BY Nkosazana Ngwadla
Multi-talented businesswoman, mom and wife, Melissa Visser has invested much of her time towards social entrepreneurship. This decision can be attributed to the need she identified in her community, which she believes could be met through the upliftment of youth and women.
Born at Raheema Moosa (Corronationville) in 1983, Melissa lived in Eldorado Park until the age of 6, when her family moved to Lawley, South of Johannesburg. Melissa’s love for writing was apparent at a young age, when she contributed to George Street Primary’s Valentine’s Day Booklet with two original poems.
Melissa went onto Fred Norman Secondary, where she was Monitor for two consecutive years, grades 10 & 11. Her matric year would showcase her leadership skills, as she became not only Prefect, but also Student Representative Council, in the capacity of Editor of the School Paper. It was also in her final school year that Melissa was awarded a “Perseverance and Diligence” award, which is a true reflection of her character, even to this day.
In grades 10, 11 & 12 Melissa also served on the Peer Counsellor Committee, which was hosted through FAMSA. It was during this time that her love for social development emerged. Melissa finished her schooling in 2000 and the year thereafter volunteered and taught underprivileged children for two years through the Catholic Institution, while writing for the local newspaper.
At the age of 20 Melissa joined the insurance industry and many birthdays later she excelled in the Industry with just over 18 years’ experience, becoming a subject expert on various Multimark Classes – hosting workshops on Introduction to Insurance and also assisting policy holders to read and understand their commercial insurance policy wordings.
She currently facilitates RE5 workshops, a support workshop for one of the most difficult exams – Regulatory Exams are for professionals in the Financial Industry or those individuals who would like to pursue opportunities within the Financial Industry. In 2012, Melissa created Mel J – under Melissa Publications. Mel J gave the necessary exposure for upcoming entrepreneurs and upcoming talent, whilst at the same time served as an entertainment and motivational electronic magazine to her readers.
Years later, this project has been renamed, Iron Sharpens Iron. With women’s development close to Melissa’s heart; she eagerly serves as a philanthropist for programmes designed to develop and encourage women. She is also able to contribute to the development of others through her motivational speaking engagements with topics ranging from Work-life- Balance, Self-worth, Confidence and Positivity.
No challenge is too big for Melissa who takes on each aspect of life with enthusiasm and passion. She is firm believer in the adage, “All things are possible”, which is at the core of her Motivational Speaking that enables her to address audiences of all genders and ages. She is also a firm believer in working hard and playing just as much.
Melissa resides in the south of Johannesburg, Ennerdale, with her Beautiful 11-year-old daughter, Jami and husband Shain. She is the third eldest of seven children to Stephen & and Maggie Jacobs. Melissa’s membership to Gauteng Women In Insurance (GWII) and her previous role as committee member in the Business Women’s Association of South Africa (BWASA) is evidence of her belief in growth, networking and investing in oneself.
Melissa firmly believes in providing platforms where women and girls can be supported through sustainable capacity building and leadership development programmes. She doesn’t just speak it, she does it too, she was a mentee in the YALI & Cherie Blair Foundation programmes in 2016. Melissa was also in the 2016-2017 Lioness of Africa Incubator, powered by the Lionesses of Africa and Standard Bank.
The businesswoman also won runner up in the 2017 Vita Basadi awards in the category “Community Heroine. The Vita Basadi Awards are hosted during the month of August by the Gauteng Legislature. In the same month, Melissa won the Women of Valor Award, hosted by Mrs SA Finalist, Dr Karien Hendrieco.
The Women of Valor Awards celebrate women who go the extra mile. March 2018 saw Melissa walking away with the Premiers Award for Education & Skills Development, which speaks to core of Melissa’s being. Melissa currently heads up two mentorship programmes : Mentorship 4 Women – where she gets successful women to mentor, inspire and motivate women within in her network & Reduce and Raise (Reducing social ills and Raising our girls to greater heights), where she has mentors for girls between the ages of 13 – 18, guiding and supporting them, as well as mentoring them.
She’s also a co-founder of H&M where basic skills are shared in the form of workshops, to develop and support women who want to run sustainable businesses. In November 2020 Melissa graduated at GIBS, through the Insurance Institute of Gauteng with an ILDP (Insurance Leadership Development Programme, NQF Level 6, 120 Credits) – this once again speaks to Melissa’s passion for her industry.
In June 2021 Melissa completed her Training and Development Management, 100 hours, through UCT on the Udemy platform, whilst at the same completing her Transformational Coaching Course. She is now a Certified – Life Coach – Negative Emotional Therapy Practitioner – Transformation Coach – Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner In 2021 Melissa was co-opted to the Insurance Institute of Gauteng, within the Education portfolio, she now supports the IIG as a member.
In 2020 Melissa was nominated and was a finalist in the Woman of Stature Awards, under the Education category – Melissa literally breathes, thinks, eat and encourages Education, her consistency and passion is evident. One of Melissa’s Fundraising events during this journey was selling her dresses, which she wore to various functions and awards, the dresses that did not sell on the day, was sent to Kimberley where it was donated to girls for their matric farewell.
Melissa meant to donate it to her high school, after all, she was also the recipient of a dress in her final year at Fred Norman – at the very last minute she saw a friends plea for dresses in Kimberley and sent it. She’s hoping to donate dresses to Fred Norman Secondary towards end of 2022, this act will also be in her capacity as a Fred Normal Alumni member. Also in March 2022, the community of Ennerdale recognized Melissa and other community members in a give back ceremony.
The E Awards (Eliana awards) hosted by the Eliana foundation awarded Melissa with the Project Warrior award for her selfless acts, contribution and various sponsorship, within her community. No stranger to playing dressing up, Melissa also won the Best Dressed Female award that evening.
March 2022, Melissa contributed to a friend and fellow authors book, “Made to Last” – she was one of 13 authors that spoke to real life situations that shaped them. Last and certainly not least, Melissa is the award-winning Author of “When you get to my age” – a book she wrote in a sisterly tone on lessons learnt.
Image: Supplied
