Makaziwe Mandela

Dr Makaziwe Mandela is the daughter of Nelson Mandela and Evelyn Mandela, and is following in her father’s footsteps as a passionate diversity and inclusion campaigner. She is on a mission to carry on the legacy of her family name and bring awareness to issues affecting African Communities, working alongside charities to drive progressive change. Makaziwe has become one of the most sought-after keynote speakers and when hired for events, she covers topics such as female empowerment, the future of Africa, and social justice and conflict resolution.

Born in Johannesburg, there is no doubt Makaziwe was inspired by her father’s legendary work for social justice as she went on to study a degree in Social Work at Fort Hare University. She then received a Fulbright Foreign Scholarship and a Fulbright Distinguished Fellowship Award from the University of Massachusetts to study a master’s degree in Sociology and PhD in Anthropology. Makaziwe has led a rich career which involves her holding a directorship for Nestlé South Africa, spent numerous years as the Executive Manager of Corporate Services for the Development Bank of South Africa, and held senior positions at the University of Witwatersrand and the Industrial Development Group in South Africa. She has also sat on a number of boards including Rand Water Services, Myriad Medical and Envirosev where she has offered her expertise across a range of sectors.

Makaziwe is the current Chairman of House of Mandela – a business which her daughter, Tukwini Mandela, began in 2010. The company is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the Mandela family and she uses her platform as a means to promote equality and female empowerment. As a consultant for Self-Empowerment International, Makaziwe encourages confidence and self-development for all those who might need it.

As a passionate advocate for leaving the world a better place than what we found it, Makaziwe spreads a message of compassion and unity, now teaching others what she learnt from her father: learning from other leaders and working together to achieve a greater purpose. In recognition of Makaziwe’s visionary leadership, she accepted the Jacksonville University 2019 Presidential Global Citizen Award. When looking to hire a speaker covering topics which will prove invaluable for organisations including female empowerment, social justice and service leadership, look no further than Makaziwe Mandela to hire for your next event.