Ob Malope

31/10/2025

and Palesa, on behalf of the entire eyecare community I personally want to say thank you to you all.

You have shaken the industry and ignited a huge 🔥 within our hearts as the eyecare community to build up our practices into speciality ones and elevate not only our careers to the next level but more importantly take our patient management care and journey to the highest possible level too.

We are greatly appreciative of the role the Contact Lens Society of South Africa 🇿🇦 plays in our industry.

May the seeds you have planted in Optometrists be magnified over the next couple of months.

You have delivered a spectacular Contact Connect International Contact Lens Conference.

30/10/2025

There is nothing more amazing in eyecare than seeing young passionate Optometrists go out of their way to grow their capacity within the profession, be committed to contributing to the industry at large with what they do and be fully focused on delivering exceptional care for patients.

The Contact Connect International Contact Lens Conference this year played a pivotal role in redefining specialty eyecare approaches for many Optometrists eager to operate at a higher level of excellence.

What incredible leaders we have in the eyecare community right now.

29/10/2025

One thing that stands out the most with every single one of these phenomenal leaders is that they have an extraordinary passion for eyecare excellence in every way possible.

Getting the awesome opportunity to learn from these leaders, spend time in their presence getting a deep understanding of what inspires them and witnessing how they are not moved by titles is truly remarkable to experience.

I’ve learnt the following from each leader:

- never treat patients or anyone for that matter as “by the way” especially when they are in need of help.

- keep it simple, keep it practical and go out of your way to find value adding solutions that transform people’s lives.

- keep putting in the work and stretching yourself when it comes to expanding your knowledge and expertise.

- be quick to put into action what you learn so that you can determine how it best works within your own environment

- be an educational sponge 🧽 and go out of your way to transform your approach in patient care

What an incredible Contact Connect International Contact Lens Conference hosted by the Contact Lens Society of South Africa

28/10/2025

I was yet again fortunate enough to be a speaker at the 4th Contact Connect International Contact Lens Conference.

Workshop Topic:
How to establish and build a profitable Speciality Contact Lenses Optometric Practice.

I got the amazing opportunity to facilitate a comprehensive workshop that focused on practical approaches based on the following topics:

- Current versus future Optometry landscape.
- Identifying and grabbing hold of the speciality contact lens opportunity.
- Important matters to consider when it comes to a speciality contact lens practice.
- Competency skills capacity and the strategic guideline to follow in every stage
- Mechanisms on building a patient data base
- The different sales, marketing and communication activities as well as tactics to implement and how best to do so.
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I give God all the glory for how He moved in the room through this workshop and how every single delegate identified practical solutions they can immediately implement in their practices.

Thank you the Contact Lens Society of South Africa for trusting me to make a valuable contribution to the program this year.

28/10/2025

27/10/2025

Optometry was never an option for me at all.

All I ever wanted to become was a ⚽️ player for but due to life changing injuries, that was not possible.

For that young boy to have ended up as an Optometrist and be a part of the global eyecare community alongside some of the industry’s biggest names like the legendary Dr. Tom Arnold, the extraordinary Christine Wiles Sindt the phenomenal Daddi Fadel and the incredibly amazing Byki Huntjens de Luna is beyond my wildest imagination.

Lizelle Dorfling-Smith and I have been fortunate to be connected with these awesome leaders for years now thanks to the Contact Lens Society of South Africa bringing us the Contact Connect International Contact Lens Conference since 2017.

This year’s conference was truly special in so many ways.

We have learnt so much from these amazing leaders who truly gave us their hearts in full in how they shared their clinical knowledge, experiences and insights so that we can be empowered to elevate speciality eyecare to the next level.

26/10/2025

Every one of these amazing leaders has greatly impacted me on a personal level through the lessons I’ve learnt from being close to them, working with them or observing everything they constantly do.

Dear Young Optometrist, the most difficult circumstances you may find yourself in often bring out the greatest strength out of you.

NEVER GIVE UP!!!

I’ve learnt from these amazing leaders and is that you should what you have at your disposal to create opportunities for yourself that will set you apart from everyone else.

How?

1. Learn as much as you possibly can and be quick to implement.

2. Be adaptable & flexible in your approach.

3. Add significant value to your network.

4. Create a value, user & lifestyle experience for those that utilize your products, services or solution offering.

5. Look where others are not even aware they can also look.

6. Be inquisitive.

7. Create opportunities for other people to see their own visions come.

8. Surround yourself with people who can stretch your thinking.

9. Show up & make every small opportunity you get count.

10. Listen twice as much as you speak & be attentive to every detail.

What a great opportunity it has been to spend time with these amazing leaders during the Contact Connect International Contact Lens Conference 2025.

26/10/2025

Natasha, Lerato, Willem and I all met almost 20 years ago working in one of the franchise Optometry Practices.

Over the years we all identified what ignites a 🔥 in our hearts when it comes to eyecare and we went on our journeys to pursue that vision so that we can add value to the eyecare community at large.

Today I stand amazing at what these three have been doing through their practices in transforming patient’s lives.

What a great honour and privilege it is to consistently be part of the Contact Connect International Contact Lens Conference with these amazing leaders since 2017.

26/10/2025

I have been in the eyecare industry since 2004 and has been the most consistent company I’ve had the privilege of learning from.

This amazing team of leaders have impacted me in such a powerful way especially when it comes to how to approach industry events because they have set the standard so high through their own events.

The Contact Connect International Contact Lens Conference 2025 kicked off with such a 💥

Truly grateful to know these lovely colleagues of mine .jeanette Tarryn Lotz

24/10/2025

What a powerful start to the Contact Connect International Contact Lenses Conference Words can’t describe how amazing it is to be part of this incredible conference with so many wonderful speakers locally and internationally. Most importantly phenomenal delegates in attendance

31/08/2025

What an incredible UJ Optometry Student Conference this has been that was hosted by both Cooper Vision and Essilor Luxottica. These final year Optometry Students are going to take the industry by storm. To all the young students in the eyecare industry, here are some personal entrepreneurial lessons learnt over the years:1. All you going to get is an opportunity. It is up to you to make it count.2. Some seeds you sow may take a longer time to produce a harvest, whereas others harvest immediately. Know the seasons.3. Always remember how far you’ve come & what you already have had to overcome in the process.4. Ask for help. Don’t allow your pride get in the way of your progress.5. Be decisive. 6. Don’t prolong things that require your immediate attention/action.7. Put yourself in a position where you can Create or Attract the opportunities you want. 8. Be intentional with the kind of influence you want to be surrounded by as well as the kind of team you want to work with. 9. Be very clear on what sets you apart from everyone else. Then constantly harness it & put it into the market. 10. Believe in yourself more than anything else.

23/08/2025

As an Optometric Practice Owner, you either going to stick with the status quo by accepting that business is slow and not do anything about it. Or perhaps you have a willingness to be proactive in your approach.

Consumers that walk into your eyecare practice come with different challenges that you will need to overcome.

1. Affordability
Remember consumers will spend their hard earned money on what speaks the most to their current needs and wants.

2. Medical Insurance
Will they medical insurance be enough to cover all their optical needs? If not, what options do they have available to get what they need?

3. Product
Why should the consumer upgrade their current
management solution to the one you are now
recommending?

4. Access
Can you reduce the effort required to get customers started with your product or service?

5. Preconceived Ideas
What misconceptions about the overall eyecare
experience do you need to address for the consumer to be able to move forward?

6. Past Experiences
It is imperative to know what their previous experience was with an Optometry Practice. What worked well and what didn’t.

7. Service Excellence
Exceeding expectations should be a top priority for the practice. Everything the team does should be intentional and not done as a by-the-way kind of thing.

8. Technology
Never forget that with technological advances, the key to winning the consumer over is by making them the center of everything the technology does. Make the experience with the technology advancements personal to them and not something that makes them feel like
they are just a number.

Would love your feedback on the above

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