Khulekani Dlamini is an aeronautical engineer with close to 20 years of experience in investment markets. He obtained a master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. He joined CSIR’s Aerotek Division as a researcher and subsequently joined a telecommunications company, Comverse Network Systems in Israel for three years. He worked at Investec Asset Management in Cape Town after which he co-founded Afena Capital, which he sold in 2016. Khulekani currently runs KD Capital and Lwembu Group, both of which are financial services companies.
Khulekani is an advisory board member of the University of Stellenbosch’s Business School and was appointed as the Chair of Breadline Africa in 2024.

Godfrey Mokaeane is a social impact entrepreneur, with a key focus on investing in businesses that can benefit from this. He also runs his own businesses that have strong social missions. He is Group CEO of Motion Holding Group. He assists and guides non-profit organisations globally to make the shift to for-profit with a social mission.

Godfrey also mentors more than 40 entrepreneurs and invests early in their start-ups, with the intention of injecting his ethos of social impact.

He is also Alumnus of the United States of America IVLP (International Visitors Leadership Program), where he drives partnerships between South African and US entrepreneurs, through the Consulate based in Cape Town, South Africa.

Xolani Nxanga is a dynamic executive with 27 years of experience in financial services. Currently serving as Director and Managing Executive at Guardrisk, which is part of the JSE listed Momentum Metropolitan Group. He leads with a strategic mindset honed through leadership roles at Old Mutual , Liberty and other industry giants. With expertise spanning retail banking and insurance across Africa and beyond, Xolani is known for his leadership abilities, contributions to strategy development, venture creation and business integration. A visionary leader, he has successfully launched Guardrisk Microinsurance Division and Guardrisk’s LAUNCHPAD InsurTech initiative. Xolani’s impactful career showcases a relentless commitment to innovation and excellence in the insurance landscape.

Peter became a Trustee of Breadline Africa in 2014, bringing a wealth of experience of South Africa from his day job as an Emerging Market’s Economist and consultant. Peter has a broad experience working with emerging markets across Africa, Europe and Middle East over his career but a particularly in-depth and long standing concentration on South Africa – researching the country’s economy, markets and politics. He advises a wide range of foreign and local investors, from pension funds to hedge funds and companies currently active or considering gaining a presence in South Africa, as well as foreign and local banks – about risks and opportunities within the country.

Peter is a Managing Director at South African consultancy and research company Intellidex. He continues to be based in London but travels to South Africa regularly. Peter has an extensive profile as a commentator and thought leader on economic and political issues and a particular interest in the drivers of long term development of South Africa with a focus on education and township economies. He studied Mathematics and Economics at Cambridge University and was previously at Lehman Brothers and Japanese bank Nomura. Peter enjoys collecting South African wine and South African art amongst his hobbies.

Ruth Kamau has extensive experience in business and as an entrepreneur. Throughout her career, she has worked in the hospitality, food-related and healthcare industries. She has worked in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, Nigeria and New Zealand.

She is currently managing director and co-owner of iKhaya Lodge and Conference Centre, a boutique guesthouse and conference venue in the heart of the Cape Town City Bowl. Born in Kenya, Ruth holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from Oxford Brookes University (UK) and a bachelor’s degree in Business Education from Kenyatta University (Kenya). She is fluent in English, Kikuyu, Kiswahili and speaks conversational French.

Ben embarked on a career in fund management in early 1987 soon after graduating from Bristol University with an Honours degree in Economics and Politics. Since then he has been involved in several aspects of the financial world and is a qualified member of the Society of Investment Professionals and of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute. In the recent past, Ben has also been a trustee of the Order of Malta Volunteers charity and became a trustee of Breadline Africa in 2010.

Louise is a founding trustee of Breadline Africa and was the Chairman of the international board for 17 years until July 2016. Louise has worked in the voluntary sector for the past 20 years. Before moving into the voluntary sector, Louise worked as a Financial Services head hunter and prior to this, she spent several years working in the research and marketing side of the Financial Times conferences division. Louise has an M.A. in modern history from Oxford University.

Sir Robert has been a trustee of Breadline Africa and member of the UK Advisory Committee since 2007 and is the chairman of Breadline’s International Finance Committee. He has an MA in jurisprudence from Oxford University and, following Law School in Chester, qualified as a solicitor with Allen & Overy in 1982. After several years working in their private client department, he joined Mercury Warburg Investment Management to handle the investment affairs of private individuals and charities.

Eric is a master’s graduate in social planning and administration. He is Adjunct Associate Professor of Social Development at the University of Cape Town and also founder and director of the Centre for Early Childhood Development. Eric has worked in the non-profit sector for 36 years, and has lectured at various universities and consulted to a range of non-profit organisations around South Africa. He has been published extensively, including refereed and peer-reviewed articles, chapters in books and conference proceedings and numerous articles in the media.

Mariella was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, finished her schooling in the UK but returned to South Africa to complete a B. Com (Economics) degree at the University of Natal in 1980. Having always been interested in Psychology, she completed a Post-graduate Diploma in Coaching at the South African College of Applied Psychology and worked with managers and team leaders in the NGO sector in Cape Town. In 2012, her husband’s career required a move to the Netherlands, where she was appointed an International Trustee for Breadline Africa, Nederland. Mariella and her husband currently reside in Cape Town.

Jim joined the UK board of Trustees in March 2021. He is a Research Analyst at Longview Partners and has many years of experience in the financial sector, having started as an accountant at KPMG before moving into investment management.

He is also the Chairman of Able Child Africa – a UK charity working to improve the lives of children with disabilities in Africa.

Jim studied History and French at Durham University and holds an MBA from INSEAD. He is also a member of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Institute.

Sir Alex Chisholm was appointed Chair EDF UK in June 2024, and Non-Executive Director at BT Group in September 2024. In his previous role he served as Chief Operating Officer for the UK Civil Service and Permanent Secretary of the UK’s Cabinet Office 2020-24. He was awarded a knighthood for public service in King Charles III’s first Honours List in June 2023. From 2016-20 he was Permanent Secretary at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Previously he served as Chief Executive of the UK’s Competition & Markets Authority (CMA).  Prior to that Alex served as Chairperson and Commissioner of Ireland’s communications regulatory agency, ComReg.

Over a 34-year career-to-date, Alex has held a variety of senior executive posts in a wide range of public policy and business positions, in the UK and Ireland, including government and regulatory agencies, an international media business, internet start-ups and a software services supplier.

Alex has operated at the top level of government for over a decade. His experience and skills lie primarily in organisational leadership, strategy, change management; net zero transition, digital transformation, economic regulation; energy, technology and communications.

Rebekah is a qualified solicitor and has worked at Bird & Bird since 2012. Rebekah specialises in Intellectual Property Law and completed her Diploma in Intellectual Property Law at Oxford University in 2017. Before embarking on a career in law Rebekah studied modern foreign languages at Durham University during which she spent time working in Africa. Born to South African parents, Rebekah grew up in the UK but has spent much time working and traveling throughout Africa. Rebekah also has experience in the charity sector as both a Trustee and a fundraiser.

Stephen has spent his career in the Irish civil service, joining the Irish Department of Defence in 1973 and working in various branches, including personnel, contracts and property management. He spent ten years in the Department of the Taoiseach (Prime Minister). From 2004 to his retirement in 2007, he worked as assistant secretary to the President of Ireland. He has a B.A.(Mod) and an M. Litt. In philosophy, and a Ph.D. in public administration, from Trinity College, Dublin. He joined the Irish Advisory Committee of Breadline Africa in 2015 and has been on the International Board since 2016.

Hendrik has been a trustee of Breadline Africa The Netherlands since 2015 and was appointed to the role of chairman in 2017. He has a law degree from the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and a post-graduate degree from the College of Europe in Bruges. He is currently a judge in the Amsterdam Court of Appeal and practiced law as a partner at the CMS Netherlands law firm from 1984 to 2018.

Bronwyn is a strategist with more than a decade of experience advising blue-chip corporations, civil society, and governments on strategic approaches to stakeholder management, campaign development, and crisis communications. She specialises in designing and implementing multi-platform, multi-stakeholder projects and has in-depth knowledge of the South African media and political economy. Formerly a financial journalist, Ms Nortje was Markets Editor at Business Day and a columnist at Business Day, the Financial Mail, and the Sunday Times. She has a background in research and holds an undergraduate and honours degree from the University of Cape Town (South Africa).

Breadline Africa’s former Chairman, Henk Kleizen, is an Executive Mentor Coach and runs a leadership development business based in Cape Town. Henk qualified from the University of the Witwatersrand with an Honours Degree in Microbiology and Genetics and used his MBA degree (University of Witwatersrand) to bridge into the commercial world. For over 30 years Henk has built solid all-round business experience, culminating in holding CEO positions for 10 years at Colman Foods and Pillsbury South Africa.

One of Breadline Africa’s founder members, Frances Greathead was the first Chairman of Breadline Africa. It all started in August 1992 when Frances and a group of trustees met in the UK to review setting up a charity to fundraise in Europe to support local township projects to address poverty elimination. Several of the same trustees are still active in Breadline Africa today. At that meeting, Frances was elected chairman and held this position until she turned 80. Frances kept in touch with Breadline Africa on a regular basis always wanting to know what difference we were making to help the poor. Sadly, Frances passed away on 22 February 2020 but will be remembered by all as an amazing, passionate and inspirational lady, who in her hundred years made such a remarkable difference in the lives of so many.