Play Your Part and build our future leaders

Johannesburg, Thursday 24 April 2014 – Brand South Africa will on Friday 25 April 2014 host the 5^th Play Your Part/Sowetan Dialogue in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.

Coming ahead of the country’s national Freedom Day celebrations, participants will engage on the topic of leadership: “Rethinking leadership: how does one rise above their circumstances?”  The discussion will be facilitated by Tate Skhosana from Ikwekwezi FM.

As South Africa prepares to commemorate 20 years of democracy and freedom, all sectors of the nation must focus on the implementation of the National Development Plan as our blueprint for social and economic growth.  The implementation of this plan for our country’s growth calls for, amongst others, an active and engaged citizenry as well as a capable state.

Strong leaders and the development of others who are able to assume positions of leadership will be critical to the success of the NDP as well as the sustainability of our country’s democracy.  Most significant however, is that leaders are not built by government’s rather by families and communities.  How can we therefore play our part to ensure that we nurture the development of leaders in, amongst others, our homes, communities, workplaces?

These are some of the pertinent issues that the panel, which will consist of four leaders in their various spheres, will deliberate upon.  The panel will be made up of:

• Bonolo Ramokhele CA (SA) – Executive Director – LeoFortis
• Roy Makwakwa – Manager in the Executive Mayor’s Office, Ehlanzani District
• Ms Ntokozo Majola – Provincial Manager (Mpumalanga) for SEDA
• Mr. Sandile Mabuza – Executive Secretary to the Interim Council, University of Mpumalanga

Media is invited to attend the Dialogue as follows:

1. :        Friday 25 April 2014
2. :        18h30
3. :        Ehlanzeni FET College
   Cnr Koraalboom ave & Kaapsehoop Road Nelspruit

Note to Editors

More about the panelists:

Bonolo Molemo Ramokhele

Bonolo is an entrepreneur, lecturer, education activist and chartered accountant by profession. He is an executive director of the LeoFortis Group with interests in fibre optic technology, mining technology and power projects in South Sudan. He is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers community of leaders. He serves ABASA in various committees and has served in the past as chair of the education committee amongst others. He was instrumental in the formation of the Black Business Council Youth Chapter and has served the Black Business Council at NEDLAC meetings with government, labour and organised business.

Roy Makwakwa

Roy Makwakwa is currently the manager at the office of the executive mayor.  Having also been a teacher for a few years, he is also a Board Member of Sonqcoba Home BASED Care Center in Vlakbult/kaMdladla while also being a Board Member and founder of Nkomazi FM (A community radio station in the Nkomazi area)

Ntokozo Majola

 Ntokozo Majola is a Provincial Manager: Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda), Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.  She previously worked at the Department of Economic Development, Mpumalanga and the Department of Economic Development in KZN.  She studied was St Francis’s College, the University of Durban Westville, the University of Natal and Williams College, Massachusetts, United States of America.

Sandile Mabuza

Sandile Mabuza holds a Bachelor of Arts in Law degree from WITS University and as well as several business and leadership certificates from various institutions. Sandile is currently employed as the Executive Secretary to the Interim Council of the newly established University of Mpumalanga (UMP). Before joining the UMP, Mr. Mabuza worked as an independent corporate governance advisor to several state and private sector funded institutions responsible for oversight, administration and reporting to funders. He is a driven team player who strives to achieve excellence in all undertakings. He is an active member of the Mbombela Branch of the Black Management Forum, and has served as a member of the Interim Executive Committee of the BMF ( Mbombela). Sandile serves as a non-executive director on the Boards of several NGO’s that have a focus in education, community development. His interests include reading, nature conservation and indigenous knowledge systems.

About Brand South Africa

Brand South Africa is the official marketing agency of South Africa, with a mandate to build the country’s brand reputation, in order to improve its global competitiveness. Its aim is also to build pride and patriotism among South Africans, in order to contribute to social cohesion and nation brand ambassadorship.

 About Play Your Part

Play Your Part is a nationwide campaign created to inspire, empower and celebrate active citizenship in South Africa.  It aims to lift the spirit of our nation by inspiring all South Africans to contribute to positive change, become involved and start doing – because a nation of people who care deeply for one another and the environment in which they live is good for everyone.

Play Your Part is aimed at all South Africans – from corporates to individuals, NGOs to government, churches to schools, young to not so young.  It aims to encourage South Africans to use some of their time, money, skills or goods to contribute to a better future for all.

There are numerous opportunities, big and small, for each and every South African to make a positive difference in the communities in which they live and operate. Play Your Part encourages them to act on these opportunities.

The campaign is driven by the Brand South Africa.

Further resources from Brand South Africa

Media are invited to visit http://www.southafrica.info/ for further resources which can be reproduced without any copyright infringement.  Kindly attribute to Brand SouthAfrica.

Join the conversation at:

For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:

Sandisiwe Gugushe

Public Relations International: Brand South Africa

Tel: +27 11 712 5007 Mobile: +27 (0) 73 126 9128

Email: sandisiweg@brandsouthafrica.com