO) Trustee Toolkit (22 Modules) |
| 34 years’ experience in the retirement fund industry. Independent PO of a small Umbrella Fund. Independent Professional Trustee of two funds. |
| Senior Communication Consultant |
| Zelda Reyneke FULL TIME |
| Public Relations Management (UNISA) with Distinction |
| 22 years’ experience in education. 11 years’ experience in the retirement fund industry. |
| Social Media |
| Rachelle Koch PART TIME |
| BA Honours Degree in Communication (Potchefstroom) |
| 10 years’ experience in retirement fund communication. |
| Graphic Designers |
| Cherice Liebenberg PART TIME |
| BA Degree in Visual Communication (Open Window) |
| 18 years’ experience in designing infographics and newsletters aimed at members of retirement funds. |
| Zoe Clifford PART TIME |
| BA Degree in Visual Communication (Open Window) |
| 30 years’ experience in designing newsletters and flyers aimed at members of retirement funds. |
| Website Developers |
| Bev Slabbert PART TIME |
| 40 years’ experience in the IT sector. She was fortunate to have been involved in personal computer support and training when they first came onto the market in 1981. In the early days of Bev's career, she had the opportunity to help establish 3 computer training centers in the Eastern Cape. Bev has a particular wealth of experience when it comes to administering pension fund websites, as she has formed part of the Retirement Wise Website team for the last 12 years. |
| Sarah van Rooyen PART TIME |
| Master of Arts (Nelson Mandela University) |
| 5 years’ experience in website development alongside Bev Slabbert and the RW team. |