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Meet the board
Life Choices is a voluntary association that is a registered nonprofit organisation (086-084-NPO) and public benefit organisation (930036135). It is governed by a board comprising both independent non-executive members and EXCO board members.
NYASHA NJELA
Chairperson
Nyasha Joyce Njela is a dedicated professional based in Cape Town, passionately committed to the non-profit sector and community development. As the Director for Southern Africa at Revolutionise International, she excels in creating impactful fundraising strategies and managing donor programs. A member of the IFC Advisory Panel for the Resource Alliance, Nyasha has extensive experience in fundraising, marketing, and financial services. Her past roles at Standard Chartered Bank and Doctors Without Borders have equipped her with a deep understanding of community needs. Educated with a Diploma in Fundraising from the Chartered Institute of Fundraising (UK), Nyasha, originally from Zimbabwe and now residing in South Africa with her family, is driven by a belief in the transformative power of communities working together for a greater cause.
KC Makhubele
Deputy Chairperson, Acting Chair of the ARC subcommittee
KC Makhubele is a seasoned executive with more than 29 years of experience in governance, strategy and business transformation. He has a proven track record of revitalising organisations, boosting profitability and leading digital transformation initiatives. As CEO and Executive Director of the South African Dental Association (SADA), KC provides strategic vision, operational excellence, and effective stakeholder engagement, ensuring sustainable growth and impact. KC has held senior leadership roles including Divisional Director at Primeserve, Managing Executive at Adcorp, Chief Operating Officer at Khulisa, and General Manager and Lecturer at Educor. He holds an MBA from De Montfort University, a BCom from Oxford Brookes University, and Executive Development credentials from Wits, along with numerous certificates and diplomas in Management, Human Resources, and Ministerial Studies. He is a Certified Director and Professional Member of the Institute of Directors South Africa (IoDSA) since 2014.
Benjamin Zantsi
Independent non-executive board member, F&P subcommittee
Benjamin Zantsi is a training and development specialist, facilitator, and youth development advocate with more than 20 years of experience in skills development, learning, and youth empowerment. He currently serves at the Master Builders Association Western Cape, where he contributes to creating skills and employment pathways for young people entering the construction industry. A passionate champion for youth development, Benjamin has extensive experience in programme design, stakeholder engagement, and workplace readiness. From 2020 to 2022, he served as Provincial Chairperson of the South African Youth Council, and between 2016 and 2019 was Lead Facilitator for the Department of Social Development’s National Youth Camps. Benjamin’s contribution to youth development was recognised with an Award by the Deputy Minister of Social Development in 2019. He is committed to helping young people realise their potential and thrive in an inclusive society. He also serves on the Life Choices Fundraising and Programmes Sub-Committee.
Osman Ebrahim
Independent non-executive board member, ARC subcommittee
Osman Ebrahim is a Certified Director (IoDSA) with over 40 years of executive leadership in information technology, governance, risk and digital transformation across many Industry sectors. His board-relevant expertise spans IT governance (King IV/King V, COBIT 2019), enterprise risk, cybersecurity and large-scale programme oversight including representing Information & Technology Investment, Risk, Cyber, Procurement, HR and Programme Steering Committees. Alongside his corporate career, Osman has a longstanding commitment to social development: he serves on non-profit committees, including as treasurer managing charitable funds, and is passionate about mentoring young people and guiding families toward opportunity. He also has prior board experience with community and educational institutions. He holds a BSc Computer Science and a Bachelor of Accounting Science (UNISA), and is a member of the Institute of Directors South Africa.
MIGNON HARDIE
Executive board member, Managing Director, ARC and F&P subcommittees
Mignon Hardie is passionate about building businesses and organisations for social good. Prior to joining Life Choices as the managing director in 2022, she co-founded and was the executive director of the Fundza Literacy Trust, an innovative nonprofit that uses technology to grow a culture of reading and writing amongst South Africa’s youth. She is also a director of independent publisher Cover2Cover Books, a director of Write4Life Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving literacy amongst SA’s youth, and was co-founder of Veedo, a reverse-billed video-conferencing service operated by Datafree and The Lateral Alternative. She has a BA from UCT (English and Economics) and an MBA (cum laude) from Stellenbosch University.
RYAN GEEL
EXCO board member, Campus Director, F&P and ARC subcommittee
Ryan began his career in the FMCG sector which has allowed him the opportunity to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, holding more than 15 years experience in sales and marketing strategies. Ryan realized that his true passion was people and when presented with the opportunity to join Life Choices grabbed it with both hands as this represented not only a 360-degree change in his career but the opportunity for him to grow as an individual and be part of something bigger than himself. Ryan is passionate about people, innovative thinking and the desire to change the status quo by building solutions towards the challenges our society faces. Ryan is the Campus Director at Life Choices. Ryan holds a Diploma in Marketing from the IMM Graduate School of Marketing.
INNOCENT MASAYIRA
EXCO board member, Head of Fundraising, F&P and ARC subcommittee
Innocent has a Diploma in Philosophy, BA in Philosophy, Postgraduate Diploma in Reflective Social Practice and MA Philosophy of Social Innovation. He has over 10 years experience in development, fundraising, communications and organisational development. He joined Life Choices in 2010 as a Junior Project Coordinator and was appointed as Sustainability Officer in 2013. He is now the Head of Fundraising and forms a part of the executive team.
Zandile Mqwathi
EXCO board member, Community Programmes Director, F&P subcommittee
Zandile Mqwathi is a community development leader and drama therapist whose work sits at the intersection of health equity, gender-based violence programming, and arts-based healing. As Community Programmes Director at Life Choices, she leads a wide-ranging portfolio spanning youth leadership, health, family support, wellness programmes across the Cape Flats. Over more than 16 years, she has shaped social and behaviour change work at organisations including the DG Murray Trust, Pact South Africa, and Higher Health. Her thinking on rest, theatre, and healing justice features in the book Rethinking Activism in Africa (Jacana Media), where she contributed a chapter exploring rest as resistance and theatre as reclamation in African activist spaces. She holds an MA in Drama Therapy from Wits and is a Global Fellow for the Atlantic Institute and a member of WomenLift Health’s Eastern & Southern Africa 2025 cohort. She serves as Deputy Chairperson of the African Library Project and on the board of Good Hope Psychological Services.
In addition, the board has two advisory subcommittees – the Audit, Risk and Compliance (ARC) subcommittee and the Fundraising and Programme (F&P) subcommittee – that include board members, executive members, independent advisors and key staff members.
The following is an additional member of the Fundraising and Programme (F&P) subcommittee:
Anda Ngcaba, Independent Advisor
The following are additional members of the Audit, Risk and Compliance (ARC) subcommittee:
Itumeleng Tshatiwa, Independent Advisor
Ian Fife, Life Choices’ Finance Officer