Study abroad – international study advice and applications

Brent was born and raised in South Africa and then travelled to the UK as an international student, where he completed his master’s degree with Anglia Ruskin University. He worked for several public universities in the UK and the US with a continuous focus on Africa. He has spent time travelling the entire continent, supporting students on their journeys to study abroad.

In 2016, he moved back to South Africa where he set up a pan-African study abroad consultancy. He joined Sable International in 2021 and now manages the Study abroad division.

When he is not travelling, you will find him in the water, surfing. 

Sean has a diverse and extensive background in international business, with a focus on marketing, design and product management, with 15 years of experience working with multinational corporations in Africa, Europe and Asia.

He was educated in Australia, Europe and Asia, studying International Business and Business Management at Edith Cowan University/Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus and Interior Design at The Florence Design Academy.

Before joining Sable International, he led a diverse portfolio of start-ups from renewable energy to sustainable property development. He also founded StudentLink, one of the most diverse, up and coming, study abroad agencies in Zambia, which has now merged with Sable International. He brings with him five years of higher learning education experience.

Outside of work, he enjoys outdoor activities, sports, traveling and reading.

Tendai specialises in digital media, marketing and business development with nine years worth of experience in marketing. He has worked in Cape Town and in Harare for companies, events, sports teams and restaurants, plus created campaigns to launch, rebrand and establish brands in the market.

Tendai's strengths lie in social media management which has seen brands increase their footprint digitally, win awards for campaigns, as well as making a product the most successful product in the company's history. He has formulated and implemented marketing strategies for major corporates in Zimbabwe, brands in South Africa and start-ups in both countries.

Lekan Olufeyisan is a graduate of Biology from University of Abuja. He is passionate about the education industry and he has been contributing to it for many years, even before graduating from the university.

He was the official in-country representative for Curtin University, Australia and later for University of Chester, UK, while working with British Canadian International Education.  He currently manages the admissions team at Sable International: Study Abroad.

Lekan is a lover of music. He is a vocalist and an instrumentalist. He loves to relax by watching movies or listening to good music. He also loves to spend time with his family.

Amy grew up on the West Coast of Cape Town and then attended the South African College of Applied Psychology (SACAP). While studying a Bachelor of Social Sciences Honours (BPsych Equivalent), she developed a keen understanding of working across diverse demographics during her practical training.

Amy utilises her interpersonal training and skills as a Study Abroad Adviser. She is able to assess and guide students to the best international programmes for their education goals. In addition to this, she builds relationships with schools and tertiary institutions.

In her free time, you can find Amy enjoying the outdoors or in (under) the ocean.

Dalene grew up in the Southern Suburbs of Cape Town. She graduated from Stellenbosch University with Bachelor of Arts International Studies degree, as well as an Honours Degree in History. After University, Dalene spent some time in the UK before moving to Vietnam where she worked in Education for five years. 

Dalene loves to experience new cultures and learn new things. She also loves animals. In her free time she enjoys reading, travelling, doing photography, eating out with friends, going SCUBA diving, and motorbike trips out of the city. 

Elvin has spent most of his life in the Kampala suburbs. However, he enjoys checking in on his ancestral home in Western Uganda every so often. He holds a bachelor's degree from Uganda Christian University Mukono and intends to pursue a master's degree as well. 

Prior to joining Sable International, he worked as a customer service officer and a study abroad counsellor at Grand Studies Africa, an education consultancy, where he gained great knowledge and experience in the processes and procedures around applying to international universities. 

He is a humble, enthusiastic and result-orientated person who loves to try out new things and learn new skills. In his free time he enjoys watching series and movies, playing video games, socialising and travel.

Brenda is an innovative, strategic and forward-thinking person with a degree in Journalism and Communication from Makerere University, majoring in Public Relations, and five years of experience in the field of Communication and Public Relations.

She has excellent communication skills and strong interpersonal skills. Before she joined Sable International, she worked with agricultural cooperatives in Uganda as the Communications Officer.

At Sable International she works as an administrator, managing daily activities of the office whilst ensuring the team works effectively.

She is an outgoing person who loves traveling, reading, farming and gardening in her free time.

Benjamin holds a master’s degree (MTech) and has over seven years of work experience in marketing education products and services, international student recruitment, and student visa counselling.

He has also worked ha both inbound and outbound customers relationship officer with one of the most outstanding telecommunication companies in Nigeria. Prior to joining Sable International in February 2023, he also worked with Erudite Consults and UNICAF Educational Services Institute in Lagos, Nigeria.

Outside of work, he likes reading books, learning and practicing programming languages and also listening to music.

Eliaichi is a hardworking and adaptable individual with over 11 years' experience working in various office environments, mainly in educational institutions. She is always eager to learn new skills and strives to achieve the best in all areas. She is an expert in administrative duties and dealing with complex managerial problems. 

She holds a master's degree in developmental studies from Uganda Martyrs University and a bachelor's in business administration from the Open University of Tanzania. Prior to joining Sable International, she worked as a human resource coordinator at BLD Consults and as personal assistant to the Executive Director at Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR). She also worked at Aga Khan Education Service Uganda (AKESU), Uganda Martyrs University (UMU), University of Dar es Salaam and as a volunteer.

She enjoys crocheting, listening to music and spending quality time with her family and friends.

Lola holds a BSc in Telecommunication Engineering from St. Lawrence University, Uganda. She is bilingual in English and French.

Prior to joining Sable International, Lola worked as a sales representative for a VoIP company.

She is passionate about helping others succeed and enjoys spending time with family, reading and going on adventures.

Sharon is the first born in a family of three. She is married with three children. Her career background is in counselling, sales and marketing. 

Her role at Sable International is making sure students find the best university or college to meet their study abroad needs.

She is an optimistic extrovert who is easy to get along with. Outside of work, she loves getting involved in church activities and spending time with her family and friends.

Valarie has a background in business development, with over 10 years work experience planning, directing and implementing sales strategies. She also holds a master's in business administration from Makerere University and a postgraduate diploma in public administration from UMI.

Prior to joining Sable International, she worked at Beyond Kenya Limited and managed to build new distribution channels and partners to cover the new emerging markets like Uganda, DRC and Rwanda.

She is a driven go-getter and a people person who believes in ongoing practice, reflection and constant self improvement. Outside of work she enjoys listening to music and reading. 

Natalie is a customer-orientated and strategic-thinking marketing professional with over three years of experience in building startups and marketing by cultivating partnerships as well as growing profit channels.

She previously worked at Supplement World Zambia as the head of marketing for a little over three years, and has experience as a freelance digital marketing consultant, having worked with Lingua Connections – an institution that teaches German.

She is a friendly, enthusiastic and self-motivated individual with excellent multitasking skills and expertise in expanding network connections and persuasively introducing services.

Outside of work she enjoys working out and cooking for friends and family.

Sipiwe studied a bachelor of Science in Human Biology at Lusaka Apex Medical University and is also currently pursuing a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) at Lusaka Apex Medical University and a Master of Science in Public Health at the University of Lusaka. She also holds a certificate in Product Management.

She has experience in youth involvement and advocacy in digitalisation at an international level, as she is a Youth Envoy for the International Telecommunications Union Generation Connect.

Before joining Sable International, she was leading a youth-led initiative responsible for health awareness and promotion and also working in the events sector for both corporate and non-corporate events.

She enjoys traveling, learning, exploring new places and experiencing food markets in her free time. She is an adventurous person who loves experiencing high-adrenaline activities.

Josephine is working towards a degree in mass communication and public relations student at Cavendish University Zambia.

Prior to starting at Sable International, she worked for Gatbro international limited, one of Zambia's leading FMCG product distributors for three years, transitioning from in-field marketer to front desk and data entry assistant.

JShe is a social media enthusiast with vast knowledge around social media algorithms, SEO and web traffic metrics. She spends most of her time outside work reading different genres of fictional books and, occasionally, research-related material.

David studied at Makerere University Business School and completed a professional course in Marketing through the UMI study centre. Before joining Sable International, he worked with Grand Studies Africa Limited.

He is skilled in communication and leadership and enjoys working as a teamplayer in a diverse and multicultural environment. He speaks three languages and is constantly expanding his knowledge.

Outside of work he enjoys participating in sports, especially volleyball and badminton, traveling, reading, making new friends, picking up new information, watching movies, helping the needy and surrounding himself with nature.

Halm is an experienced business development and management professional, Founder of Grand Studies Africa (a student-centred consultancy powered by IE Abroad) and now partner and in-country director of Sable International's Uganda Study Abroad division.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in business computing from the Islamic University in Uganda, with a keen focus on success, and resilience. He is a great believer in the adage “ease is a greater threat to success than hardship”.

He is a husband and father of three boys. In his free time he likes to travel and finds it rejuvenates him and enables him to return to work with full force, ready to conquer.