Speakers

Judy Sikuza

Chief Executive Officer of The Mandela Rhodes Foundation, Cape Town

Judy Sikuza endeavours to live a values-based, integrated life. As such, her anchor values include Ubuntu, purpose, authenticity, excellence, creativity, courage, collaboration, joy, and embracing complexity. She treasures slow reflective mornings, swimming, listening to podcasts during a walk, binge-watching series about middle age, dancing, travelling, and spending quality time with loved ones, especially her daughter Zazi. Judy enjoys adventure and has engaged in activities such as summiting Mount Kilimanjaro, bungee jumping, skydiving, cage shark diving, riding a speeding ostrich, and kayaking on the Okavango Delta on a mokoro.

Professionally, Judy is the Chief Executive Officer of The Mandela Rhodes Foundation based in Cape Town. This Nelson Mandela legacy organisation builds exceptional leadership capacity in Africa by investing in post-graduate education and youth leadership development, with Mandela Rhodes Scholars currently hailing from 38 African countries.

Judy is the inaugural Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Future Council on Leadership, a WEF Young Global Leader, a non-executive board director of Oxford University Press South Africa, and host of The Mandela Rhodes Foundation Podcast. She has been invited as a keynote speaker, panellist, moderator, and programme director on several public platforms internationally for institutions such as WEF Annual Meeting in Davos, Oxford University, Cambridge University, The Obama Foundation, Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, the Graça Machel Trust, and others. On these platforms, she has addressed topics such as leadership, education, internationalisation, resilience, transformation, and nation-building and has also delivered graduation speeches at Wits University and the University of Cape Town.

Some of Judy’s other achievements and recognitions include being an Abe Bailey Fellow to the UK, Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans, Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellow, Sarie magazine’s top 10 women under 30, and receiving special alumni awards from both her high school and university for outstanding, all-round achievements in her career. She has also authored and/or co-authored articles on various platforms including the World Economic Forum, the Mail & Guardian, and Daily Maverick.

Judy matriculated in 2003 from Stirling High School in East London (with distinction), has an Honours in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Nelson Mandela University (as a Mandela Rhodes Scholar), an MA in Organization Psychology from Columbia University (as a Fulbright Scholar), and is a certified coach through the Centre for Coaching at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business. She blends intellectual curiosity with values-based leadership, firmly believing that we can have a truly transformed African continent if we capacitate the next generation of leaders with the skills that build more humane and just societies.

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Tshepo Motsepe

Director: Legal, Policy and Government Relations, ISASA

Tshepo Motsepe is a respected leader in education policy and advocacy in South Africa. Before joining ISASA, he served as Programme Manager at the Zenex Foundation and as Director and Head of Equal Education, where he advanced key initiatives promoting quality and equality in schooling.

A former educator at Highlands North Boys’ High School and Ferndale High School, Tshepo holds a Bachelor of Education (Honours) and a Master of Education from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). His work reflects a deep commitment to inclusive, high-quality education and constructive collaboration between schools, government, and civil society.

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Amy Sarr Fall

Ambassador and advocate for education, sustainable development and gender equality

Amy Sarr Fall is a graduate of the American University of Paris in International Communication and International Business Administration. She has dedicated her career to advancing sustainable development through promoting education, female leadership, and Africa’s growth. Early on, she launched the World for Obama blog, which was recognized by The New York Times, reflecting her commitment to civic engagement and global dialogue.

Amy's work at Publicis, the world's third-largest communications group, included contributing to Global Zero, an international initiative aimed at reducing nuclear proliferation. Returning to Senegal in 2010, she launched Intelligences Presse, the country’s first female-founded politico-economic magazine, creating a platform for discussion on governance, economics, and social progress. She has also facilitated international dialogue and secured an exclusive interview with the Dalai Lama, highlighting cross-cultural understanding.

Her efforts have extended to mobilizing resources for health initiatives, promoting investment in Africa, and supporting education and training programs for teachers, students, and rural women. Scholarships and grants have been directed towards empowering young women, particularly in the fields of science and technology.

Globally, she has partnered with institutions such as UNHCR on statelessness and refugee education, WHO on anti-smoking campaigns, and a coalition of children’s organizations led by UNICEF and Save the Children to promote peace during Senegalese elections. Through the GE7 initiative, she helped launch the first World Conference for the Future of Education in Paris, supported by an international scientific committee advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.

Recognized among the 100 most influential young Africans and appointed by UN Women as Ambassador of the Generation Equality Forum, she was named Ambassador of the World Food Programme in 2024. That same year, she delivered the keynote address at the 10th anniversary of the Africa Business Summit at the London School of Economics, advocating for a permanent seat for Africa on the UN Security Council. Across her career, she has engaged over 300,000 young people through lectures, events, and commencement speeches, and continues to advance initiatives in education, development, and Africa’s global presence.

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James McCrae

Artist and author

James McCrae is an author, poet and teacher working at the intersection of creativity, identity and mindfulness.

As the founder of Sunflower Club, a global creative community, he helps writers, artists and entrepreneurs embody their authentic voice and higher purpose, fostering connection and shared humanity through creative expression.

His popular Instagram platform, @wordsarevibrations, has attracted over half a million followers with his distinctive short-form writing, exploring how language shapes identity and culture. This work inspired the launch of Meme School, the first class dedicated to teaching the art and science of making memes as a tool for communication and cultural storytelling.

A former Madison Avenue brand strategist, James has helped numerous companies define their message and mission, guiding leaders to communicate with clarity and intention.

Based in Austin, Texas, James hosts regular open mic nights and facilitates creative gatherings centered on dialogue, expression and mindful community-building.

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