At the end of Siyakhula workshops, there are always participants who say it was not what they had expected. This remark is often followed by suggestions that more workshops should be presented in this way.  

For the woman driving the Siyakhula workshops, Katlego Letlonkane from the Human Resources Division at Stellenbosch University (SU), this kind of feedback comes as no surprise. Over the past few years, the Siyakhula workshops have inspired many SU staff to think differently about their work environment. Siyakhula, isiXhosa for ‘we are growing’, aims to promote diversity and employment equity at SU by creating opportunities for staff engagement on matters that are at the heart of our humanity, Letlonkane explains.  

As a labour lawyer, social justice researcher and former consultant in human resources transformation, Letlonkane has assisted many organisations with driving change, particularly people and culture-related change. Beyond her role at SU as Programme Manager: Capacity Development at HR, Letlonkane is also a popular radio presenter of SiyakhulaLive on MFM92.6, a show that connects with SU staff and students on matters of diversity, social justice and transformation.   

The Diversity Capacity Development Programme aims to equip staff to model, guide and support equity strategies, inclusion and staff wellbeing. The content and facilitation methods are developed and updated in partnership with HR Employee Wellbeing, the Transformation Office, the Disability Unit and the Equality Unit. The Siyakhula programme is informed by SU’s Vision 2040 and Strategic Framework 2019–2024 .​ 

Letlonkane and her team are very intentional about the design of the multidisciplinary workshops. “The facilitators see to it that the workshops are participant-led. The presentations are immersive to ensure transformative, experiential learning,” she explains.  

During the Covid-19 pandemic, most workshops were presented online, but from the beginning of the year, in-person engagements have resumed. 

Letlonkane is passionate about a value-centred workplace. “It lies at the heart of the diversity work I envision. We spend eight or nine hours a day together at work, relying on one another to move the work forward. How do we enhance the quality of these relationships? Shared values, such as respect and fairness are an important way to kick off the conversation. Everyone has an idea of what it means to feel respected. So, respect becomes a cornerstone of the values framework we use to enhance the quality of our relationships.” 

The workshops are also tailored to accommodate the unease some people feel with a process of change, Letlonkane notes. “Some people are happy with the status quo, while other colleagues feel discomfort in the working environment. In the workshop space, we lean into these feelings so that participants can open themselves up to engaging insights without feeling alienated or judged. It’s a creative process and we’re all part of shaping the meaning.” 

Raising levels of social and cultural awareness leads to people finding common ground in new and unexpected ways. After two hours of immersive conversations, old hierarchies make way for new kinds of social cohesion, Letlonkane says. “People leave the workshops having had engaged meaningfully with colleagues they’ve never met before. Talking about things that matter is a powerful and courageous way to break down walls between people.” 

One of the main aims of Siyakhula is for relational and empathetic relationships to be built between people of the SU community. Embedding these skills in people and ensuring their personal and institutional ownership of the vision of transformation are important to realise long-term transformation, Letlonkane believes. Every employee at SU is contracted to SU’s values and its vision for diversity and transformation.

Part of the success of the workshops is that it’s not done in a patronising way. “We respect people’s autonomy and that they are in charge of their lives. We meet them where they are and ask that they tell their own stories. The intention is never to alienate anybody’s belief or convince them of anything. We merely create reflective processes that lead people to discover for themselves who they want to be in this world.” 

Letlonkane says SU’s Siyakhula is certainly a unique programme. Not many universities have organised their diversity and transformation programme in this way. Siyakhula is a model of how institutions may advance employees’ shared humanity by creating inclusive working environments embedded in a culture of listening, dialogue, and compassion. “The Siyakhula programme lives up to the kind of campus SU envisions itself to be. We have three more workshops until the end of the year, and I am looking forward to deepening our connections and learning more about colleagues during these two-hour sessions on diverse aspects of our humanity,” Letlonkane says.  

* The next workshop Letlonkane will present is focused on how SU’s values empower the creation of a diverse workplace and culture. Book your place for Ecare: Values for a Diverse Workplace and Culture on Thursday 20 July by sending an email to Grizelda Adams ([email protected]). The workshop will be presented online from 10:30 to 12:30.

Participant feedback from previous courses: 

• “The workshop was insightful and engaging. The mutual exchange of ideas and experience was of benefit I suppose not only to the participants but also to the facilitator.”

• “The facilitators held the session with such grace and humility and allowed the session to go where it needed, welcoming engagement and insights from all. Beautifully facilitated. There was a special spiritual presence felt in the session.” 

• “It was an amazing session. Deeply personal and engaging.” 

• “The facilitators were very open in sharing their stories, which encouraged the participants to engage and share theirs as well.” 

• “I am interested in more diversity dialogues and engagements. I learnt a lot in this one and would like to open my perspectives.”