Media Practitioner & Moderator

Dimpho Lekgeu is a media and communications professional, youth engagement expert, and community builder. Her diverse roles underscore her dedication to leveraging media as a powerful instrument for representation and political expression, particularly for young people.

Previously, she served as the Community Manager at Youth Lab, leading the organisation’s social media management, content creation, and youth policy initiatives. She played a supporting role in implementing community programs and the Policy Conversations program, which facilitated dialogues between young people and key stakeholders on crucial issues.

Dimpho is an experienced program director and moderator, known for her penchant for transformative conversations. She facilitated global discussions with organisations such as The World Bank Group, One Young World, The Presidency of South Africa, and the UNDP. Through this work, she hopes to facilitate dialogues that bring about meaningful change and advocate for better youth participation in decision-making processes.

Demonstrating a skill for curating empowering spaces for the youth, Dimpho was recently appointed to the Youth Advisory Panel of the Royal Danish Embassy in South Africa, where she actively contributes to creating a platform for youth political expression and driving youth engagement in the embassy’s programs.

Chief Executive Officer – Intellinexus

Zimkhita Buwa is the newly appointed CEO of Intellinexus, a local data advisory company that turns data into actionable insights.

For 20 years, Buwa has been a trailblazer in the innovation and digital space, working her way up from SAP Business Intelligence Analyst at an African-based energy group, to Chief Operating Officer at a well-known software development house, and later becoming Head of Intelligent Business Applications Core Practice at a global systems integrator and managed services provider for hybrid IT. Up until recently, she was the CEO of a local tech business focused on automation in a digital-first business world. Zimkhita’s commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration has set her apart as a visionary leader in the industry. Her passion for harnessing the power of data to drive informed decision-making and achieve measurable results has earned her a reputation as a trailblazer in the field of technology.

In addition to her role at Intellinexus, Zimkhita is actively involved in various industry associations and community initiatives, demonstrating her commitment to making a positive impact both professionally and personally. She has also served as a non-executive director on the board of Rogerwilco, an award winning digital marketing agency.

Her numerous accolades include participating in the Techwomen Programme where Emerging Leaders from the Middle East and Africa spent six weeks immersed and mentored by women in Silicon Valley. She has won the MTN Outstanding Women in ICT award, as well as being nominated for the Digital Female Awards in the category of Global Hero held in Germany, representing women who follow diverse global goals and shape the world around them with their digital mindset. She was also the ICT winner in 2017 Rising Star Awards. She is known for her servant leadership and is an advocate for women and youth empowerment.

Buwa holds an honours degree in Information Systems from the Universiti Teknologi Petronas in Malaysia and a Leadership Development certification from the IE Business School in Spain.

Zimkhita dances to the beat of her own drum with her motto being, “If you’re given an opportunity to dance outside your comfort zone:-

1. Bring your best dance moves!
2. Silence that loud inner voice that says you can’t and turn it to “Can’t Afford Not To“
3. Step Up, Show Up prepared & Push through the fear!

If you do this…there’s growth and great reward waiting for you on the other side!”

With a proven track record of success, a relentless drive for excellence and a passion for empowering young people and driving diversity in the sector, Zimkhita Buwa is a true powerhouse in the world of technology and business.

Manager: Enterprise & Supplier Development – Telkom

Mathebe is a supply chain professional and entrepreneurship scholar with a passion for innovation, entrepreneurship, and social change. With over 15 years of experience, she excels as an Enterprise and Supplier Development specialist, leading and executing supply chain diversity and social innovation programs.

A Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS), Mathebe holds a Professional Diploma in Procurement and Supply and has a distinguished career in freight logistics, consulting, and the ICT sectors. She recently earned a B-BBEE MDP from the University of Witwatersrand and holds double degrees in BCom Economics from the University of Pretoria and BCom Business Management from the University of South Africa.

Senior manager: Business Development & Client engagement – GIBS, University of Pretoria

Professional experience in entrepreneurship development and designing Enterprise and Supplier development (ESD) training interventions for 6 years, prior to which Matshepo was an entrepreneur in Recruitment and Executive Search, Talent acquisition.

Passionate about development that contributes to systemic change.

MBA candidate at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS).