Mentorship in open distance e-learning: Enhancing mentees’ academic development, career trajectories, and progress toward SDG 4

New academics in higher education worldwide report high levels of stress from various sources. Adaptation and support through mentoring are needed if new academics engaged in teaching, research, and academic citizenship are to endure, learn, and contribute to student learning and advance in their academic careers. The need for support and development in academia through mentoring cannot be overstated, as it directly impacts advancing SDG#4. This has led to unravelling mentoring in academia as a vehicle for advancing SDG#4 in an Open Distance e-learning (ODeL) context. The effective mentorship programme in ODeL ensures that mentees are equipped with the academic skills to flourish in academia. The study explores mentees' mentorship experiences in an ODeL context to enhance their academic development, career trajectories, and SDG #4. This study employed a qualitative case study research design. Significantly, the study used the population. Fifteen new junior academics were purposively selected as mentees in an ODeL institution. Thematic data analysis was used to analyse the collected data. The findings revealed that dedicating time to mentor-mentee meetings contributes to collegiality, enhancing mentees' career advancement, job performance, and self-confidence, and fostering a sense of community and fulfillment in ODeL. To improve mentorship programmes in ODeL, it is recommended that mentors regularly meet with their mentees, that evidence of mentoring activities be submitted to department chairs every quarter, and that mentors introduce their mentees to their local and international networks to support their professional growth. This study contributes by addressing a gap in the literature, informing mentoring policies in the ODeL context, offering practical insights, and providing effective mentorship strategies to support mentees' academic development and career trajectories.