Ilze Coetsee heads up operations at Addendum Flex, our receivables finance division. In her role, she translates strategy into disciplined execution, leading complex operational environments with precision and accountability. She ensures the Addendum Flex platform consistently delivers the reliable value our clients have come to trust. Outside of work, Ilze is a wife, mother of two, and an avid runner.
While our Women’s Day series typically follows a Q&A format, this piece is a little different. After Ilze once shared this inspiring story in conversation, we asked whether she would consider putting it into words for this year’s series. Graciously, she agreed. What follows is her deeply personal reflection on how navigating sudden loss shaped her resilience, and how adapting to unforeseen challenges can become a catalyst for meaningful empowerment.
“Something I believe strongly as a leader: strength does not exist in isolation; it grows when it is shared.”
Resilience is often spoken about as something bold and visible. In my experience, it is quieter and built in moments of loss, responsibility, and choice. A few years ago, I lost both my parents within days of each other. In an instant, my emotional anchor and practical support system were gone. As a working mother with young children, the impact was profound. Grief did not pause daily life – school runs, work deadlines, and family responsibilities continued, and I had to find a way to keep everything moving.
Like so many women facing unexpected challenges, I adapted.
At the same time, I was carrying significant professional responsibility. As head of operations at Addendum Flex, my role requires discipline, strategic thinking, resilience, and the ability to lead through complexity. These qualities were tested not only at work, but in life itself. As a Chartered Accountant with 16 years of experience the trust placed in me is substantial.
My role requires turning strategy into execution, managing complex operational environments, and ensuring that our solutions consistently deliver value to clients and stakeholders. I take these responsibilities seriously and pride myself on accountability, precision, and an unwavering commitment to the business and our customers. The sudden change of circumstance in my life left me deeply concerned about whether I would be able to continue meeting the demands of my role with the same focus, steadiness, and strength that it requires. Yet through the uncertainty, this personal journey reinforced something I believe strongly as a leader: strength does not exist in isolation; it grows when it is shared.
After my parents passed away, the support structure they provided and on which I relied fell away, and the practical reality of daily logistics became difficult. Our domestic worker, Maria, had been part of our household for many years. She is 49 years old, dependable, hardworking, and deeply committed to her own family. Like many South Africans, she relied entirely on public transport – long hours, high costs, and limited flexibility. One day, I asked a simple question: What if we changed that?
Maria pictured with her car. She passed her driver’s test on her very first attempt.
I considered the relief it would bring to us both if Maria were able to take over driving the children to school and their activities, and run unexpected errands for our household when needed. It would help ease the new logistical pressures I was facing while also providing her with a form of independence she had never experienced.
Maria had never driven a car. No one in her family had ever held a driver’s licence. The idea felt daunting, but also full of possibility. So we began, slowly and patiently. For a full year, we practised. There were nerves, setbacks, determination, and perseverance. We studied together. We drove together. And on her very first attempt, Maria passed her driver’s licence test. She became the first person in her family to obtain one. We then bought a small car, not without sacrifice. It required careful budgeting, discipline, and trust on both sides.
Today, Maria drives my children to school and their activities, and she takes the car home every day. That is where the true impact lies. She no longer depends on public transport. Her days are safer, shorter, and less exhausting. On weekends, she has the freedom to run errands, visit family, and move through the world with independence. Both our quality of life has changed meaningfully. This was not charity. It was mutual empowerment.
International Women’s Day often asks how we uplift women. My answer is simple: we do it by sharing skills, access, and opportunity – not just support in words. Empowerment becomes real when it is practical and sustainable. Professionally, I see this principle every day. Strong businesses are built when people are trusted, enabled, and given the tools to succeed. Personally, I experienced the same truth. In lifting another woman, I found strength of my own. Maria’s achievement extends beyond her. Her children now see what is possible. Her family’s mobility and opportunity have shifted. And my own children are learning a powerful lesson – that leadership is about dignity, empathy, and creating opportunity for others. This International Women’s Day, I celebrate women who lead with both competence and compassion. As a CA(SA), a leader at Addendum Flex, a mother, and a woman who has navigated loss, I believe this deeply: true empowerment happens when professional excellence is matched with the courage to create opportunity beyond ourselves.
