The Institute of Directors in South Africa (IoDSA) has been named Most Innovative Corporate Governance Training Institute for 2023 (UK) by Global Brands magazine.
Sherma Malan, executive director: certification and member services at the IoDSA, says the award is a welcome recognition of the quality of training the Institute offers, and thus its contribution to creating and expanding the country’s directorial talent pool.
“We are particularly proud of our designation as an innovative training provider because we have put so much effort into offering directors and would-be directors training that really does prepare them for what has become a very fast-moving and demanding profession,” she says.
“The IoDSA is 60 years old, but that legacy is built on our forward-looking stance. As the ultimate custodians of corporate governance within an organisation, directors have an incredibly tough job and a heavy responsibility–it’s up to us to ensure they can access the best possible training to prepare them for their important role.”
The IoDSA is the only professional body for directors in South Africa that is recognised by the South African Qualifications Authority, which means that its training not only meets stringent quality controls but can also earn delegates CPD (continuous professional development points). The IoDSA has been spearheading the professionalisation of directorship in response to the key role directors play in guiding organisations to success and their potential exposure to personal liability for breaching their fiduciary duties.
The IoDSA has introduced two professional director designations, Certified Director and Chartered Director, to provide an objective, rigorous framework within which directors can obtain and maintain the necessary corporate governance skills, aligned with the IoDSA’s Director Competency Framework.
Malan says that, as a non-profit, the IoDSA can plough all its profits back into the organisation, ensuring it maintains standards and can play a significant role in advocating for corporate governance and directorship in South Africa. It also owns the King Report on Corporate Governance for South Africa and provides secretarial services to the King Committee. The King Reports is recognised as global standard bearers for corporate governance.
An important differentiator for the IoDSA’s director training is that it is provided by a world-class faculty that comprises only serving directors with local and international board experience. The majority of the faculty are Chartered Directors.
“As the Zondo Commission’s reports clearly showed, directors are in the frontline of the fight against corruption, and an organisation’s performance directly correlates to the quality of its board,” Malan concludes. “The IoDSA’s training and its Directorship Competency Framework, along with its two professional designations, offer directors and would-be directors with the best possible training to achieve their potential.”