Wits alumni in 2024 M&G’s 200 Young South Africans

Kamogelo Walaza

Art & Entertainment

Kamogelo Walaza (BA Hons 2021, PDipArt 2021) is an independent curator who enjoys finding unique spaces for exhibitions. She submits project proposals and raises funds for art lovers to engage with the work. She is currently working towards her master’s degree in fine arts and has been awarded a Nirox Residency. Read more 

Nhlanhla Ngqaqu

Art & Entertainment

Nhlanhla Ngqaqu (BMus 2017) is the founder of the Africanist jazz ensemble iPhupho L’ka Biko. He uses music “to enlighten and heal” and live shows combine jazz and gospel with the indigenous African genres of imvumane and igwijo. He is inspired by his family members and black people “who are resilient in the struggle against systematic oppression”. He also takes part in the weekly Amanzi sessions that fight against alcohol addiction. Read more

Kevin Ssemwogerere

Business

Kevin Ssemwogerere (BAccSc 2011, HDip Acc 2013, MCom 2015) is senior vice-president at the Standard Bank Group. He is the head of investment banking ventures in the investment banking global division of Standard Bank. He is currently responsible for driving product and service developments. He is also the co-founder of a digital platform business called PowerPulse, which assists companies in their solar installation procurement requirements. It was awarded the CIB Mark of Excellence award in March 2023 for being the most progressive innovative project. Read more 

Nikitha Gita Gcelu

Business

Nikitha Gita Gcelu (PDipMan 2019, MM 2021) is the head of Vitality Africa, responsible for building the health insurance business across seven countries in Africa. Some of the Vitality initiatives include making health screening more accessible, destigmatising HIV and mental health issues, and forming partnerships that help eradicate malaria. He says he’s a “perfect generalist” who is able to function on a wide range of projects. Read more 

Mduduzi Ntongana

Civil society

Mduduzi Ntongana (BSc URP 2019, BSc Hon 2020) is a programme officer in basic services at Afesis, working to improve the living conditions in informal settlements. He was involved in the re-blocking pilot project for the electrification of informal settlements in Buffalo City metropolitan municipality. He was awarded second place in the SACPLAN Top Young Professional Planners for 2023 for this project and continues to work on developing sustainable livelihood plans for 19 informal settlements in Chris Hani district municipality, a heat-mapping campaign in Buffalo City metro. Read more 

Baneng Naape

Education

Baneng Naape (MCom 2019) is an economist at the Competition Commission of South Africa. His work involves developing economic evidence concerning mergers and acquisitions, anti-competitive conduct and other related antitrust issues. He is reading towards his doctorate and is developing the Baneng Foundation, which aims to empower youth and provide financial and technical support to rural communities. Read more 

Nthabiseng Mabetlela

Editor's choice

Nthabiseng Mabetlela (BSc 2023) works at Africa Talent by Deloitte as a junior consultant, identifying talent and recruiting people from across Africa. She is passionate about integrating climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. She is also a founder of The Sharing Electricity with Neighbours (SEWN) campaign, a project formed through beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship and seeks to improve access to solar electricity for all. Read more 

Iman Ganijee

Entrepreneurship

Iman Ganijee (BCom 2017) is the co-founder of Sari for Change and is passionate about sustainable fashion and reducing waste. She also runs The Alternative, which mentors youth in digital skills and entrepreneurship. Her latest creation, the Imanii Puffer, made from Maasai blankets and saris, is a symbol of cultural fusion. Iman says this was inspired by her background: born in Kenya to a Yemeni-Indian father and Indian-Malay South African mother. Read more 

Fezeka Mkhabela

Film & Media

Fezeka Mkhabela (BA FT 2020) is the founder of film production company Ingwe Studios, which created 56 jobs in the film industry. Her debut television film “Ubuhle Bendalo”, was aired on Mzansi Magic in 2023. She is busy with the poetic documentary film “Kazi: To Live and Die a Woman”, which examines how ancient Zulu culture revered women. She is excited about making authentic African stories globally accessible. Read more 

Mhlontlo Buhle Geleba

Film & Media

Mhlontlo Buhle Geleba (BA 2021) is a journalist, news anchor and producer at the SABC. She began broadcasting on a community radio in Mdantsane township in the Eastern Cape at the age of 12 and recently covered the 2024 national elections. She is also involved in the United Nations Population Fund called the Youth Advisory Panel, which empowers the youth by giving them a platform to express their views on issues such as human rights. Read more 

Philani Shandu

Financial services

Philani Shandu (MEconSc 2016) is a senior manager of Standard Bank Group’s behavioural economics capability and mastery programme. He has been nominated for five of the Standard Bank Group’s annual Mark of Excellence awards in three years and he aims to improve financial literacy and alleviate unemployment. Read more

Oudi Kgomongwe

Governance

Oudi Kgomongwe (MSc 2017) scientific manager at the Water and Sanitation Department and has successfully managed and coordinated the implementation of the 9th Strategy of UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme. This is a science-policy nexus to achieve water security in South Africa. She’s also created processes enabling the Water and Sanitation Sector Leadership Group to accurately report progress and ensure evidence-based water governance. Read more

Saul Musker

Governance

Saul Musker (BA 2016, BA Hons 2017) is the director of strategy and delivery support in the Presidency. He is responsible for unblocking bottlenecks and ensuring government departments cooperate to drive economic growth, job creation and the country’s transition to renewable energy. He is a former Fulbright and Rhodes scholar and aims “to drive change in the system by injecting new energy, new ideas and new dynamism in the public service.” Read more 

Themba Mathibe

Governance

Themba Mathibe (BA 2018, LLB 2020, LLM 2022) chief operations officer of the Johannesburg Social Housing Company (Joshco). He is responsible for many of Joshco’s daily operations, oversees more than 500 employees and operationalises the company’s strategies and business plans. He also raises funds for building construction and improvement and is involved in securing accommodation for students and the homeless for the City of Johannesburg. He says: “It’s never too late to change the status quo.” Read more 

Jabulisile Shabalala

Governance

Jabulisile Shabalala (MM 2023) works at the Gauteng legislature as a petitions analyst. The process identifies service delivery gaps, policy issues and socio-economic difficulties. She advises members of the provincial legislature’s petitions standing committee in executing performance, monitoring and controlling the petitions process. She is a board member of Tshiamiso Astronauts, an NGO that seeks to develop children through educational programmes. Read more

Dr Taz Emeran-Thomas

Healthcare

Dr Taz Emeran-Thomas (MBBCh 2020) is the chief operating officer at Med-e-Screen, which provides affordable and accessible healthcare to under-resourced communities in the form of a cloud-enabled backpack that screens for ten of the most common diseases and delivers results to the patient within 20 minutes. She also helps unemployed healthcare workers to launch their own private practices. Read more

Dr Biancha Mentoor

Healthcare

Dr Biancha Mentoor (Master Public Health 2023) is a manager in health policy at the healthcare group Netcare and she represents the company on two boards of directors. She is interested in the economics of public health. She has been elected as the chair of the Hospital Association of South Africa’s board sub-committee on research and health policy, which allows her to collaborate with colleagues on legislation and regulation. Read more 

Ziyanda Sibeko

Legal

Ziyanda Sibeko (LLM 2023) is a partner in the dispute resolution department at Webber Wentzel. He has diverse general commercial litigation practice and experience often involving highly regulated industries such as mining, petroleum, gas, and oil as well as medical schemes industries, insurance, financial services, construction and public procurement. Read more 

 

Nomathemba Magagula

Mining & Manufacturing

Nomathemba Magagula (BSc Eng 2015) is operations manager of Barloworld Equipment’s KwaZulu-Natal branch which supplies construction and mining equipment. She has also self-published a collection called “A Nguni Scribe”, which examines the origins, contributions and healings of Africans. She’s also building an online platform for creatives, which enables a better flow of African products across the African diaspora. Read more

Fanelesibonge Mbuyazi

Tech & Innovation

Fanelesibonge Mbuyazi (BA Hons DA 2023) is a software engineer at MultiChoice. She also spearheads the corporate social investment (CSI) projects for DSTV Media Sales. In 2023, she represented South Africa at the Brics Future Skills for Mobile App Development competition. In 2022, with her experience as a software engineer, she made a VR film and AR app for the Fakugesi African Digital & Innovation Festival. She is the founder of a start-up called Seen, which addresses challenges for photographers and videographers, streamlining client connections, project management and financial security. Read more

Lihle Nkomo

Tech & Innovation

Lihle Nkomo (BSc Eng 2015, MSc 2020) is a senior manager of eCommerce intelligence and digital transformation at Massmart. She identifies opportunities for digital transformation, developing actionable plans and recommending solutions that drive competitive growth. She spearheaded a digital transformation implementation at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research that targeted the teaching of small and medium enterprises in manufacturing. Read more

Serisha Barrat

Tech & Innovation

Serisha Barrat (BA 2016) is the founder and chief executive of Lawyered Up. As a tech entrepreneur she leads two ventures aimed at making a difference. One is Lawyered Up, which uses artificial intelligence to make legal help accessible to small businesses. The other is Boardroom, which is a dating app for professionals that verifies users through LinkedIn. Read more 

Zama Duma

Tech & Innovation

Zama Duma (BSc 2016, BSc Hons 2017, MSc 2022) works for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and converts carbon dioxide to green methanol and other useful products such as feedstocks for the petrochemicals sector. He also works as a media officer for the Catalysis Society of South Africa, part of the Green Methanol Corridor Blueprint Project. Read more

Lebidike “Dike” Phatudi

Travel & Tourism

Lebidike “Dike” Phatudi (BA 2016, PDipMan 2017) is the co-creator and management consultant at Serene Place Boutique Hotel & Conference Venue. He has contributed towards building new companies in telecommunications and real estate. He is working on The Ultimate Programme, an initiatives-based community established as a call to action by like-minded young professionals to actively respond to the perception that South Africa is becoming a failed state. Read more 

Maipato Mmako

Travel & Tourism

Maipato Caroline Mmako (MA 2003), is a humanities lecturer at University of Johannesburg. She’s setting up an Africa by Bus expedition to Namibia for her students, with the aim of comparing UJ’s sustainability policies with those of the Namibia University of Science and Technology. She’s proud of working with the Kliptown Youth Project, which encourages the youth to learn to read. Read more