Experience

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  Centre of science and technology (cosat)

  Feb 2013 - Nov 2013

  Debating coach

  As an undergrad student at UCT, I coached debating at COSAT School as a volunteer. COSAT in a non-fee paying high school in the township of Khayelitsha, helping underprivileged students achieve remarkable success in STEM subjects. In 2012 COSAT was the first township school to make the provinces’ top ten list for the 2011 matric exams. Three pupils in my debating class went on to represent South Africa at the World Schools Debating Championship League in India that year.

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  Uct radio

  Feb 2014 - Nov 2014

  News show presenter

  I hosted an evening prime time (5pm to 7pm) news show three evenings a week on UCT Radio with two other presenters. The show was called News’d and Confused and we covered current topics in global affairs. The tone of the show was humorous, relatable and informative, and we had a lot of fun doing it.

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  Uct student​ representative council

  Jan 2016 - Dec 2016

  Head: day students

  As an undergraduate student, I ran for office as an independent non-politically aligned candidate for the University of Cape Town’s Student Representative Council and was elected into the role of Head of Day Students. I was responsible for the 25 000 students that were not living in on-campus university residences. The SRC is the highest decision-making structure of student governance.It represents all students at UCT, and their overall interest and social well-being, in university committees. It is highly involved in policy-making and co-operative decision-making on campus.The SRC is elected annually by the students and consists of 15 members who either represent other student organisations or are independents. The duties, functions, privileges and term of office are set out in the SRC Constitution and election by-laws approved by Council as institutional rules.The SRC is an important stakeholder within UCT, as there is no decision that can be taken without the student voice. The notion of co-operative governance is embraced by the institution through these processes. Show less

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  Digsconnect.com

  Jan 2018 - now

  Galactic Overlord, Commander in Chief, Supreme Spiritual Tribal Visionary, Design Guru, Innovation Rocketlauncher, Troublemaking Trailblazer, Ninja of Strategy, Production Sherpa and Creator of Stokeness and General Good Vibes.

  • Executive Director, Founder

    Apr 2024 - now

  • CEO, Founder and Head of Product

    Jan 2018 - Apr 2024
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  Democratic alliance

  Jan 2018 - Dec 2018

  Da young leaders programme

  After three rounds of interviews, essays and tests, I got onto the DA's Young Leaders Programme. The DA’s Young Leaders Programme (YLP) is a political leadership learning and development programme for South Africans between the ages of 18 and 35 who align themselves with the DA’s values of Freedom, Fairness, Opportunity and Diversity. Participants of the programme are highly motivated individuals, interested in pursuing a career in politics or the public service.Over the course of one year, participants of the programme will be given the chance to broaden their political knowledge, critical thinking and communication skills. Participants will also get to know themselves, and their personal leadership style and development needs a lot better during dedicated sessions on leadership and personal development. In addition, Young Leaders will be required to conceptualise and undertake a leadership project, giving them a unique opportunity to expand their influence, self-awareness and emotional maturity, so that they can become dynamic, resilient leaders who are able to tackle politics on the national stage.The YLP is carefully designed to develop an entire set of competencies in order to grow a pool of knowledgeable, articulate, emotionally intelligent and resilient leaders who can one day lead the DA at a national level.These competencies include a wide range of practical and philosophical knowledge of politics, critical thinking and communication skills, as well as a high level of self-awareness and resilience over the course of one year.I was mentored by Helen Zille; Leader of the DA, Premier of the Western Cape and previous Mayor of Cape Town during the programme. Show less

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  World economic forum

  Jun 2020 - Nov 2022

  Global shapers

  I'm a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Shapers, in the Stellenbosch, South Africa Hub.

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  Heavy chef (pty) ltd

  Nov 2020 - Dec 2020

  Judge: south africa's top 5 startups
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  The aviation club

  Feb 2021 - now

  Founder and writer

  The Aviation Club is a humble blog, a project in self expression started during the COVID years, with big ambitions to become a global media company. A fundamental belief of mine is that humans are born to be explorers. We are destined to have our eyes on the horizon and push the frontier. It’s what our earliest ancestors did, standing on shores and looking out, building crazy rickety canoes and paddling into the unknown, pulled by the deepest desire to know what lies beyond.With two years of written content on startups, tech, politics, travel, poetry and more; the Aviation Club is on its way to being media company that tells stories in all mediums and formats about the human experience on the frontiers. Show less

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  Cape innovation and technology initiative (citi)

  May 2021 - Oct 2022

  Director

  The Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi) is Africa’s oldest tech incubator.Working with government, academia, business and society, CiTi promotes the inclusive growth of the digital economy.The Cape Innovation & Technology Initiative is a Non Profit Company with a mission to build a future-proof, inclusive society through technology and innovation.

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  National youth development agency

  Nov 2021 - now

  Director

  In November 2021 I was appointed to the Board of Directors of the National Youth Development Agency by President Cyril Ramaphosa, following a gruelling application process which included a live televised interview by a panel in Parliament and state security clearance. I am the youngest director on the board.In my role I have been trained on governance and directorship of public entities (IoDSA), diplomacy (DIRCO), media engagement, as well as the daily experience of honing my judgement on making decisions that affect the 20 million young South Africans that fall within our jurisdiction.The NYDA is a South African-based agency established primarily to address challenges faced by the nation’s youth. The Agency was established by an Act of Parliament (Act 54 of 2008). The institution was established to be a single, unitary structure addressing youth development issues at National, Provincial and Local Government level.I am accountable to the Parliament of South Africa, and report back to Parliament with the rest of the board on the agency’s activities, execution of mandate and results. This means that via the proxy of parliamentary elections, I am accountable to the electorate, the people of South Africa and taxpayers. On the NYDA, I am a member of the Investment Committee where I oversee the deployment of agency funds into programmes and initiatives to fulfil the agency’s mandate, and the IT Steering Committee where I oversee the agency’s tech stack. Show less

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  Nb-uitgewers/publishers

  Apr 2022 - now

  Published author

  I was given a book deal by NB Publishers (Naspers) and Melinda Ferguson Books when I was 28, and my debut book, Upstart, was published on 29 February 2024. Upstart is currently ranked on the national bestsellers list at number 8.I was invited to speak about Upstart at the Franschhoek Literary Festival, the preeminent literary festival in Africa, on 18 May. My event was sold out and then oversubscribed. Upstart was the top selling book at the festival of all the authors represented by my publisher. I was also invited to speak at the Kingsmead Book Fair on 25 May, along with discussions on the book at Exclusive Bookstores, Sentech Africa Tech Week, the Diocesan School for Girls and UCT's MBA class. Show less

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  G20 india

  Jan 2023 - Nov 2023

  Delegate

  Delegate representing South Africa and the National Youth Development Agency at the 2023 G20 Summit held in India.I’m a member of the taskforce on Future of Work, Skilling and Mobility and the action council on African Economic Integration.

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  Cop28 uae

  Nov 2023 - Dec 2023

  Delegate

  Delegate representing South Africa and the National Youth Development Agency at United Nations Climate Conference 2023 in Dubai.

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  Project y

  Jan 2024 - now

  Ambassador

  Project Y is a social impact venture with the mission to address the global youth unemployment crisis.The total number of unemployed youth stands at a staggering 73 million, with approximately one-fourth of them not in employment, education, or training (NEET), which disproportionately affects women. In South Africa, where Project Y is launching its initiatives, there are 4.9 million unemployed youth, resulting in a 60% unemployment rate.This crisis is not only a local concern; it is a ticking global time bomb with potential consequences such as civil unrest and refugee crises.Project Y invests in underserved talents, providing up to 15,000 EUR per talent over a two-year period.We identify, select and underwrite top talents, give access to premium education, capital and income-generating services and assets (such as laptops, mobile data, insurance & banking) through a comprehensive membership platform. We place our members in local and international jobs through an extensive network of employment partners and offer talents a job guarantee.We monetize these human capital investments through income share agreements, utilising a purely outcome-based repayment model that ensures a fair return for our investors and allows for precise impact measurement. Show less

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  Famous faces management

  Apr 2024 - now

  Speaker
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  Graduate school of business - university of cape town

  May 2024 - May 2024

  Guest lecturer: startups masterclass

  An absolute privilege to run a masterclass for the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business MBA class of 2024.The topic of my masterclass was about lessons from the frontlines of building a startup in South Africa, and then expanding globally from London. The format of the talk was based around three things I did right, and three things I did wrong. The three things I did right:1. Having a great cofounder 2. Just starting 3. Making hard decisions fast The three things I did wrong:1. Lack of focus 2. Not balancing out my blind optimism 3. Not being more inclusive of others’ ideas and opinions The GSB is the top ranked business school in Africa and it was an honour to contribute to the students’ education. Show less

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  House of pharos

  Jun 2024 - now

  Founder

  A billion lives for the better. House of Pharos is a venture house drawing its name from the lighthouse in the city of Alexandria. In a sense, our name means “House of Light”, which speaks to our mission of being more than just capital allocation and startup development - it’s the very idea of value genesis, that first spark of inspiration and the mad hope that it might just succeed. It all starts with that lightbulb moment before setting out for unknown shores. In more practical terms, Pharos is a deep tech, first principals, hands-on venture house, working with (and sometimes finding) founders who are building the future, with the goal of directly impacting a billion lives for the better.Pharos was born out of a United Nations Development Programme strategy lab, on the same day of the President of South Africa’s Inauguration. From the meeting, the UNDP’s 2024 Signals Spotlight with the theme of “Hope for All” was published, and Pharos took its first steps in establishing itself. It is our belief that startups are the greatest vehicle for the rapid development of solutions.Solutions that not only solve the most urgent challenges facing humanity, but also define what our collective future can be, on earth and beyond, as we take our ventures and ambitions beyond the confines of our home planet.Our thesis is broadly aligned to the UNDP sustainable development goals, with special interest in:1. Biotech and healthtech, including longevity2. Environmental and water sustainability, resource management, agritech and climate tech3. Energy4. Space Exploration 5. Infrastructure and property 6. Cybersecurity and fraud prevention 7. Defence 8. Conflict mitigation, particularly as a result of resource scarcity and management Show less

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  Pef community

  Jul 2024 - now

  Member
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  Capitil consulting

  Aug 2024 - now

  Consultant

  Advising on a special project relating to transitioning mining communities in the wake of Net Zero.

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  Hashdata (pty) ltd

  Aug 2024 - now

  Strategic advisor
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  Informa

  Nov 2024 - Nov 2024

  Judge at africa tech festival

  I had the immense privilege of being Judge at the Startup World Cup Pitch Competition at Africa Tech Festival.Hearing the pitches from 8 incredible startups and passionate founders who are building the technology and companies that will drive progress for humanity and shape the destiny of the continent was quite honestly one of the highlights of this year for me!