OUR MENTORS
Our community of industry-leading mentors is committed to equipping the next generation of entrepreneurs – to build world-class ventures that influence culture and create a meaningful impact throughout Africa.
ABIGAIL KHULUSE
FOUNDER & DIRECTOR | TUSHIYAH ADVISORY SERVICES
Abigail launched Tushiyah in 2008 with the focused and ambitious objectives of growing SMEs, growing corporates and growing the economy. Over the last decade the company has gained significant standing in the Enterprise and Supplier Development space, responsible for countless SME/Corporate successes. Putting planning into practice has been a central theme for her over this exciting period of exponential growth.
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Abigail’s drive has also seen her being crowned SACBW Business Woman of the Year in 2014. With a unique pool of some of the brightest people that South Africa has to offer, Abigail succeeded in securing Tushiyah’s USP: access to market; access to finance; and access to business savvy for SMEs. In this way, Tushiyah facilitates successful value chain relationships for corporate procurement divisions.
AFRIKA MHLOPHE
PASTOR & AUTHOR | PRESSING MATTERS
Afrika Mhlophe has been in ministry since 1998 and has been Good News Community Church in Port Elizabeth’s leading pastor since 2002. He ministers on various platforms in South Africa and abroad, including being a regular speaker at the Mighty Men Conferences (MMC).
Afrika’s main focus revolves around calling Christians to bring Kingdom influence into every domain of life. For this reason, he has ventured to speak and write on complex subjects such as racism, corruption, and idolatry (among others). He has published three books, has a TV programme on DSTV and is a board chairman (and writer) for Gateway News, an online Christian news portal. Afrika is married to Lindelwa, and their family reside in Gqeberha with their two children.
ALEF MEULENBURG
FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN | RHIZA BABUYILE
Alef is a founder and chairman of Rhiza Babuyile, an NPO that aims to upskill entrepreneurs and young people, in order for them to contribute to the economic growth and dynamism within their communities. Passionate about social impact; Alef has a heart for solving pressing challenges like poverty, youth unemployment and socio-economic inequality through holistic developmental models . He does this through sitting in various board and executive positions, in organisations that are at the front-line of implementing social change in African communities. Alef’s professional background is in business administration, education, social entrepreneurship, non-profit management, impact investment, purpose driven leadership, philosophy and theology. He is also the author of “the Overcomers” – a book profiling 10 South African SMMEs that were looted during the July 2021 riots.
ALMERO STRAUSS
DIRECTOR | MERGON GROUP
NON-EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN | URBANISE
Almero is a director and has been an executive member of the Mergon Group’s investment team since 2008. Mergon is a private investment group that was founded in 1980. From a single, start-up business Mergon has grown into a diversified investment portfolio with significant interests in companies in the technology, commercial property, insurance, renewable energy and food & beverage industries. Almero looks after and represents Mergon on the Boards of Infotech (one of South Africa’s oldest IT companies), FREI (a Mobile Virtual Network Enabler), Renewable Energy Holdings (the foremost independent developer and long-term investor in the hydropower sector in South Africa), and Mertech Marine (a world leader in the recovery, dismantling and recycling of out-of-service deep sea telecommunication cables). Almero is also the Non-Executive Chairman of Urbanise.com, an ASX listed cloud software business for facilities, asset and strata management.
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After starting his career as an electronic engineer, Almero also obtained pre and postgraduate accountancy qualifications from the University of Cape Town before launching his career in strategy and management consulting with leading international firms Bain & Company and Deloitte in South Africa and the USA. Almero was also a founding member of Decipher Consulting, a South African niche consulting firm, where he was an executive director of the business.
ANDRE HAASBROEK
COO | IN2FOOD GROUP
Andre is currently the joint Chief Operations Officer at In2Food, a national food producer. Andre completed his accounting degree at Stellenbosch University and articles at PwC. He joined Vriesenhof Wine Farm and was responsible for administration and wine exports. Thereafter he worked as a financial manager, firstly at Nulaid Eggs and then at Pioneer Foods Milling Division. In 2003 he joined his father and built Nibbly Bits into a national food producer mainly supplying Woolworths . In 2016 he sold the business to In2Food, where he is currently employed.
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Andre has various investments in smaller business ventures where he serves as a non executive director, and is also on the board of two NGOs in the Drakenstein area, namely NORSA and Valley of Abundance. Andre has an interest in the growth hurdles experienced by fast growing businesses as well as the resulting change in organisational culture.
ASHTON FOURIE
FOUNDER | 5-2-50
CO-FOUNDER & CEO | MULTX
Ashton is the founder of 5-2-50, a business focused on eradicating poverty through the creation of good jobs by building and wisely distributing wealth. He is also co-founder and CEO of MultX, a business accelerator that is part of the Multiply Invest group, and chairman of Zoë Life, a non-profit organisation that seeks to bring wholeness to nations with a strong focus on holistic child-wellness. He is passionate about helping to build businesses with a commitment to seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. Ashton believes that God is doing an unprecedented work in restoring the true blessing and design of work through the church, in the workplace, which he calls the Workplace Revival.
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He started his career as an office cleaner in a cardboard factory, from where he followed a winding path through insurance, IT operations, restaurants, and studying Organisation Development through UNISA. This path led him to discovering his passion in the relationship between purpose, design, and performance; and how this concept scales from individual, to team, to organisational and system design as a foundation for driving performance and well-being. He spent 9 years in China, during which time he completed a Master’s degree in Managing and Leading Innovation and Change (MALIC), whilst assisting the China subsidiary of an international off-shore equipment manufacture in creating and implementing an effective strategic management process that helped them weather the 2015 oil price crash. He returned to South Africa in July 2017, with his wife Lily, and their two children, in response to a sense that God was calling them to come back and contribute to the building of kingdom-focused businesses, with the focus on eradicating poverty in Africa.
BEN SCHOEMAN
FOUNDER & CEO| BUSINESS GAME CHANGERS
On a professional level Ben is a veteran private equity investor & proven high growth entrepreneur. After years of extensive academic training Ben initially gained valuable experience as a banker before pioneering his first startup in 2001. In 2017 he founded Business Game Changers. Ben lives in Stellenbosch and he is happily married to Adi, a pharmacist, clinical research associate & consultant. They are the proud parents of three beautiful children. Ben’s family believe they exist to honour God by ultimately obeying Matthew 28:19-20. Through being and then building more Christ centred families we serve & establish similar families and communities
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Ben started his career as an office cleaner in a cardboard factory, from where he followed a winding path through insurance, IT operations, restaurants, and studying Organisation Development through UNISA. This path led him to discovering his passion in the relationship between purpose, design, and performance; and how this concept scales from individual, to team, to organisational and system design as a foundation for driving performance and well-being. He spent 9 years in China, during which time he completed a Master’s degree in Managing and Leading Innovation and Change (MALIC), whilst assisting the China subsidiary of an international off-shore equipment manufacture in creating and implementing an effective strategic management process that helped them weather the 2015 oil price crash. He returned to South Africa in July 2017, with his wife Lily, and their two children, in response to a sense that God was calling them to come back and contribute to the building of kingdom-focused businesses, with the focus on eradicating poverty in Africa.
BERTIE LOURENS
FOUNDER & CEO | WASTEPLAN
Bertie Lourens is the Chief Executive Officer and visionary behind WastePlan, an onsite Waste Management and Recycling Company. Bertie’s entrepreneurial drive and passion – for both the environment and empowering people – led him to start WastePlan in the Western Cape in 2004.
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WastePlan currently employs over 1300 staff and services over 320 sites in the industrial, property, commercial, hospitality and medical industries in most of the major cities in South Africa – with recyclable waste being collected from over 100 000 households in Cape Town. “Changing the way we think about waste” is WastePlan’s motto, and as such Bertie is constantly building strategic partnerships and searching for innovative ways of waste reduction and recycling. He is a dedicated family man and father to four children and an enthusiastic aviator.
BOSHOFF GROBLER
CEO | ASHBURTON INVESTMENTS
Boshoff joined RMB in 2000 after providing legal counsel to the South African Reserve Bank (SARB)for three years. During his years with FirstRand, Boshoff has been a founding member of DCM. DCM is a joint venture between Fixed Income Currency and Commodities (FICC) and the Investment Banking division (IBD) of Rand Merchant Bank.
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He served as a Specialist Transactor and Executive Director for various capital market vehicles. In 2007, he assumed responsibility for the DCM Executive Committee and was also appointed to the Management Board of IBD. Boshoff has been the CEO of Ashburton Investments since its conceptualisation in 2009 and is responsible for implementing the FirstRand Group’s investment management strategy.
When Boshoff is not working, he spends time with his wife, Blyde, and his three children Andreas, Nina and Miko. He is a passionate horse rider and Arabian horse breeder, enjoys tennis and fly fishing.
BRANDON PASCHAL
FOUNDER | CADENCE LYFE
Brandon helped launch Campus Outreach SA (a student ministry out of the US) in 2004 when he first moved to SA. After seven years there, he moved into technology entrepreneurship. He was part of a software consultancy before joining the Stellenbosch University LaunchLab, where he worked with dozens of entrepreneurs and teams, helping them to define their value, design their business model, grow their revenue and raise investment.
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After 7 years there, Brandon struck out on his own. He is a consultant working with technology entrepreneurs in strategy, business development, and fundraising while running an Agritech Venture Studio.
BUTANA KHOZA
CEO | VUNANI LIMITED
Butana Khoza is the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the JSE listed entity Vunani Limited, a position he has held since April 2020. He has been a Chartered Accountant (South Africa) for 26 years. He has experience in general management, financial management, fund management, corporate advisory and finance, structured finance, private equity investments and securities trading.
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In addition to his executive role, Butana is the director of several private companies making up the Vunani Limited and Vunani Capital Partners (listed on the EESE). He is a non-executive director on the boards of Afgri Holdings Limited and SA Home Loans, where he is a member of several committees.
CHAMP THEKISO
CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | THE THEKVEST GROUP
Words that describe Champ Thekiso include: paradigm-shifter, leader, strategist, experienced director, entrepreneur, investor, and chartered accountant. He worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers in the Entrepreneurial Advisory Division (EAD), which focused on auditing SMMEs. After PwC, he has been growing SMMEs through The Thekvest Group, a business development expertise. He has a wealth of experience in growing dormant companies to high performing socio-economic ventures.
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Over and above his technical and financial knowledge, Champ has extensive experience in stakeholder engagement, local procurement, economic transformation and social performance within the resources sector. He has been an advisor on several Employee Share Schemes, BEE transactions and BEE advisories for JSE listed and unlisted companies. He serviced clients such as Impala Platinum, Anglo Platinum, Shanduka Resources, Sephaku Cement, John Taolo Gaetsewe Developmental Trust, SIOC-CDT, and Modikwa Platinum, to name the few in the socio-economic transformation capacity.
CHARLES MWEBEIHA
CO-FOUNDER | SANGO CAPITAL
Charles Mwebeiha is a Co-founder and Partner at Sango Capital. Sango Capital is a private equity investment firm that invests in funds, direct transactions, and bespoke vehicles structured alongside select private equity investors.
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Before co-founding Sango, Charles was a principal at Destiny Corporation, a South African private equity investment firm. At Destiny, Charles participated in the structuring and negotiating leveraged buy-out and refinancing transactions for portfolio and holding companies. Charles has also been a Partner and Head of the Africa Practice Group at Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs, the Legal and Compliance Manager at Uganda’s Capital Markets Authority, and a corporate lawyer at Sebalu & Lule, a leading commercial law firm in Uganda.
CHERYL JACOB
HEAD OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP | E SQUARED
FOUNDER & MD | REASONATE
Cheryl Jacob has been the Head of Social Entrepreneurship at E Squared since 2019. She is responsible for social impact investments in Public Benefit Organisations. She has over 15 years of experience in International Development, working with civil society organisations across the global south. Cheryl is a Certified leadership coach and trainer with the John Maxwell Team and has spent the past 5 years as a consultant, providing coaching, training, and capacity-building initiatives for the Global Fund, Obama Foundation and Government, amongst others. Cheryl is also the Founder and Managing Director of REASONATE, an Associate at Womaniko – Transforming Spaces & Author of “The Treasure Within” and “Catapult”.
CHRIS DU TOIT
CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR | CUSTOM CAPITAL
Chris is passionate about raising up the next generation of entrepreneurs. He is driven by the dream that he and others can be instrumental in shaping and defining the future. His professional life bears testimony to a firm belief in the brick-by-brick principle of consistently doing the basics well. He started as a collations clerk at a bank. In 10 years, he rose from salesman to managing director of Canon SA. In 2001, he ventured into a now thriving partnership with his brother, Pierre. In 2011 they were approached by Mercantile Bank Limited to partner on building a billion-rand portfolio.
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In 2016 they sold the business to Mercantile bank and embarked on a R1.6 Billion mixed use development partnering the Multiply Group. In 2017 they relaunched their asset finance business aimed predominantly to small to medium sized enterprises.
Chris attributes his success to some of the guiding principles and lessons he has learned: perseverance, honesty, understanding the value of people, sacrifice, consistency, working smart, and having fun. For 28 years Chris has been married to Wanda, who is a dynamic and creative entrepreneur. They have two daughters, aged 25 and 18, and a 22-year-old son. Topping the list of his interests are good food, red wine, and travel, especially to international cities.
CHRISTINE VAN NIEKERK
CO-FOUNDER | THE APIARY
Christine Meintjes (officially Van Niekerk) is a multi-faceted entrepreneur, driven to establish innovative ways to connect creativity with business. She is an internationally acclaimed photographer and the first-ever female appointed as a Nikon Premium Ambassador (for Southern Africa). In 2010 Christine founded the Pretty Blog, a renowned lifestyle platform that has won numerous national and international awards for its exceptional content and storytelling experience.
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Recently, she co-found The Apiary: a company with the tagline “A group of companies, taking creativity seriously”. The Apiary is the holding company for The Pretty Blog and a venture called The Local Edit: an exciting new app that will bring South Africa’s best-designed goods to your fingertips and home.
Christine also started a podcast, Behind The Edit, which facilitates honest and raw conversations about what it takes to build “perfectly edited” brands. In her free time, she enjoys consulting and mentoring, but above all, she is a devoted wife and mom.
DARIN OWEN
CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN | BLU SKY INVESTMENTS
Darin is a successful entrepreneur and has been involved in a range of industries throughout his career. Business interests and investments include clothing manufacture and distribution, homeware, property, technology, and business development. Business investments are both local, in South Africa, and international.
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Darin is currently executive chairman of 3 companies and sits on the board of 10 companies, both locally and internationally. Darin holds therein a majority ownership stake and the founding board member of 2 non-profit organisations.
Darin thrives on his international relationships and finds himself challenged, rebuked and constantly encouraged by other like-minded people globally who share the same Kingdom principles. He loves to meet up with these people and together share ideas and strategies.
Darin currently resides in Salt Rock, South Africa, with his wonderful wife Paula and their three magnificent children, namely Savannah, Joshua and Kristin.
DAVID BLANKS
FOUNDER & CEO | AVOLANDS
David is a passionate avocado entrepreneur and an ardent ambassador for agribusiness development. He believes that the free market and small business development is the only credible means to long-term prosperity for all South Africans. Prior to farming, David worked as a consulting project manager in commercial and development agriculture throughout Africa. He is a dedicated family man and when he is not working, you will find him motorbiking in the bush with his two sons or riding his mountain bike in the forests surrounding his farm.
DION FORSTER
PROFESSOR | PUBLIC THEOLOGY & ETHICS, STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY
DIRECTOR | BEYERS NAUDÉ CENTRE FOR PUBLIC THEOLOGY
Dion is theologian whose work focusses specifically on political ethics and economic ethics at the intersection with faith. He serves as Professor of Ethics at the University of Stellenbosch and as the director of the Beyers Naudé Centre for Public Theology whose aim it is to serve Churches, Faith Based Organisations, and leaders in Faith Based Communities and society, to work of justice, reconciliation, the care of creation, and human wholeness and flourishing.
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Dion also serves on the board of Unashamedly Ethical, the Pneumatix academy, and is the Chairman of the Board of South Africa’s largest distance learning theological college, Theological Education by Extension College (TEEC). He is an associate of the Allan Gray Centre for Values Based Leadership, an honorary research fellow at the University of Cambridge, and a member of the World Economic Forum’s Expert Network.
ELAINE JACOB
CHIEF IMAGINEER | THE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
For over 10 years Elaine Jacob has been trying to inspire and teach people how to unlock mental capacity. She has over 18 years of experience in International Business and Development on the African Continent. She has learned that moving an organization from good to great requires intentional and purposeful effort in creating Leadership Environments (an environment that promotes trust, collaboration, problem-solving and growth-centric mindsets).
Elaine teaches for the prestigious MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Yale School of Management and The Leadership Academy to create leadership workplaces globally where innovation thrives.
GARTH JAPHET
FOUNDER & CEO | HEARTLINES
Garth Japhet is a medical doctor and the founding CEO of Heartlines. Heartlines is an NGO that initiates research-based campaigns that use stories to tackle society’s significant issues such as reconciliation and father absence. These campaigns are feature films and TV dramas complemented by resources to equip workers in workplaces, schools, correctional facilities, churches and NGOs.
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In 1992, Garth co-founded the internationally acclaimed Soul City, a multimedia edutainment project addressing various health issues. It has reached over 50 million people in ten southern African countries through TV and radio drama series, written resources, community mobilisation and advocacy initiatives. Garth was CEO for 17 years.
In 2021 Garth published his first book, “Like water is for fish – the power of story in our lives”. He is married to Jayne, and they have two children, Rebecca and Leigh.
GAVIN REARDON
MANAGING PARTNER | KINGSON CAPITAL
Gavin is the Founder and Managing Partner of Kingson Capital. Gavin provides strategic leadership to the development of the Kingson funds and portfolio construction of the underlying businesses. Gavin is a qualified Chartered Accountant and is registered with the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants. Kingson is a venture capital firm based in South Africa and provides venture investment for early stage seed, post seed and series A rounds for startups focusing on emerging technology, particularly in Africa.
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Kingson is backed by Silicon Valley-based investors and supported by the United States Government, via the United States Agency for International Development. Kingson’s Fund Two is a $100M fund dedicated to investing in startups in Africa, with a special focus on South African based startups. Gavin’s key strengths lie in identifying and developing business opportunities, strategy and business development, innovation and business leadership. Gavin sits on the boards of several startups, acts as an advisor and mentor for South African based accelerators and also co-founded a not-for-profit investment holding company that supports non-profits and charitable foundations.
GERRIT HEYMANS
Non-Executive Chairman | POPUP UPLIFTMENT
CFO | CREATION CAPITAL
Gerrit is a Chartered Accountant with experience in logistics, manufacturing, financial services and skills development. Gerrit is the CFO of Creation Capital, an asset manager which specialises in private credit. He is the Non-Executive Chairman of POPUP Upliftment, a non-profit company, which focuses on providing skills and enterprise development training to unemployed youth. POPUP has trained more than 10,000 people up to the end of 2022.
GLADWYN LEEUW
Chief Investment Officer | E SQUARED INVESTMENTS
Gladwyn has multi-dimensional expertise and experience as an Investment Professional, having served various sectors in senior leadership and executive positions within large corporates, MNCs, and SMEs; being a lecturer of entrepreneurship; an investor; and a founder himself. He is the Chief Investment Officer at E Squared Investments, a South African Impact Investment Fund. Before E2, he served as a General Partner at Kingson Capital. He started his career as an Investment Manager at Anglo-American’s Enterprise and Supplier Development arm, Zimele. Afterward, He joined the Senior Executive team of one of South Africa’s largest international BPO’s, CCI South Africa. Gladwyn holds a Master of Management degree in Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration Management, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economic Studies and International Relations.
GUGU MOLOI
FOUNDER & MD | BETHEL ESTATE
Gugu is a seasoned business leader who has worked in leadership positions in both the public and the private sector. She turned major companies losses into thriving businesses and is very vocal about her dependence on God in the workplace. She is now the managing director of Bethel Farm, a commercial farming operation in Kwazulu-Natal, which she is building with her children.
HANNALIE BARÃO
FOUNDER & DIRECTOR | INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP PRACTICE AT EXPERTTECH
As a founding member and director of EXPERTTECH, an Organisational Development Specialist and Leadership Coach, Hannalie has an extensive track record of facilitating and coaching leadership development locally, internationally, and across a diverse range of industries. Her enduring passion is to serve and guide leaders in discovering their true identity, purpose and calling, and importantly, how to achieve their desired growth.
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Through a purpose-centred and goal-oriented coaching approach, Hannalie guides leaders to a deeper understanding of their thoughts and behaviour, unleashing their God-given talents and abilities to both influence and inspire personal, team and organisational success.
HARDUS ZEVENSTER
CEO | BLOUDRUK GROUP
Hardus, who studied Business Economics and Industrial Psychology at Stellenbosch University, is an entrepreneur at heart and launched his first venture in 1994. He is CEO of Bloudruk Group, a media network that includes Tygerberg 104FM, Groot FM 90.5, Die Groot Ontbyt, one of the most popular shows on kykNET, Radio Christian Voice, the largest radio station in Zambia with over 4 million listeners, Bloudruk Media, that specialises in the Afrikaans market and digital TV channel RoepTV.com.
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Hardus is actively involved in the community and founded the Voortrekker Road Corridor Improvement District, the largest CID in South Africa, as well as serving as Exco member of Unashamedly Ethical.
IPI THIBEDI
CEO | WEBER SHANDWICK
Ipi is the CEO of Weber Shandwick, a global strategic, communications, and consulting firm. Ipi’s strength lies in solidifying multi-market client relationships in Africa and managing and expanding the agency’s growing network across the regional operation. She has specific expertise in C-suite advisory council and transitions – the regiment behind building a formidable brand through leadership. Her focus areas include change management, reputation management, issues and crisis, stakeholder and employee engagement, brand development, and sustainability. Her experience includes working at blue-chip companies such as Deloitte and Altron, where she specialised in strategic business planning and 360 marketing. Ipi is also a board member of Nahana Communications Group and Public Relations and Communications Association’s (PRCA) new Africa Network board. She has further served on other boards and as a judge at some of the industry’s most prominent awards which span across the African continent.
JOHAN DU PREEZ
FOUNDER | SAAD INVESTMENTS & TREE OF LIFE FOUNDATION
Johan, who obtained the degree M. Pharm from the University of Pretoria and an MBA from National University in San Diego, California, is the founder of SAAD Investment Holdings and the Tree of Life Foundation. He began his career in California, USA, where he specialised in the turnaround of large retail pharmacies for American Drug Stores, a retail group that owned more than 700 stores. He then moved on to managed healthcare, specifically medical insurance and risk management, and was part of a core team that created national prescription benefit manager RxAmerica.
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On his return to South Africa he was instrumental in the turnaround of Sanlam Health, where he served as CEO from 1999 to 2001, led Glacier by Sanlam and headed the start-up of the financing company Quince Capital. He subsequently acted as the CEO of the then JSE listed pharmaceutical company Cipla Medpro South Africa and, during this time, concluded a R4.5bn transaction with Cipla India that saw the delisting of Cipla Medpro. During his involvement with the Sanlam group he served on the Executive committees of Sanlam Life and Sanlam Investment Management.
JOHANN SNYMAN
PRINCIPAL: PRIVATE EQUITY | SAAD INVESTMENTS
After an early career in financial management, Johann entered the world of dealmaking and structured finance when he joined FNB Business as a Leveraged Finance dealmaker in 2011. In 2014 he became the head of FNB Business’ New Business Acquisitions team in the Western Cape: a role in which he managed a small, niche team of specialist dealmakers.
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Johann joined Cape Town-based private equity firm SAAD Investment Holdings in 2016. He is intimately involved across the full spectrum of the business’ private equity initiatives, from deal origination phase to post-transaction value creation. He serves as a non-executive director on the Boards of various SAAD investee companies operating in the technology, financial services, and contact centre industries.
He is married to the love of his life, Tara, and is a proud father of two bright-eyed and bushy-tailed boys: Aren and Jonathan.
JOHN YIP
DIRECTOR | INTERNATIONAL SPORT LEADERSHIP SCHOOL
John’s purpose is to enhance strategic Kingdom expansion processes and to develop emerging leaders through the means of catalyzing and multiplying Gospel movements. He is the co-facilitator for a global sports coalition with partners in 200 countries. Millions of sports people are reached and discipled through sports, games, and fitness because of leader and team development for 100,000 leaders each year.
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John is the director of the International Sport Leadership School (ISLS) – an initiative that has trained 575 emerging global leaders from 135countries. He is the global facilitator for Ubabalo Whole Life Coaching – an initiative to equip coaches to be fathers on the sports field. Ubabalo has exploded to over 140 countries with 10,000 coaches trained annually and open source resources available for multiple sports in multiple languages. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and is a Certified Behavioural Consultant, Executive Coach, and Futures Thinking consultant. John is married to Wan Yi and they have embraced the adventure of parenting their daughters Emma and Ellie. They love serving young couples and young families to discover their purpose within God’s mission.
JONATHAN ROBINSON
FOUNDER | BEAN THERE FAIR TRADE COFFEE
Jonathan began his working career in the IT industry with IBM and Dimension Data. After a year abroad in 2002, he joined the Starfish Foundation. He followed his desire to impact the future generations of South Africa by helping to create a brighter future for orphaned and vulnerable children. In 2005 he combined his passion for Africa with his love for coffee and established the Bean There Coffee Company. Bean There is South Africa’s first roaster of certified Fairtrade coffee and works with small-scale farmers in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, and DR Congo. Their model of Direct Fair Trade and investment in agronomy training programs has significantly impacted producer communities across East Africa. Jonathan believes that business can positively impact people and the planet while still being profitable.
KERI-LEIGH PASCHAL
CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | NATION BUILDER TRUST
Keri-Leigh is the Executive director of the Muthobi Foundation within the Mergon Group, as well as co-founder and director of the Nation Builder Trust. Nation Builder is an initiative that equips and enables businesses to leverage their skills and resources to bring about social change while doing business. Nation Builder has launched the first social Investment self-assessment tool, a knowledge platform with best in industry resources and an exclusive online community caters for peer-learning and collaboration.
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Keri has worked both locally and in the United Kingdom in marketing and development as well as initiating and leading a national drive, to raise awareness for autism in South Africa – igniting a passion to utilise marketing and business to raise social awareness and investment.
LAURIE NELL
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | EN GEDI
Laurie founded En Gedi and serves as its Executive Director. Her passion is to serve and encourage, and God has used her experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors to apply those gifts around the world. Laurie has worked as a manager with Master Sports and as Executive Director of her family’s foundation, MasterWorks Foundation before founding En Gedi.
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She served on the board of Leadership Development International (LDi) in China and is currently on the advisory council and also ministers at her local church.
LUVUYO RANI
FOUNDER & MANAGING DIRECTOR | SILULO ULUTHO TECHNOLOGIES
Luvuyo Rani is an award-winning entrepreneur, and founder and managing director of Silulo Ulutho Technologies, a Cape Town based IT services company. The story of Silulo began in 2004 when Rani, a teacher in Khayelitsha, saw teachers struggling with the new computer technology that was being introduced into classrooms. He started his business from the boot of his car, buying old computers, refurbishing them and selling the gadgets. Today, Silulo has 46 stores in townships and rural areas in the Western, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, 220 full-time staff members, and 21 franchises.
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Rani gradually set up internet cafes in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, while establishing one-stop ICT (information and communication technology) centres offering internet access, training, sales, repairs and mobile support. By 2008, they had perfected this model and started to expand. Today Rani is an award-winning social enterpreneur with a top-floor office in the city and a business that is helping thousands of South Africans succeed.
He is still driven primarily by the desire to empower township and rural communities by connecting them to the world of technology. Several awards and accolades have accrued over the years, including the national Productivity Award and the Endeavour Global Entrepreneur award. Luvuyo Rani was featured in Forbes Magazine’s March issue in 2014 and he was the Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the year in 2016. Luvuyo was named one of the 2014 JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World ( JCI TOYP) recipients in the category of business, economic, and/or entrepreneurial accomplishment.
One of strengths of the business has been the entrepreneurial spirit that has kept it one step ahead. As the internet became more accessible and smartphones entered the market, for example, the company adapted its business model to offer more training courses and partner with other companies. Silulo has become a known brand and this has opened doors. At the same time the business has been helping to secure loans for individuals to open franchises, mentoring young entrepreneurs and creating networks for others to succeed. In 2018, the Silulo Business Incubation Hub was opened in Mitchells Plain, to assist young entrepreneurs in setting up and launching their business.
MALCOLM BOYD
FOUNDER | THIRD SECTOR INSIGHTS
CHAIRMAN | WORLD VISION SOUTH AFRICA
Malcolm is the founder and managing trustee of Third Sector Insights, a social enterprise that focuses on shining the light into the board rooms of nonprofit and social impact organisations. He is also the chairman of World Vision South Africa, a global Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. He is widely known by the South African Small-to-Medium Enterprise support fraternity, especially for his role as founding Chief Executive Officer of NAMAC Trust. He is also a founding member of the World Institute for Governance of Non-Profit Organisations (WIGNPO).
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His exposure to both for profit and nonprofit organisations has allowed him to develop a greater understanding of the differences and similarities that exist between them and to apply this knowledge in these fields. He also lectures at the Stellenbosch University Business School, presents the governance module for the USB-ED NPO Management programme. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Newport University (USA), and completed postgraduate studies at Harvard Business School in the area of Governing for Nonprofit Excellence and Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management. He completed the Management Advancement Programme at Wits Business School and is a graduate and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors in Southern Africa.
MARTIN KUSCUS
COACH & BUSINESS LEADER | MARCUS KUSCUS
Before starting his private ventures, Martin spent 17 years in health care services, was the former MEC of Finance in the North West Provincial Government, on the Council for International Standards Organization (ISO), and was the CEO of the South African Bureau of Standards. He has served on various boards (including that of a UN Global Compact initiative), has been the Mineworker’s Provident Fund Chairman, and is a Non-Executive Director for multiple companies, including the Netcare Group.
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In 2004 the President of South Africa even assigned Martin to the Finance and Fiscal Commission, where he gained vast learning experiences in public policy analysis and intergovernmental fiscal relations.
Given his strategic insights and vast learning experiences, he became a trusted coach and mentor to many governmental, corporate and church leaders. He is also a public speaker and has published a book (Credibility Matters). He has been married to his lovely wife Elizabeth, with whom he has three children and two grandchildren.
MARLON PARKER
FOUNDER | RLABS
Marlon is the founder of Reconstructed Living Labs (RLabs) – a South African social entrepreneur who uses information communications technology (ICT) to empower communities, a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and named by the Mail and Guardian as 1 of 300 young South Africans you have to take out to lunch. He was elected an Ashoka Fellow in 2014. Marlon is a former lecturer at Cape Peninsula University of Technology and currently head of Mxit Reach, which is centred on using the innovative technology built by Mxit to create free mobile educational, health care, agricultural and community applications.
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With over 50 million users, Mxit is Africa’s largest social network. Marlon’s work as a social entrepreneur, and in particular his successes with RLabs franchise, has seen Reconstructed Living Labs popping up all over the world in places like Brazil, Namibia, Tanzania, Nigeria and Somalia. The RLabs model has been replicated in 21 countries, it has incubated 22 social enterprises, and employs 80 people – most of them in Cape Town. More than four million people have accessed support services through RLabs. He was named the National LEAD SA Hero of 2015, a Primedia Broadcasting initiative, supported by Independent Newspapers to promote active citizenship.
MARNUS KLOPPER
REGIONAL MANAGER: SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN | MERGON FOUNDATION
Marnus finds great pleasure in being able to connect people and organisations, bringing together a variety of experience, local knowledge and intuition that creates deep work and greater impact. His purpose is to bridge the gap between people from different cultures and environments, and helping them to live towards their purpose and calling. As the sub-Saharan regional manager of the Mergon Foundation, he works with over 40 organisations in the region to bring about Kingdom expansion.
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He finds and develops strategic leaders and organisations, helping them grow towards being more sustainable and healthy individuals and teams. Marnus holds a Bachelors of Commerce degree, but is finding more interest in the understanding of human behaviour while also dabbling as an amateur futurist. He is married to Sonja and is a father to two incredibly joyful daughters.
MICHELLE HARDING
FOUNDER | LEGACY WATER SOLUTIONS
CO-FOUNDER | IN2ENERGY & SOLH2O
Michelle Harding has more than 30 years of experience in key sectors locally and internationally. Before founding Legacy Water Solutions, she held GM and Director positions at some of the leading corporates in manufacturing, mining, construction, and agriculture. As Legacy Water Solutions gained momentum in line with the Food-Water-Energy nexus, she co-founded In2Energy and SolH2O (Water & Energy) in 2020.
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Michelle is enthusiastic about finding and implementing business opportunities to help the continent grow to its full potential. She is also passionate about the importance of the next generation. Michelle is a devoted Christian, and her family is an essential part of her life. She is married to John and has two married sons with children.
NEIL HART
EXECUTIVE HEAD | MERGON FOUNDATION
Neil is an entrepreneur with a heart for God. He was the founder and CEO of Boomtown for 26 years; today one of the top brand agencies in South Africa. In 2014 he took over leadership of All Nations Church. Together with his wife Mandi, they established All Nations Churches in 20 countries worldwide, including the Middle East, Africa, India and Indonesia. Neil is currently the Executive Head for the Mergon Foundation, which allocates financial and human capital to ministries expanding God’s kingdom across Africa and the Middle East.
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He has a deep interest in leadership and creativity, loves being in nature, playing the guitar and is an exhibited artist. He lives in Stellenbosch with his family and is part of All Peoples Church in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch.
NEIL HOLZAPFEL
CO-FOUNDER | RAISE THE CHILDREN
Neil started investing in Africa and the Middle East in 2003 for the Capital Group before transitioning to private investments across the African continent in 2012. Investments ranged from startups to large take-privates with Agrigroupe and Pactorum. He also co-founded Raise the Children, a non-profit unlocking the potential of South African orphans to become servant leaders by investing in high-quality secondary education and mentorship.
NOXOLO MALUMISE
NON-EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER | TRIGA VENTURES
Noxolo was the Head of Philanthropy at Nedbank Private Wealth, where she was responsible for developing the philanthropy offering and strategy. The philanthropy office provides a range of specialist advice and services to individuals, families, private and corporate foundations as well as non-profit organisations (NPO’s) to ensure sustainable and impactful giving.
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Noxolo is passionate about sustainable economic and social development, and the strategic role private philanthropy can play. She has extensive experience in the financial services sector, and is an MBA graduate from Henley Business School in the UK. She also holds a post-graduate degree in Economic Policy and Development.
NTHABISENG LEGOETE
FOUNDER & CEO | MY QUALI DOC
Dr. Nthabiseng Legoete is an accomplished entrepreneur and medical practitioner. She is the founder and CEO of Quali Doc Holdings, an organisation focused on democratising access to primary healthcare in underserved and neglected communities. Through Quali Doc, she conceptualised and managed a network of brick-and-mortar, technology-enabled primary healthcare clinics.
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These were aptly named Quali Health clinics. They collectively serviced between 400-500 patients a day with pristine levels of quality and significantly reduced waiting times. Quali Doc has also developed a platform that enables disadvantaged communities to access home-based primary healthcare and screening via community health care workers. This has considerably eased the burden of seeking healthcare in the most vulnerable communities by removing the need to commute to local clinics. Through a strategic and impactful partnership with the Gates Foundation, the organisation has launched a product called Doc on T@pp, which allows two-way healthcare communication between
medical practitioners and communities via voice notes, texts, pictures, and videos. The consulting arm of the business works with primary healthcare clinics and endeavours to optimise their processes as a precursor to the adoption of technology in the form of digital health
records and complementary devices. She has over 19 years of clinical experience and has explored the healthcare industry from public, private, and pharmaceutical perspectives.
PAUL SOPER
RETIRED CPA
Paul is a retired CPA (Certified Public Accountant) from the United States. He volunteers for a number of Christian organisations, most of which work in developing countries. Paul spent twenty years as an auditor and consultant for EY and ten years as Partner with IMA Consulting. This healthcare consulting firm provides professional services to hospitals and health systems throughout the United States. He retired in 2019, one year after the sale of IMA Consulting to a private equity firm. He lives in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area, has been married to his wife Sue for over thirty years and has three grown children.
PIETER WASSERFALL
FOUNDER & CEO | SIX33 GROUP
Pieter is the Managing Director of the SIX33 Group – a private equity firm with investments in Agriculture, Financial Services, Logistics and Property. He is a qualified Actuary with 10 years’ experience working predominantly in the Financial Services industry. Before starting the SIX33 Group he worked as a strategy consultant for Accenture on various projects across Africa, Europe and North-America.
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In 2013 he founded PICSA – a disruptive financial services startup that is now a member of the AFGRI group of companies. Pieter and his wife Estelle share a heart for building God’s kingdom which is why they founded the Aslan Trust in 2014 to reach vulnerable and orphaned children in Africa.
RORISANG TSHABALALA
FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE | CHAPTER ONE INNOVATION
Rorisang is the Chief Executive and Founder of Chapter One Innovation. He leads the firm in its mission to be the platform off which market winners, industry leaders and world changers are launched, both the organisational systems and the people that work on them. Rorisang is a classical corporate strategist specialising in business model and innovation strategy. He holds a MBA (specialising in social innovation and entrepreneurship) from the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Financial Accounting, Auditing and Taxation from the University of Pretoria.
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Rorisang is also an adjunct member of faculty at Duke University CE, delivering a portfolio of corporate education programmes. He is an African Leadership Institute / Oxford University Desmond Tutu Fellow, an Africa Leadership Initiative / Aspen Global Leadership Network (YALI) Fellow and a Bertha Foundation Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellow. Amongst Rorisang’s hidden talent are that he is both a retired politician and a retired radio show host.
RUDZANI MULOIWA
PROFESSOR & HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PAEDIATRICS & CHILD HEALTH | UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN
Since 2015, Dr. Rudzani Muloiwa served as the Chief clinician and Director of the Paediatric and Adolescent HIV Clinical Services at Groote Schuur Hospital, a position he left in November 2021 to assume the role of Professor and Head of the Department of Paediatrics & Child Health at UCT and the RCCH. He is a current member of the Vaccines for Africa Initiative (VACFA), located within the Faculty of Health Sciences at UCT. Since 2017 Rudzani has served as a member of the South Africa National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (NAGI) and a steering committee member of the Global Pertussis Initiative (GPI).
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Rudzani Muloiwa trained as a paediatrician at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital (RCCH) and the University of Cape Town (UCT), obtaining a Fellowship in Paediatrics with the Colleges of Medicines of South Africa (CMSA) in 2004. After this, he completed an M.Sc. (Public Health Developing Countries) at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). He has an interest in infectious diseases with a particular emphasis on vaccine-preventable diseases (his PhD explored the epidemiology of pertussis in children).
He has also previously served as both Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Student Affairs and as Acting Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at UCT.
Sheldon Tatchell
FOUNDER & CEO | LEGENDS BARBERSHOP
Sheldon Tatchell is the founder and owner of Legends Barbershop, a brand that has quickly become luminary among South Africans.
From humble beginnings back in 2011, on a stoep in Eldorado Park to 66 stores later employing over 400 staff members across the SADC region, the journey and the vision continues.
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2014 was a watershed year for Legends Barber Shop since it represented its rebirth and the year in which the concept really took off. Sheldon decided to go solo in the business and, even though Standard Bank still employed him on a full-time basis, opened the first fully-fledged Legends Barber Shop in Crystal Mall in Eldorado Park. By September of the same year, the shop’s success allowed him to resign from his day job and in July 2015, he opened a second branch in Florida on the West Rand.
STEPHAN PRETORIUS
FOUNDER | AGES GROUP
CHAIR | TOUCHING AFRICA GROUP
Stephan is a South African citizen, born in the late fifties and resides in Potchefstroom where he is involved in family, business and community activities. He is married to Christa and they have a family of 4 children and 7 grandchildren. He is the founder of the AGES Group of companies and co-founder of various related businesses with a focus on geo-environmental engineering solutions and management. He is chair of Touching Africa, a network of people sharing a Kingdom vision to make a difference in Africa through the implementation of various programs and projects.
TOMMY O’KENNEDY
DIRECTOR | HALFTIME SOUTH AFRICA
Tommy O’Kennedy is the first full-time director of Halftime South Africa. He started his career as a teacher and was involved as seminar leader and facilitator for Leadership Development and Management Development programmes for many years. He started his own business as entrepreneurship and management consultant and also taught in Business Management and Entrepreneurship at CPUT and Leadership Development at Stellenbosch University.
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After reading the book “Halftime” in 1998, Tommy desired to live a life of significance and in the middle of 2009, after a number of years in the academic and business world, Tommy was asked to become the first full-time director of Halftime South Africa. He felt that he could realise his dream to inspire business and professional leaders to embrace their calling to live a life of significance.
WENDY LUHABE
Independent Director & Chairwoman | various sectors
Wendy Luhabe is one of South Africa’s many luminary women of many firsts: a pioneer in social entrepreneurship, women empowerment, mentorship of younger generations and in South African boardrooms for 30 years. She has been a non-Executive Director and Chair across diverse industries, including technology, industrial development, luxury goods, fast-moving consumer goods and retail.
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Wendy has broken new ground many times, with remarkable achievements in the private, public, academic and not for profit sectors. Her vast leadership experience and commitment to excellence is admirable. In 2018 Wendy was appointed as Chair of Libstar (a leading private label manufacturer), and in 2021 she became Pepkor’s first female Chair. Her previous positions as Chair include Vodacom, Industrial Development Corporation, International Marketing Council of South Africa, and Chancellor of the University of Johannesburg.
Wendy is a recipient of 4 honorary doctorates for her pioneering contributions to the Economic Empowerment of Women in South Africa. She is a Christian, married and has three grandchildren.
WYNAND SMIT
FOUNDER & CEO | INOVO
Wynand Smit, the current CEO of INOVO, has worked in the South African contact centre industry for over 10 years. Along with his wife Liesl and his two kids, he spends many holidays connecting with nature at game parks or camping at scenic locations around the country. From creating his own self-sustaining fruit and vegetable garden to incubating new business opportunities, he is never short of starting new projects, and devising creative ways to bring his ideas to life.