OUR BOARD
Experienced in founding, investing in and managing for-profit and non-profit ventures in South Africa and Africa, we’re excited to play a role in Africa’s development – and committed to seeing its redemptive purpose realised.
JOHAN DU PREEZ
NON-EXECUTIVE MEMBER
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.
READ MORE
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.
PHILIP GELDENHUYS
CO-FOUNDER & CEO
Philip is the co-founder and CEO of Triga Ventures. He also co-founded Community Keepers and Calling Education and served as the former’s CEO for ten years. Philip holds a PhD in Social Development from the University of Cape Town and was also a Visiting Researcher at the University of California, Berkeley in the USA. Philip and his wife, Reé, live in Paarl, South Africa, and have three children.
NTHABISENG LEGOETE
NON-EXECUTIVE MEMBER
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.
READ MORE
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.
ABIGAIL KHULUSE
NON-EXECUTIVE MEMBER
Abigail is a multi-faceted entrepreneur and business leader. As an entrepreneur, she founded Tushiyah in 2008 with the ambitious objective of growing SMEs, corporations, and the economy. Over the last decade, putting planning into practice has been a central theme for this exciting period of exponential growth. She has since transitioned out of Tushiyah and is pioneering township-centric solutions to facilitate economic inclusion for township businesses and youth.
READ MORE
Abigail is also a seasoned business director have served both as an executive and non-executive director in various companies and sectors. She was awarded SACBW Business Woman of the Year in 2014, CCBC Small Enterprise of the Year in 2015, and Conscious Companies Finalist in 2018.
WILLEM MEYER
CO-FOUNDER & NON-EXECUTIVE MEMBER
Willem co-founded Campitor Investments and serves as the CEO of this company that invests in food, beverage and agribusinesses that facilitate positive change. Previously, Willem was part of the Stellenbosch-based PSG Group Private Equity team that built and listed South Africa’s Zeder Investments in 2006. Zeder is a JSE-listed agribusiness investment company with interests in food processing, fruit exports, agri inputs, seed and farming.
READ MORE
Willem’s tenure as CEO with Chayton Africa, an African farming enterprise in which Zeder invested, gave him first-hand experience in leading a large African operational agribusiness. In 2015, Willem lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he helped start the African Agribusiness Knowledge and Innovation Leadership Initiative. In collaboration with faculty and students of the MIT and Harvard, Willem researched models of African agribusiness, drawing from his experience from working in investment and operational sectors in Africa. Willem holds a Bachelor’s degree in Investment Management from the University of Stellenbosch and a Master’s degree in Finance from the University of Cape Town. Willem and his wife, Nicola, live in Boston, USA.
IPI THIBEDI
NON-EXECUTIVE MEMBER
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. Her focus areas include organisational change management, sustainability, corporate and public affairs.
READ MORE
Her experience further includes working at blue-chip companies such as Deloitte and Altron, where she specialised in strategic business planning, innovation, corporate affairs and 360 marketing. She has also worked with Non-Profit Organisations in North America, Asia and Africa.
Ipi is a board member and director of PRCA UK Ltd and is listed as such at London Companies House. She also serves as a board member of Nahana Communications Group. She has further served on other boards and as a judge at some of the industry’s largest awards, which span across the African continent.