Startwise.co.za, Startwise is the first on-demand virtual mentorship platform in South Africa where small businesses can connect with industry experts for business mentoring and advice.

To maintain the integrity of the Startwise brand and platform and ensure the safety of both mentor and mentee, you may not take the sessions outside of the Startwise platform. Doing so may result in removing yourself from the Startwise network of mentors.

Yes, Startwise reserves the right to screen and monitor content submitted by 

Yes, the Startwise Platform has been developed to be secure and all exchanges are encrypted. It also ensures your data is housed in compliance with the POPI Act.

Startwise holds specific non-sensitive personal information in order to provide its services, including user name, email, location, linked social media, profile and  images that was saved by users to their profiles.

You can view your session history and join your upcoming sessions by accessing your Sessions tab on the left-hand side of your dashboard.

When joining your call, make sure your browser is allowing access to your camera and microphone. If you have multiple devices for your microphone or camera, you can select which to allow from the drop-down menu.

You can control your microphone, camera, sharing your screen and other settings by the settings bar at the bottom of your screen.

After your video call session, you will be prompted to leave a rating and review for either your mentor or your attending mentee. You can also leave further feedback on your platform experience. 

Once-off sessions can be up to 60 minutest starting from 30 minutes.

Complete all the required fields. You will need to include a short bio positioning your areas of expertise as a mentor, upload a short introductory video and remember to include the reasons why a mentee should enlist your services. Please select the categories that you are qualified in for the search filter.

If your client has booked an hour session and you are running over time, simply end the session at an hour and schedule another one for the additional time needed. This ensures your billing runs correctly.

Simply log into your profile and complete all the requested fields.

After signing up to the Startwise platform and you have been approved. Go back to your profile and populate all required fields including your rate, introductory view, expertise and specialised categories. 

If you require assistance, contact support@startwise.co.za

Yes, the Startwise Platform has been developed to be secure and all exchanges are encrypted. It also ensures your data is housed in compliance with the POPI Act.

You set your own hourly rate through the Startwise Platform.

Startwise charges you a fee (the "Service Fee”) based on a percentage of Appointment Fees collected on your behalf. The current applicable percentage on all sessions/services/mentorship plans is twenty per cent (20%). The Service Fee is deducted from the Appointment Fee payable to you in respect of an Appointment.

T&C’s apply

If at any stage you are unhappy with the service or platform, please email support@startwise.co.za

Card transactions will be acquired for Starwise via PayGate (Pty) Ltd which is the approved payment gateway for all South African Acquiring Banks. The payment gateway accepts Mastercard/Visa, debit and credit card payments as well as EFT’s from the main South African banks. Once you reach the minimum threshold of earning R1 000 and have completed the sessions/services booked, payments will be made on a weekly basis.

T&C’s apply

Yes. After each session, a message will be sent to the mentee where they can review the session.

Yes, you can reschedule the meeting if the mentor/mentee did not attend the meeting.

Adjust your calendar availability through your profile on Startwise.

Startwise recommends setting your subscription offering for a period of either 1 month. If you would like to chat with our Startwise platform expert for guidance, contact support@startwise.co.za 

You can easily connect to mentees through the Startwise Platform chat functionality.

A mentee will schedule a session through the calendar on your profile. You can view the appointment on your dashboard. If you need to reschedule your session, please email support@startwise.co.za

After registering on Startwise, you will be requested to submit information such as your LinkedIn Profile, accreditations, work experience etc. This data will not be made public as it’s purely for the vetting processes.

Once you have submitted all the required documentation for the panel to verify, it takes less than a week to review your application and for you to complete your profile on the Startwise Platform.

To qualify as a Startwise mentor, it is mandatory to possess a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in the specific area or field of expertise. We value the expertise and knowledge that comes with years of practical experience, as it enables mentors to provide valuable guidance and support to aspiring entrepreneurs.

When registering as a mentor on Startwise, you will be required to submit specific documents that validate your qualifications. These documents serve as a means to ensure the credibility and expertise of our mentors. Please note that the submitted documents are strictly confidential and are not made public. We prioritize the privacy and security of our mentors' personal and professional information.

By maintaining these rigorous qualification standards, we aim to uphold the quality of mentorship provided on the Startwise platform, enabling mentees to connect with experienced professionals who can offer valuable insights, guidance, and support on their entrepreneurial journey.

Apply to mentor on the Startwise platform. Part of the application is to complete your profile and qualifying criteria. This includes points such as providing a Link to your LinkedIn profile, Experience and Field of expertise etc. Note: Your personal information such as your CV etc. will not be made public. Your profile will automatically be submitted for review.

Our panel assesses and verifies that your career history is in line with the category in which your expertise will be listed. Once all your credentials have been checked, your profile will be made live on the Startwise Platform. Remember to complete your profile before commencing with your mentorship.

Apply to be a mentor directly on the Platform. Set up your profile and submit it for vetting. Remember to complete your profile once you are approved. From there all sessions are booked and held within the Platform.

The Startwise Platform will take you through a short onboarding process to ensure you are familiar with all the Startwise functionality and features.

You have the ability to earn extra revenue while working the hours that suit you. Mentor entrepreneurs, SME business owners and the like. Plus you can continue your path as an industry thought leader by sharing knowledge across our digital platforms.

Click here for more reasons to apply to be a mentor.

If you would like to increase or decrease your rate to mentees, simply log into your mentor profile and update it. This new rate will be applied to all your sessions booked in the future.

Note, if a mentee has already booked and paid for a session, you will need to honour the rate you were charging at the time of booking.

Startwise is responsible for marketing to attract mentees to the platform. If you have a great idea for a campaign to drive bookings, reach out to us on support@startwise.co.za

If a mentee pays for a session but does not book it with you, unfortunately, you will not receive compensation for that unbooked session.

Our compensation structure is designed to ensure that mentors are rewarded for their time and expertise when actively engaged in mentorship sessions. Unbooked sessions represent situations where the mentoring interaction has not taken place, so compensation is not provided in these cases.

• Location: South Africa
• Industry experience: 10+ years
• Seniority level: Mid-level specialists and above
• Approach: Inclusive and welcoming to those of all backgrounds and cultures
• Mentorship experience: No previous mentorship experience is required. But we do ask that you genuinely want to help another person grow professionally.

No. It doesn’t matter what size your business is or which industry. Any business owner can set up a session with a mentor or business coach of their choice and enjoy professional, trusted advice to help business growth.

Yes, the Startwise Platform is a web-based application. Select audio if your connection is poor.

Simply book a session, subscription or service on the Startwise Platform and you are ready to go!

The Startwise Platform automatically tracks the time for your session. You pay for the session, subscription or service upfront (via your selected method of payment and agreed consultation rate). 

All our mentors go through a stringent vetting system whereby their experience and credentials are all verified. Our mentors have a minimum of 10 years of experience in their field or area of expertise.

If you would like to have multiple sessions with one mentor, you can save money by purchasing a subscription with that mentor. Payment is upfront for the total amount.

When looking for a mentor, you can filter by name, skills that you require, level of expertise or even the industry you are in. 

Your feedback is important to us. You will receive an email, within 24 hours, from our Startwise team to please leave a review of your session and mentor. If you would like to send us direct feedback, please email support@startwise.co.za

You (as a Mentee) may cancel within 7 days of the start of membership if you haven’t scheduled a session with your mentor yet.

You won't be refunded if you have already booked a session with your mentor on the platform, or if the direct messaging function has been used to get advice from mentors or connect outside of the platform.

If your mentor is unavailable and misses your session, Startwise will refund you in full within 30 days.

Last-minute cancellations that you, the mentee, make will attract a 20% administration fee along with any services consumed. 

To request a refund email support@startwise.co.za

T&C’s apply

You can schedule your sessions by clicking on the required date and time on the mentor's calendar through the Startwise Platform.

You (as a mentee) may cancel 24 hours prior to the appointment without penalty; thereafter, a percentage penalty will be applicable.

T&C’s apply

Yes. Once you have registered on the Startwise Platform you will be able to view which mentor is online and start chatting instantly. You can speak with multiple mentors through the chat feature

After agreeing to the fee from your mentor, a pre-authorization of your credit card may be charged for a nominal amount, not exceeding R10.00 in order to verify your credit card. All online transactions
are made through the Startwise Platform using the 3rd Party Payment gateway. You can select your payment method of choice – Mastercard/Visa/EFT from the main South African banks.

When an appointment is booked, Startwise will process and collect the Appointment Fees payable in accordance with the time booked. If the appointment continues after the booked times, the additional Appointment Fees will be deducted.

T&C’s apply

If you can’t get hold of your mentor via the Startwise Platform, please email us on support@startwise.co.za

If you wish to cancel your subscription or reschedule your session, please contact our team at support@startwise.co.za.

After signing up to Startwise and creating your profile, you can search through the mentors or categories that you need assistance with. Simply click on the mentor of your choice and "Subscribe”.

Startwise will send your request to the mentor to schedule a session. They have 24 hours to accept your appointment request or you will be prompted to reschedule. When an Appointment is requested, the mentor will receive your first and last name and a link to your Startwise Account profile page. Once the mentor confirms, Startwise will send you an email confirming your booking.

If you fail to attend your session without giving 24-hour prior notice and the mentor was present, you will still be charged for your session. 

Please see T&C

If you are unhappy with the service or session you have received, please contact us at support@startwise.co.za. Refunds are possible within 7 days of the start of your subscription if you haven’t booked any sessions yet.

Please see T&C

If you would like to reschedule your session, you can do so from your scheduled session/by chatting to your mentor through the Startwise platform or emailing support@startwise.co.za

Watching webinars on Startwise is for free and you are not required to become a startwise user to watch the webinars.

Yes, you can access the webinars on Startwise from any device with an internet connection. The platform is compatible with desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

Mentors on Startwise are carefully vetted for credibility and professionalism, ensuring they understand and respect the confidentiality of your ideas.

Contact Startwise immediately to address your concerns. The platform takes such matters seriously and will investigate and take appropriate action.

 If you haven't booked a mentorship session within 30 days of subscribing, the subscription fee will be refunded to your wallet as credits.

Credits are a form of virtual currency within our platform that can be used for future transactions. If you haven't booked a session within the initial 30 days, the subscription fee is returned to your wallet as credits. These credits can then be applied when you decide to subscribe and book a session at a later time.

The credits in your wallet do not have an expiration date. You can use them whenever you're ready to book a session with a mentor. They provide you with the flexibility to choose a mentorship opportunity that aligns with your schedule and needs.

Yes, you can combine credits with other payment methods when booking a session. This flexibility allows you to make the most of your available resources for an enriching mentorship experience.

No, credits that are in your wallet cannot be refunded back to your original payment method. They can only be used for mentorship sessions or services within our platform.

When you're ready to resume your mentorship journey, simply navigate to the mentorship subscription page and select the mentor you'd like to work with. During the checkout process, you'll have the option to use your available credits to offset the subscription fee.