Careers advice comes with Jesus in South Africa

“We want Jesus to be the heart of all we do,” Skhumbuzo says.

Alongside practical guidance, they introduce ideas about resilience and wise decision-making. Sometimes the impact appears quietly. One student shared his desire to grow in prayer and Bible reading. Another spoke about violence she had witnessed in her community. 

For Laura, these moments are reminders that God is already moving. 

Pointers grew out of years of ministry with young people. Laura joined SIM in 2014 and moved to South Africa the following year to serve in a children’s home, where she spent several years walking closely with vulnerable children and young adults. It was there that she and Skhumbuzo met and discovered a shared desire to support young people as they navigate life, faith and the future. 

After marrying in 2023, they moved to Gauteng, in South Africa, to continue serving in a similar context. Within a year, that season came to an end. It was unexpected, but it opened the way for God to redirect their steps. 

As they began serving in their church’s student ministry, they found young people who were eager for community and discipleship. At the same time, earlier experiences, including supporting a young woman who had been trafficked, led Laura to pursue training through SIM’s For Freedom ministry, OM Freedom Challenge, and the National Freedom Network. 

“I’m someone who likes to plan,” she says. “But God has been shifting our plans in so many ways. If our plan had continued, His plan would have been smothered.”

That training changed how they understood the challenges facing young people. 

They began to see how easily exploitation can hide behind opportunity and how important it is for young people to receive both discipleship and practical wisdom before they reach major life decisions. 

Pointers grew from that realisation. 

Today, their work brings together career guidance, trafficking prevention and spiritual formation. At the centre is a clear desire: not only to help young people build a future, but to help them build it on Christ. 

“We want Jesus to be the heart of all we do,” Skhumbuzo says. 

Looking back, Laura can see God’s hand in every step. 

“I’m someone who likes to plan,” she says. “But God has been shifting our plans in so many ways. If our plan had continued, His plan would have been smothered.” 

What once felt like disruption has become direction. 

Through Pointers, Laura and Skhumbuzo are helping a new generation choose wisely, live safely and grow in faith. 

“For Laura, these moments are reminders that God is already moving.”