She is currently Executive Director at the Institute for Cooperatives and Community Economic Development. She also has more than 20 years’ experience of legislative processes. She understands policies and programmes designed to reduce poverty and uplift underdeveloped communities. She also has more than 20 years’ experience of legislative processes. She understands policies and programmes designed to reduce poverty and uplift underdeveloped communities.

As a previous Member of Parliament, she held positions of Member and Chairperson of the following Portfolio Committees:  Small Business Development, Transport, Provincial and Local Government and Sports & Recreation. Ms Bhengu has also worked as Deputy Mayor of Ugu District and Chairperson of Portfolio Committee on Planning, Infrastructure and Economic Development.   

She holds certificates in Development Economics and Political Economy from University of the Western Cape, Cooperatives Development and Change Management from the Coady International Institute of St Francis Xavier, University of Canada,  Community Development and Facilitation from Ubuntu Development Institute and Political Economy of South Africa (University of Cape Town’s Centre for Higher Education Development: Continuing Education), amongst others.  

His career spans across organisations such as the South African National Parks (Senior General Manager for People and Conservation), ANC Parliamentary Caucus (Chief of Staff & Political Advisor), Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism (Chief of Staff: Office of the Deputy Minister. This included managing community development and poverty relief projects), Enzemvelo KZN Wildlife (Acting Human Resources Director, Training & Development Manager and Employment Equity Manager) to mention a few.  Over the years, he has served on more than 12 Boards of public institutions.

He resigned from formal employment to pursue his passion in community development whereby he implemented different projects through the Matsila Community Development Trust which is focused on land use, spatial planning, natural resource management and sustainable Development.

He holds the following qualifications:  Master of Science (MSc) – University of Witwatersrand, Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Botany – University of Venda, Thohoyandou, Bachelor of Science Degree (BSc) in Botany and Zoology, University of Venda, Thohoyandou.

He is currently reading towards his PhD in Nature Conservation at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.  

He specialises in policy development and monitoring stakeholder management, research, corporate governance, communication, skills development and project management.

He is the current Dean of Student Affairs and has also served as the National Youth Commissioner in the Presidency, among others.

Dr Sipuka served on the boards of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and Down Syndrome South Africa (DSSA). He currently serves on the boards of MetroBus, National Skills Authority, Nelson Mandela Bay Theatre Complex and the National Development Agency. He holds a PhD in Disability Studies and MA in Philosophy, both from the University of Cape Town.  He also has also done the Global Executive Development Programme at Gibs. He is an alumni of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders.      

He currently serves as the Chief Director responsible for entrepreneurship and enterprise development at the Department of Small Business Development. In the same Department, he has served as Director: Enterprise Development. He has also served as a Chief Director in the Department of Trade and Industry before he was transferred with the new department in 2014.

He has been responsible for development of policy and strategy for enterprise development, managing policy and regulatory environment impacting on small business development and managing the regulatory reviews on small business undertaken by the department. He has served on numerous boards as Non-executive Director, including the small business development support entities. 

Mr Mohoto holds a Master’s Degree in Public and Development Management, a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Policy and Development Administration both from Wits University, as well as a BA Degree from Vista University. Courses attended include Evidence Based Policy Making and Kodak’s Public Management Course (done in South Korea).

He advocates for development policies and legislation biased towards young people.

Mr Josopu has been exposed to the world of work both at administrative and management levels, having worked for institutions such as the University of Cape Town and the Department of Trade and Industry for over nine years. He currently operates in the corporate governance space, serving in various governance structures such as the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), National Economic and Development Labour Council (NEDLAC), National Skills Authority (NSA) and the Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF), whereby he chairs sub-committees. He has been exposed to international work which required him to travel the continent extensively.

He holds an Honours degree in Development Studies and a Bachelor of Arts, both from the Nelson Mandela University, a Higher Certificate in Public Management (Regenesys Business School), a certificate in Corporate Governance and Risk Management (Insimbi Training) and a certificate of Entrepreneurial Skills from North West University. He is currently registered for a Master’s Degree in Education and Work with Wits University.

Her skills are in the areas of corporate services, stakeholder management and administration at senior management level.  She has also served on many boards, committees and community forum structures. 

She currently holds the position of Chief Director in the Office of the Director-General at the Department of Higher Education and Training where she previously also served as Chief of Staff. She has served as Chief Executive - Corporate Services at the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and Advisor to the Executive Administrator. At the National Department of Transport, Ms Mncwabe was Acting Chief Director: International Relations and served as “Director Stakeholder Management” in the same department. 

Ms Mncwabe holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Administration (NQF L8) from the University of South Africa. 

Her last executive role was Managing Executive of Private & Wealth Banking Segments for Barclays Africa Group where she held numerous senior roles, including Managing Executive Business Banking SA.

One of her many successes was being voted the Best SME Bank in South Africa by Capital Finance International (CFI) whilst she was the Managing Executive of Business Banking SA in Barclays Africa Group.

Happy holds a Master of Business Administration and has won the Barclays Global Business Woman of the Year Award in 2015. She has served on a number of Boards including Absa Trust Board, Barclays Africa Ghana Board, Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA). Happy currently serves on the boards of African Bank , FNZ South Africa, Grindrod  Bank and National Development Agency .

She is a motivational mentor who derives a deep sense of personal satisfaction from seeing women and youth succeed to achieve their dreams. She views this as her unique way of making a meaningful contribution to society.

She is a strategic leader with a strong ethical record. She led a self-sustainable State Security Printer (GPW). She is currently with the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development where she holds the position of Deputy Director General: Rural Development.

She has also held senior positions in the Office of the Premier, Gauteng, City of Johannesburg Metropolitan municipality, National Department of Co-Operative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs.  (GOGTA). Ms Moyo sat on several public and private sector Boards including Sterkfontein Hospital and South African Printing Institute. She provided consultancy services at Wits Business School’s Centre for Public Enterprises P&DM and Merafong Local Municipality.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in Development Studies (University of South Africa - UNISA),  Bachelor of Arts Degree in Human and Social Studies (UNISA),  Diploma in Project Management, Masters Certificate in Training and Development, University of Johannesburg (former Rand Afrikaans University) and many other certificates in human resources.

She is currently completing her Master of Philosophy degree in Corporate Strategy at the prestigious University of Pretoria’s business school, GIBS.  

She is currently a director of her own company which focuses on leadership development.   Ms Smith has served as Senior Financial Manager, Head of Finance and CFO in both the public and private sectors.  Her career of 18 years has seen her applying her financial expertise across a range industries including auditing, electricity, aviation, warehousing and logistics.

She also is a member of SAICA and is registered as a Chartered Accountant CA(SA). Her qualifications include a Post Graduate Diploma in Accounting, BCom Accounting (Honours) and BCom Accounting. Ms Smith has also engaged in further learning including Corporate Governance and Integrated Reporting with Professor Mervyn King and Situational Leadership (Ken Blanchard) amongst others.

She is passionate about seeing South Africa grow as a global leader and as such has joined this board to contribute her skillset to making a difference in the nation.