Celebrating Women’s Month with a team committed to growth opportunities
Submitted by: Tracey Swart
Summary: Woman owned, and managed, CeeBee Debt Management Services celebrate Women’s Month by honouring the women who are committed to growth, within its team. Through helping the company’s clients, these women are also achieving their own goals. Creating change from within.
Celebrating Women’s Month with a team committed to growth opportunities
Debt collection may not be something that people aspire to have as a career, but a woman-owned and led company is changing that narrative.
A thriving debt collection agency in Boksburg began as a one-women home-based service to local schools, assisting with collecting on outstanding school fees. From those humble beginnings, CeeBee Debt Management Services has grown to a staff of 134, of which 118 are women.
Humble beginnings
Founding Director, Charleen Brake explains, “In 1999, I had two school clients. More schools started coming to me for help, and so the business started to grow. Today, 25 years later, we have almost 800 school clients.”
Charleen has a keen understanding of how important school fees are for the successful running of a school. “Education is a very important aspect of society and without money schools are not able to provide quality education,” says Charleen. “Parents pay school fees in exchange for high quality education for their children.”
The future is female
Empowering schools to succeed was the main driver for CeeBee, but the business has also come to represent woman empowerment, as the majority of the staff are women, and three of the four executive team members, are women.
Attorney Simone Porter joined the CeeBee team as an in-house attorney in 2017, as was promoted to managing director in 2023. She joins Charleen Brake, Douglas Brake and Alvina Barnett, on the board of directors.
“It wasn’t our stated goal to be a female-led business, nor to specifically employ female staff. It has happened naturally over time,” says Simone.
Changing lives
In keeping with their passion for education, CeeBee provides their staff with regular training, and encourages staff to learn and grow. “We believe in rewarding our staff for their excellence and hard work, so we offer generous incentives and benefits. People are also promoted from within, rather than bringing in new faces, for management positions” confirms Simone.
For some, the support from CeeBee has been life changing. While helping schools deliver the best possible education to their learners, staff have also managed to break the cycle of poverty within their own families.
Personal growth
Gugu Gumede, has been with CeeBee since 2016. She was hired as a debt collector, but worked her way to team manager, and now client service manager. “Being promoted really grew my self-esteem and made me realise that the Directors saw something in me – that I struggled to see in myself,” she says. “When I look back at where I started, it makes me love this company even more.”
Nondumiso Buyambo also started her career at CeeBee as a debt collector in 2017, before being promoted to assistant manager of her team, then team leader. She currently holds the position of general manager operations. “I have learnt that the sky is the limit, you just need to grab all opportunities with both hands,” Nondumiso explains. “I bought my first car in 2020 and CeeBee gave me pride to talk about my work and love what I'm doing. I get to motivate and inspire people, and see them grow, and work their way up like myself.”
Faith Shangisa enjoys interacting with her clients, driving to the schools and meeting the broader team, gaining knowledge and maintain good relationships. “Working for the company has helped me grow in so many ways, financially and careerwise. I started as a debt collector and today I hold a management position,” she says with pride. “My growth in this company has helped me become wiser, more successful, and financially stable. I earn a decent salary and I can afford the finer things in life.”
Megan Oosthuizen started as an in house attorney at CeeBee, before being promoted to head up its legal division two years ago. She is the proud mother of two little girls. Prior to joining CeeBee, Megan ran her own firm for eight years. “While I recognize the accomplishment therein, my true accomplishment comes from standing true to who I am and finding power in my voice,” Megan affirms. “Our strength is derived from our endurance, empathy, creativity, tolerance, dignity, gentleness, kindness and integrity.”
Ayanda Moleka has progressed from a debt collector role to second-in-command (2IC) of her team at CeeBee. “I am particularly proud to be part of an organisation with a majority female leadership team, which serves as a significant source of inspiration and motivation for me as a woman in the industry,” she confirms. She has developed a passion for engaging with debtors, steering them to a direction where they see the importance of paying off their debt, and being debt free. “It has to be the biggest achievement for me.”
Words of wisdom
Gugu’s message to other women, is what her mother, a hard-working single parent taught her; that women have the power in them to do anything they put their mind to.
“I am excited for the future, and grateful for the opportunity to be part of a women-led organisation that inspires and motivates me to reach new heights,” reveals Ayanda. She advocates having a fulfilling career path, one that aligns with values and passions, rather than merely a means to a financial end.
“I encourage young, and older women, that it is never too late to reach out for your dreams. You just need to give it your all and it might not be an easy journey but, in the end, it will pay off,” Nondumiso affirms.
Faith believes in a positive attitude. “My advice to any women/men out there is that it doesn’t matter where you come, what matters is your future. Pride yourself in whatever that you do, believe in yourself, and always think positive in any work that you do,” she encourages.
“It is our strengths that empower us to overcome challenges, achieve goals and create positive changes,’ says Megan. “It is these lessons that I hope to hand down to my children, so that one day, they too can stand proud of the women they have grown to be.”
25 years young
Reflecting on the last quarter century, Charleen attributes CeeBee’s success to its team of committed staff, who deliver on its simple promise to customers; that of to the point debt recovery. “Assisting schools is what we care about. Helping them to provide the best possible education for our future leaders,” she says.
“Our team is highly motivated to help our school clients, and we are committed to supporting our team achieve their goals, both at work, and personally. Their success is our success,” concludes Simone.
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About CeeBee
Since 1999, CeeBee has made School Fee Debt Collections their business. It successfully and efficiently assists almost 800 schools to recover bad debt, with a no collection, no fee service. Contracts are on a month-to-month basis for clients, who include private and public schools nationwide.
The company delivers highly personalised services to its schools with dedicated Client Service Managers for a single point of contact. CeeBee’s in-house Attorneys ensure a comprehensive service to their clients. Additional services include Credit Checks and Debtor Verification, Section 41 Letters and Exemption Processing.
CeeBee is based in Boksburg, on the East Rand of Gauteng, with agents in Cape Town and Durban.
Connect with CeeBee online:
- Tel: +27 861 CB DEBT (0861 22 3328) / +27 11 913 2447
- www.ceebee.co.za
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Tracey Swart
Wordsmith Services
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