Linda Maqoma

Ashley Dicken

Linda Maqoma

Athi Rwexu

Founder and CEO of Impact Edtech StartUp: Beta SigmaX Maths Software

Athi Rwexu was 16 when she matriculated. She got distinctions in all her subjects and had a 90%+ average. Athi holds a Master’s degree in Actuarial Science from Heriot Watt University in the United kingdom (December 2019) and also holds a BSc in mathematical statistics from the University of Cape Town. Professionally Athi has worked as an actuarial analyst at MMI holdings and Alexander Forbes. Her other roles include internships at Citi Bank Group. While at Alexander Forbes she was nominated to join the Alexander Forbes junior board of directors. Further to that she has also been amongst professionals invited by the president to debate progress on the national development plan policy at the union building with the office of the presidency.

Athi launched the maths software beta sigmax in 2018. The software aims to help learners understand maths and learn it in a fun way through the use of graphics, animations and gamification. She decided to launch the product as she felt that there needs to be more people who are encouraged to join the STEM careers (science, technology, engineering and maths). Low pass rates in mathematics are serving as stubborn barriers to entry and therefore learners need to be nurtured from an early age to be able to get into these careers.

In December 2018, she was selected to be a delegate at the World Bank Youth Summit at their headquarters in Washington DC. The summit focused on meeting the sustainable development goal of increasing human capital through various means such as educational technology. First National Bank (FNB) selected the beta sigmax maths software as curriculum aid partner for its FNB banking schools in 2019. In South Africa the startup is part of Barloworld Siyakhula which is assisting it to reach more schools and foundations for increased social impact. Owing to the fact that maths is a universal problem and the scalability of the maths software, the startup is being incubated by the Edinburgh Business School Incubator which is assisting the company to launch as well as get more users across the United Kingdom.

Link to Beta SigmaX website: www.sigmax.co.za

Sizwe Nxasana

Sizwe Nxasana, retired executive and founder of Future Nation Schools

Sizwe Nxasana (62) was one of the first 10 African CAs(SA) in South Africa. Among others, he started Sizwe & Co, KwaZulu-Natal’s first black audit firm, in 1989, and in 1996 he became the founding partner of Nkonki Sizwe Ntsaluba, now SizweNtsalubaGobodo (SNG Grant Thornton). He founded Future Nation Schools, a chain of affordable private schools, after he retired in 2015. He also founded the Sifiso Learning Group and is the co-founder (2013) and chairman of the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT) as a response to the call by the National Development Plan (NDP) for increased collaboration among stakeholders to improve educational outcomes. He was appointed chairman of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme in 2015 and chairman of Ikusasa Student Financial Aid Programme which funds and support students pursuing occupations in critical skills from ’missing middle’ backgrounds. Prior to his retirement, Nxasana was the CEO of the FirstRand Banking Group and before that the CEO of Telkom SA.

Gugu Sepamla

Gugu Sepamla is a Group Executive for Corporate Affairs & Public Policy at Barloworld Limited. Previously, she was a Senior Advisor at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Gugu was also Managing Director for Public Policy and Strategy at Barclays Africa. Previously she headed up Strategy & Emerging Markets at Ernst & Young and was a Member of Executive Committee at EY Africa. She was also previously Group Corporate Affairs Director at the Public Investment Corporation (PIC).

South African born Gugu Sepamla was previously selected by Forbes onto its list of ‘Top 10 most Powerful and Influential Women in Africa’. She was selected as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, a community of less than a 1000 across the globe who are viewed as leaders helping play a role in positively impacting the world across sectors (business, government and the not-for-profit sectors). Gugu Sepamla is a strategy and performance turnaround expert with vast experience across a broad range of industries, having served as top management of leading institutions.

Gugu carries over 20 years of related work experience in the professional services industry. She has a solid technical background with a strong interest in Business process Re-engineering, Strategy, Operating Models, and Planning. Gugu has strong networks both locally and across the Continent having worked and lived in Nigeria and Kenya.

She is a respected industry leader and dedicated mentor who is actively involved in various trusts, charities and is a champion for women’s empowerment in South Africa. Among her many notable achievements, is that she has worked with a government task team of a BRICS country to design the operating model for a proposed national pension system, leveraging existing institutional capacities in the public as well as the private sector.


Qualifications:
• Double Masters in Positive Leadership and Strategy
• Journalist by training from Durban University of Technology
• MAP from Wits Business School
• IE School of Human Sciences and Technology: Double Masters in Positive Leadership and Strategy
• Harvard University: Public Policy
• Yale University: Leadership & Public Policy
• INSEAD Business School: COL 2017
• Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore: Leadership and Public Policy 2017

Boards:
- Chairman of Macquarie Asset Management
- Non-Executive Director of Air Liquide
- Director at AWCA (African Women’s Chartered Accountants)
- Advisory Board Director at Wits Business School
- Former Non-Executive Director for Mango Airlines
- Chairman of the Audit & Risk Committee for Mango Airlines
- Former Chairman of AIRCHEFS
- Former Chairman of MDDA (Media Development Diversity Agency)

Attributes:
• Fortnightly political columnist for Business Day, South Africa’s leading national daily newspaper
• World Economic Forum Young Global Leader.
• Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society - 2011 Rising Talent
• Experienced leader and public advocate
• High-level strategist, manager and communicator.
• She is a Fellow of the fourth class of the Africa Leadership Initiative-South Africa and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
• Passionate about gender equality and committed to building democracy and securing economic freedom for all in Africa and the Global South Africa.

Bonang Mohale

Bonang Francis Mohale is the Chancellor of the University of the Free State, Professor of Practice in the Johannesburg Business School (JBS) College of Business and Economics, Chairman of The Bidvest Group Limited and Chairman of SBV. He is a highly respected South African businessman, who is known as much for his patriotism and his active role in seeking to advance the country’s interests. He is the Author of the best-selling book, ‘Lift As You Rise’, launched in November 2018, a compilation of some of his spoken and written words in which Mohale reveals the issues he is passionate about – among them leadership, transformation, people development, constructive collaboration and integrity.

Bonang Mohale was the Chief Executive Officer of Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) till June 2019 - a forum which brings together the leadership of South Africa’s most successful and influential big business and multinational investors to exchange ideas, facilitate effective dialogue with government and other stakeholders and advocate for pro-business, economically sustainable policies and programmes. Prior to joining BLSA, Mr Mohale ended a distinguished term as Vice President Upstream and Chairman of Shell South Africa (Pty) Limited at the end of June 2017.

Mr Mohale, who originally studied to be a medical doctor, has had a distinguished career at the helm and in leadership roles of several major South African and multinational companies; including Otis Elevators, South African Airways, Sanlam Limited and Drake & Scull Integrated Facilities Management. He currently serves on the Boards of Swiss Re Africa Limited, Rand Merchant Bank Limited (RMB) and SBV.

Mr Mohale has an impressive track record of building successful companies, delivering results and making significant advances in transformation in the companies he has been privileged to lead. He has been a vocal, courageous and active proponent of transformation since the 1980s, and played a leadership role in the Black Management Forum (BMF) for over 33 years, where he was the president.

Recognition Awards:

- Awarded Free Market Foundation “Luminary Award for 2019” - In recognition of the outstanding courage and integrity he has displayed, through difficult times, in his contributions to the business community and for defending the rights of all South Africans.

- Winner of the Forbes Woman Africa Male Gender Advocate Award for 2019

- BMF Lifetime Achievement Award in March 2019

- Awarded “The Momentum Friendship Blazer” as recognition for being the ‘first RSA Nation
Building Champion’ in 2015.

- Winner of both the 'Country' (RSA) & 'SADC Regional' "TITANS – BUILDING THE NATION"
2014 CEO Magazine Awards.

- Bonang was conferred with an Honorary Professorship in Marketing Management by the University of Pretoria, where he serves on their Advisory Council since 1992.

- 2012 IPM CEO of the Year.

Mothupi Kgopa

Linda Maqoma

Chuma Mjali