Sipho is the founder and Chairman of Izingwe Capital. He is also chairman of the Board of Directors of the following companies: the JSE listed AngloGold Ashanti and Onelogix, President of BUSA and Chairs the Council of the University of Cape Town. In addition to his private sector track record, he has extensive public-sector experience and international exposure. As the Foreign Affairs Director General, he represented South Africa in various international fora including the United Nations, African Union, Commonwealth and the International Labour Organisation. He was one of the founding members of the governing body of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). He is the former founding Chairperson and Convenor of both the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC) and Save South Africa. BA (Hons) (Essex), MSc (London); Dtech (honoris causa) (Vaal University of Technology).

Annette is the founder of Flexyforce, an innovative new technology startup in the Future of Work Space. Flexyforce is a B2B cloud based software for companies to automate the HR function when working with freelancers, SME suppliers and independent contractors. Previously she founded DOTNXT, one of South Africa’s first Innovation Consultancy’s recently sold to an international firm, where she launched a number of innovations for South African corporate clients. Annette holds a Business Science Finance & Marketing degree (Honours Cum Laude) from the University of Cape Town, SA, and has attended the renowned Hyper Island Digital Master Class in New York. Recognised by Forbes as one of the ‘top 10 female tech founders to watch In Africa’ (2014)’, she is a sought-after international speaker and digital change agent, where her work continues to inspire people and companies all around the world to do things differently. Committed to staying on the cutting edge of technology, surrounded by people making things happen, Annette lives her mantra that if you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.

He graduated from the University of Pretoria in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in Industrial/Systems Engineering, and is a co-founder of Indlu. INDLU LIVING is a rental-housing app that connects homeowners in townships with tenants for their backyard rooms. Landowners that use the INDLU LIVING App also build a credit score with INDLU allowing them to access the capital required to upgrade their rental rooms and to expand their rental portfolio. Cobus also co-founded EmpiriQ, a firm that specializes in identifying, defining and implementing market driven economic development solutions aimed at the Emerging Market, with a key focus on the emerging urban African market place. His work has led to several Emerging Market-based projects in the housing, ICT, micro finance & retail sector including the establishment of Melana Developments, a township focused real estate development company.

Luvuyo, 28, is the founder and chief executive of a lifestyle brand Red Cup Village, a youth-focused creative events agency in Cape Town, which he established in 2014. The company uses 3D printing technology to manufacture a unique drinking cup using a polylactide filament, which is a biodegradable and bioactive thermoplastic aliphatic polyester derived from renewable resources such as sugarcane and corn starch. Luvuyo graduated with a communication degree and a national diploma in 3D Industrial Technology and product design course from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. The cup is part of a new range of products.

Born and bred in the rural area of Harding in Kwazulu Natal, Nozabelo Bhengu is a 20-year veteran ANC MP who currently chairs the Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development. A social entrepreneur and a trainer of trainers in community development who was trained at Wilgespruit Fellowship Centre, RSA, and Coady International Institute of St. Francis Xavier University, Canada, Bhengu has developed a Cooperatives-based Community Economic Development model which was adopted by the Portfolio Committee on Small Business Development and the Department of Small Business Development in 2018 for piloting in South Africa. She is a member of the ANC’s NEC serving in the Economic Transformation Committee and is the co-author of a book titled Against the Wall written by her late daughter, Nozipho, about living with HIV.

He was elected a Member of Parliament for the DA in 2014. Toby has been instrumental in developing and articulating the DA’s policy position on the economy particularly as it relates to boosting the SME segment. In May 2018 he introduced a private member’s bill into Parliament, the Small Enterprises Ombud Service Bill, which aims to establish an alternate dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism to level the playing field between SMEs, government and big business. In 2016 he served on the Parliamentary Joint Ad-hoc Committee on Probing Violence Against Foreign Nationals following outbreaks of violence in South Africa’s townships targeting foreign-owned spaza shops. He graduated with a BA Hons and MA in Geography from the University of Cambridge. Toby is a prolific writer and has had opinion pieces published by many of South Africa’s leading newspapers and magazines, focusing on the economy and the small business ecosystem.

He was elected to Parliament in 1994, has been Deputy Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development, Deputy Chief Whip and served on a wide range of portfolio and ad hoc committees. His constituency work has been in Pretoria Central, Centurion; Atteridgeville; Waterberg and Midvaal. Andries is National Co-ordinator: Legal and Monitoring of the ANC’s National Elections Team. He has been active in politics since he attended high school in Sao Paulo, Brazil. From 1996 to 2001 he was a member of the National Executive Committee of the ANC Youth League and co-ordinator of the Lawyers for Human Rights’ Capital Punishment and Penal Reform Project between 1990 and 1994 and a member of ANC structures in the Pretoria area. He holds a Bachelor of Civil Law from the University of Pretoria.

Over the past 18 years Klippies has been actively involved in the Vanderbijlpark Chamber, now known as the Golden Triangle Chamber of Commerce. He served on the management team for many years, and as chairman for 3. With the amalgamation of the Chamber in 2017 he was appointed CEO until recently. In 2019 he was appointed Executive Member for the Portfolio Government Relations, as well as mentor in the Youth Portfolio. He is directly involved in building relationships with the local and provincial government. In 2018 he was honoured as a “Vaal Legend” of the Chamber and also received the Peerless Pioneer Award, which recognises strong and steadfast leadership in the community. In 2019 he was rewarded for his exceptional contribution within the Business Chamber as well as in the community for the past decade.

Her work focuses on strengthening urban economies, job creation and infrastructure investment through spatial transformation, expanding economic participation and improving local economic governance. She is an urban and governance specialist in strategy development, governance, research and policy development. Nomfundo has extensive intergovernmental experience and has previously worked in international, provincial and local government executive levels. She mainly draws scholarship within the disciplines of development studies, policy and public administration, international relations and development planning to inform her work and research.

Christo is a former teacher and school principal and has vast experience in the following spheres of training and policy development: Basic Education, Small Business Development and Agricultural Development. He holds a Higher Diploma in Teaching, BA Degree (UWC), Senior Management Development Programme (USB), BAHons in Public and Development Management (US) and an MPA (US). He is currently responsible for Agri SA’s agricultural transformation programme, national drought relief programme, Agri-Phakisa programme, Agri-BEE programme and other agri-development programmes. He is chairperson of AgriSeta.