Giving back through empowering future leaders
- Wits University
Discover how a driven Wits employee balances his professional life with an unwavering desire to make a difference in people’s lives.
We all have dreams. You might want to start your own business or get your side-hustle off the ground. For those with particularly large aspirations that may seem unattainable, guidance is often necessary to forge a path to success.
Jordan Seke, a CRM and Change Manager at Wits, dedicates his time outside of the office to sponsoring, mentoring and coaching equally motivated individuals to succeed in life and in their business ventures.
Born in the Republic of Congo, Seke began his journey in Pointe-Noire before moving to South Africa nearly twenty years ago, despite not knowing any English at the time.
Although it took him some time to settle, Seke was given a chance at Wits in 2008, and has since published more than twenty papers and represented the university across multiple continents.
Seke said he cherishes the ingrained sense of “giving back to the community that you came from” in South Africa. This mindset complements his own, as even from an early age Seke said he “always wanted to be that helpful hand”.
Seke lives by the words “inspire” and “empower”, which describe his desire to relay his own experiences of success to help others. This is further enabled by his affiliation with the Junior Chamber International (JCI), whose values Seke believes align with his “purpose for life”.
The JCI are an international, non-profit organisation of young leaders aiming to create social change. Now a JCI Senator, Seke has connected prospective entrepreneurs to a vast network and collaborated on initiatives like providing sanitary pads to vulnerable women and girls.
Aside from mentorship, Seke has also personally provided financial support for education and travel, as well as offering trauma and marriage counselling to mentees, who have in some cases “become [his] friends”.
Seke voluntarily goes out of his way to assist his mentees, as he sees this as his “duty”, not unlike any other in his life as a father, husband, and employee.
Despite his various achievements in community care, Seke is by no means desperate for praise or affirmation. For him, true happiness lies in the thought that one day, long after he has retired, he might be surprised by one of his mentees on TV sharing their success story and acknowledging his role their journey.
Seke’s selfless approach to helping others demonstrates how community-oriented values are powerful and can drive meaningful change in the lives of those who need it most.
A champion of bold innovation
At Wits University, my role as the CRM Advocate, CX Strategist, and Change Manager is pivotal in transforming the way the institution engages with its students and other key stakeholders. My primary focus is to realise the 360-degree view of students and constituents by driving the adoption of Salesforce, a powerful CRM tool. This transformation involves not just the implementation of the technology but fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration within the university.
Beyond my role at Wits, I am deeply committed to advancing conversations around Customer Experience (CX), technology adoption, artificial intelligence (AI), and cybersecurity (CISO-related topics) through my numerous speaking engagements. These engagements allow me to share insights on how these areas are essential to building a competitive edge for organisations across Africa.
Together, these areas contribute to Africa’s competitiveness by equipping its institutions and businesses to operate efficiently, innovate boldly, and engage meaningfully with their stakeholders. Through my dual role at Wits and as a thought leader, I aim to bridge the gap between vision and implementation, ensuring that Africa not only keeps pace but leads in the global digital economy.
This article is one of five published that showcases how Wits staff contribute as individuals to various charitable causes. These incredible staff members live and appreciate Wits’ values beyond our campuses, and we are incredibly proud of their spirit of volunteerism and them practising #WitsForGood. The stories were featured in the Staff Monthly Newsletter.
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