Every now and then, someone’s story reminds us that the path we plan and the path we walk are rarely the same. Suzan Ramotshabi entered university with a clear vision: a future rooted in mathematics and statistics. But life gently pushed her into a world she never expected — the retirement and financial planning industry. Today, more than 12 years later, she is a Retirement Products Manager who has walked with clients through new jobs, marriages, divorces, lifestyle changes, illness, and finally — retirement. In a country where many retire in financial hardship, Suzan has become a quiet guardian of dignity, financial protection, and informed decision-making.
This is the story of how she found her purpose, the work she does behind the scenes, and the financial wisdom she believes every South African should have access to.
A Degree in Hand, but No Opportunities in Sight
Suzan’s academic background is rooted deeply in analytical thinking. She is naturally gifted with numbers, data, and problem-solving — so a degree in statistics made perfect sense. Like many young South Africans, she entered university with a plan: study maths, graduate, work in the quantitative field, and build a career around numbers.
But when she completed her degree, reality hit hard. Graduate positions in mathematics and statistics were scarce. She applied everywhere — Stats SA, audit firms, data houses — but nothing stuck. The pressure was heavy, and like many young people navigating unemployment, doubt began to creep in.
That was until her father gave her a simple but life-changing piece of advice: “Just find a graduate programme. Start somewhere.”
So she applied — widely, randomly, and with no idea where she might land. One application took her from the Free State to Johannesburg for an interview she never expected to get: a graduate programme in Pension Fund Administration.
She didn’t know it then, but that single opportunity would open the door to the rest of her life.
Learning Pension Funds From the Ground Up
When Suzan joined the pension fund graduate programme, she knew absolutely nothing about the retirement industry. It was unfamiliar, complex, and completely outside what she had studied. But the programme offered something priceless — full training from scratch.
She learned everything:
- How contributions work
- How benefits are calculated
- How death claims are processed
- How tax is administered
- How statements are produced and analysed
- How funds are governed by the Act
- How Administrators support employers and members
She worked in every area of the business — contributions, tax submissions, client queries, accounting, death claims. Over time, something unexpected began to shift inside her. The work wasn’t glamorous, and at first, it didn’t feel meaningful. But as she dealt with real people’s lives, real families, and real money, she began to realise that she wasn’t just processing numbers — she was directly influencing someone’s future.
She didn’t know it then, but her passion was slowly growing.
Leaving the Graduate Programme and Stepping Into Retirement Products
After two years, her employer offered her a permanent position—a testament to her work ethic and dedication. But she felt ready for a new challenge, something bigger than administration. Encouraged by a friend, she began applying for jobs specifically in the retirement space.
She soon landed a job at a retirement administration company—a step up from just pension funds, or what is now called employer funds, to a full spectrum of retirement products. She made it clear in her interview that she wasn’t coming in pretending to know everything; she was eager to learn.
Her new employer saw her potential immediately.
Within two years, her boss called her into his office and said something that would change her career trajectory:
“Suzan, you’re young, and you have a gift. You explain complicated things in a way that people understand and can relate to. Would you like to study further and do your Postgraduate degree in Financial Planning so you can do more client-facing work?”
For Suzan, this was confirmation. She loved numbers — yes. She loved data — yes. But what she loved more was people.
She wanted to help. She wanted to make an impact. She wanted to educate. And most importantly, she wanted to ensure families never suffered because of uninformed financial decisions.
Discovering Her True Passion — People, Not Numbers
Although she never got to use her statistics degree in the traditional sense, Suzan found something even more meaningful. She discovered that financial literacy was a life-saving tool — literally. And she discovered that her purpose wasn’t in maths, but in using maths to change real people’s lives.
Her passion became simple but powerful:
Help South Africans retire with dignity.
Help families avoid financial trauma.
Help people understand what no one teaches them in school.
This passion sits at the heart of her work today.
The Turning Point That Changed Everything
One of her most defining career moments occurred when she met a young police officer who had made his way to their offices from Soweto because he desperately needed help setting up a retirement fund.
He told her he didn’t want to repeat his father’s mistakes.
His father had worked for decades, saved diligently, and retired with R1.2 million—only to lose everything three months later when he died because he unknowingly bought the wrong retirement product. When he passed away, the entire amount vanished because his life annuity had no guaranteed period. His family received nothing while he was the sole provider.
The officer told her, “I had to leave school. I had to find work immediately. Our lives changed overnight.”
That story pierced her heart and cemented her purpose.
She realised she wasn’t just processing retirement products — she was safeguarding generational stability.
Her Work Today — Managing Retirement Products With Heart
Today, Suzan manages:
- Retirement annuities
- Preservation funds
- Living annuities
- Section 14 transfers
- Death claims
- Pension payments
- Tustee reporting
- Fund governance
- Escalations and client consultations.
The most emotionally demanding part of her job? Processing death claims and transitioning clients in retirement. Because she is often the person who must tell grieving families what their loved one left behind.
Some walk away with dignity and financial safety.
Others walk away with nothing close to what they expected.
The difference between the two?
Knowledge and informed decision-making.
Her Advice to South Africans — Start Early, Stay Curious, Ask Questions
Suzan wants people, especially young professionals, to understand:
- Retirement is not an old person’s plan; it’s a future-you plan.
- R300 is enough to start.
- Employers’ funds are not enough on their own.
- Preservation funds protect you from tax and temptation.
- A living annuity and life annuity are not the same thing.
- The worst decisions happen when people are uninformed.
Her biggest advice?
“Start. Just start. Even if you don’t understand everything now, consistency will reward you later.”
