Conference overview
The Trialogue Business in Society Conference is the premier annual conference in South Africa showcasing important developments across the corporate responsibility sector, with a focus on the ‘S’ in ESG. The target audience is companies and nonprofit organisations, and the aim is to enhance knowledge and collaborations to help businesses perform more sustainably in society.
This year’s conference took place on Tuesday, 13 May and Wednesday, 14 May 2025, with Masterclass Monday on 12 May, at The Galleria in Sandton, Johannesburg and online.
The overall theme of the conference was ‘Driving Impact, Inspiring Change’, and topics included the role of business in society, trends in CSI, education, entrepreneurship and more. A high 88% of delegates rated the 2025 conference 8 or above out of 10, with 99% saying they would recommend it to others
PLENARY DISCUSSIONS
SPEAKERS
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Nozipho Tshabalala, Conference MC and moderator
Nozipho Tshabalala is CEO of Conversation Strategies, where she moderates global conversations that are designed to have measurable outcomes. Nozipho is the go-to moderator for presidential and high-level panel discussions globally – she has moderated conversations for global bodies that include ...
Siviwe Gwarube, Minister of Basic Education
Siviwe Gwarube is the Minister of Basic Education. She has been a member of Parliament, representing the Democratic Alliance, since May 2019. Before her appointment as Minister of Basic Education, she was chief whip of the official opposition with a ...
Busi Mavuso, Business Leadership South Africa
Busi Mavuso is the CEO at Business Leadership South Africa and a non-executive director of Business Unity South Africa, Business Against Crime South Africa and Resultant Finance (a PIC investee company). She serves on the Human Resources Development Council and ...
Dr Naledi Pandor, Nelson Mandela Foundation
Dr Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor is the current chairperson of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. She served as a Cabinet minister under several administrations from 2004 to 2024. She was a Member of Parliament from 1994 until 2024. She has served ...
Dr Taddy Blecher, E3 Initiative
Dr Taddy Blecher is the CEO and co-founder of the Maharishi Invincibility Institute, Imvula Education Empowerment Fund and the Invincible Group. He is a qualified actuary and social entrepreneur who co-founded the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship with Sir Richard Branson ...
Cathy Duff, Trialogue
Cathy Duff is a director at Trialogue, one of only a few consultancies in South Africa that focuses exclusively on corporate responsibility issues. She joined Trialogue in 2008 and has subsequently worked with many large corporates on their sustainability and CSI ...
Ann Coetzee, Little Eden
Ann Coetzee is the CEO of the Little Eden Society. Her experience spans the corporate and nonprofit sectors, both locally and internationally. Her background in strategic management, business development, fundraising and organisational transformation has supported multiple middle management to board ...
Natasha Francis, Sanlam
Natasha Francis is finance and governance senior manager at the Sanlam Foundation. Prior to this role, she served as the CFO at a nonprofit organisation. Natasha’s career background spans multiple industries including the nonprofit sector, fast moving consumer goods, financial ...
Harry Kellan, FirstRand
Harry Kellan is the CEO of First National Bank. A chartered accountant with more than 20 years' experience in financial services, Harry has enjoyed a lengthy career with FirstRand, the largest listed financial services group in Africa by market capitalisation ...
Sonja Giese, DataDrive2030
Sonja Giese is founding executive director of DataDrive2030, a South African based social enterprise that supports the collection and use of high quality data to drive improved child outcomes in the first six years of life. DataDrive2030 is also responsible for ...
Kone Gugushe, FirstRand
Kone Gugushe is head of social investing at FirstRand. A chartered accountant with more than 20 years’ experience spanning the financial services sector and development finance, she has worked at various banks and financial services companies, including JP Morgan and ...
Dr Karen Kotschy, Research Associate & Freelance MEL consultant
Dr Karen Kotschy has been an independent monitoring, evaluation and learning practitioner for the past 10 years. Her work focuses on promoting learning and adaptation in complex environmental programmes at a range of scales, from local to global. This has ...
Ashanti Kunene, Learning 2 Unlearn
Ashanti Kunene is an art activist, slam poet, published writer, TedX speaker and the founder of Learning 2 Unlearn , a decolonial strategic narratives consultancy cultivating leadership coherence in the context of the polycrisis. She also serves as the Transforming ...
Nathi Kunene, Telkom Foundation
Nathi Kunene is the corporate social investment senior manager at the Telkom Foundation. Leading operations at the Telkom Foundation, he has more than 20 years’ experience in development spanning the corporate and nonprofit sectors. He has worked on programmes ranging ...
Marina Madale, Executive: Sustainability and Shared Value, MTN
Marina Madale leads MTN’s sustainability and corporate social investment (CSI) strategy across its operations in Africa and the Middle East. Her work focuses on advancing MTN’s commitment to improving lives through digital skills for digital jobs and national priority areas ...
Nonhlanhla Magagula, Absa
Nonhlanhla Magagula is the head of corporate citizenship programmes at Absa. A development practitioner with more than 15 years of experience in the sector, predominantly within financial services, her portfolio oversees the delivery of entrepreneurship Initiatives, the Absa CSI Trust ...
Shelly Majola, MTN SA Foundation
Shelly Majola is the special regulation and compliance manager at the MTN SA Foundation, overseeing financial operations and governance and ensuring budgets effectively support initiatives that empower underserved communities across South Africa. With over a decade of experience in compliance, ...
Professor Anastacia Mamabolo, Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
Professor Anastacia Mamabolo is a full professor specialising in entrepreneurship and research design at the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). She currently holds the position of Absa Chair in Entrepreneurship at GIBS. Her research around the ...
Chuma Memela, CEO and co-founder of Gambuu
Chuma Memela co-founded Gambuu, a digital platform which connects users to experts, coaches and professionals. Chuma is an artificial intelligence (AI) innovator on a mission to make artificial intelligence useful, usable, and understandable for ordinary people and small businesses. He ...
Kulula Manona, Department of Basic Education
Kulula Manona heads the Chief Directorate responsible for early childhood development and reading literacy in the Department of Basic Education. Her experience in education spans over 30 years, spent in both the non-government and the public service sectors. She has ...
Lisema Matsietsi, GIZ
Lisema Matsietsi is a senior technical advisor in the GIZ Digital Skills for Jobs and Income (DS4JI) project, supporting youth who are not in employment, education or training to transition to employment. An author and senior advisor with two published ...
Mandla Mbuyazi, FirstRand
Mandla Mbuyazi leads impact investment and ideation for the FirstRand Foundation and FirstRand Empowerment Foundation. A finance professional with 19 years of experience in the financial services sector, in his current role Mandla aligns financial returns with meaningful social and ...
Mpho McNamee, Telkom
Mpho Mcamee is the group chief of corporate affairs at Telkom Limited, with over 18 years of experience in corporate affairs and strategic communications. Previously, she was the executive head of corporate affairs at Sappi Southern Africa and held senior ...
Zolani Metu, Funda Wande
Zolani Metu is the head of programmes at Funda Wande within the Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies South Africa. He is a Mandela Rhodes Scholar with a passion social and education reform in South Africa. Having pivoted from doing clinical ...
Zengeziwe Msimang, Harambee Youth Employment
Zengeziwe Msimang is the chief communications officer at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator. She brings extensive experience in strategic communications and marketing across public, private and nonprofit sectors. Previously, she served as CEO at the Oliver & Adelaide Tambo Foundation, overseeing ...
Kabelo Mthenjane, Telkom Foundation beneficiary
Kabelo Mthenjane is an intern at Telkom in the financial accounting department. His Journey with the Telkom began in 2017 at Seageng Secondary School, where Telkom donated an ICT lab and also provided extra classes in Science, Technology, English, Maths ...
Dumisile Nala, Childline
Dumisile Nala is the CEO of Childline. She joined the organisation in 2008. From 2015 to 2016 she was the Africa region’s representative for Child Helpline International and currently serves on the advisory board of Child Helpline International. During the ...
Nicolette Naylor, Ubuntu Philanthropy
Nicolette Naylor is the CEO and founder of Ubuntu Global Philanthropy & Gender Justice Consulting, an organisation providing support to philanthropy organisations, civil society organisations and academic institutions. She has spent more than two decades working at the intersection of ...
Takalani Netshitenzhe, Vodacom
Takalani Netshitenzhe is director of external and regulatory affairs for Vodacom South Africa and chairperson of the Vodacom Foundation. She is a public policy development expert with over 25 years’ experience in the public and private sector, writing laws on ...
Sizwe Nxasana, Sifiso Learning Group
Sizwe Nxasana is the founder and CEO of the Sifiso Learning Group. A former CEO of Telkom South Africa he was responsible for its listing on the Johannesburg and New York stock exchanges. He was the CEO of FirstRand Banking ...
Dr Thabo Pitse, EBL Institute of Business and Technology
Dr. Thabo Pitse is the founder and CEO of EBL Institute of Business and Technology. He is a globally recognised champion of entrepreneurship development, digital skills empowerment, and economic transformation across Africa and beyond. Over the past decade, he has ...
Nick Rockey, Trialogue
Nick Rockey is the founder and managing director of Trialogue. He has over 30 years of consulting and research experience across many market and industry sectors. Nick has played a lead consulting role in the fields of sustainable business and ...
Ray-Ann Sedres, Sanlam
Ray-Ann Sedres serves as head of the Sanlam Foundation, brining 35 years of experience in the financial services sector. Throughout her career she has focused on socioeconomic inclusion, transformation, sustainability and development in both long- and short-term insurance. She holds ...
Mulweli Sigabe, Beyond the smile
Mulweli Sigabe is the founder of Beyond Smile and was recognised as one of the top three winners of the Young African Entrepreneurs Institute 2024 Emerging 30. He received this recognition at the Youth Entrepreneur Week held at the Wits ...
Samantha Steyn, Youth Employment Services (YES)
Samantha Steyn is the chief operating officer of the Youth Employment Services (YES). She is a CFA with over 10 years of investment industry experience, including nine years in executive leadership roles. Her career began in financial analysis and portfolio ...
Louis Taylor, Department of Basic Education
Louis Taylor is director of partnerships at the Department of Basic Education (DBE), bringing over 15 years of experience building collaborations that strengthen South Africa's education system. He developed and implemented the DBE's partnership framework and guidelines, ensuring all collaborations ...
Ernesta Teesen, Abraham Kriel Bambana
Ernesta Teesen is a marketing manager at Abraham Kriel Bambanani. An experienced manager with a demonstrated history of working in the nonprofit organisation management industry, Ernesta is skilled in research, nonprofit organisations, event planning, operations management, and customer service. She ...
Peter Varndell, NEPAD Business Foundation
Peter Varndell serves as Chief Executive Officer of the NEPAD Business Foundation (NBF). Previously, as Programme Manager for NBF's Africa Infrastructure Desk, he provided leadership on the North South Corridor Rail Project, a collaborative effort among seven SADC region rail ...
Judy Vilakazi, Telkom
Judy Xoliswa Vilakazi has been the executive of corporate social responsibility at Telkom since February 2024. In her role, she operates as a trustee and head of the Telkom Foundation. A seasoned professional with a passion for community development, Judy ...
Wendy Viljoen, Wesgro
Wendy Viljoen is a knowledge specialist on education at Wesgro. She is an education specialist with over 17 years of experience in learning theory and methodology, educational strategy, and technology. She has co-edited two editions of The Education Handbook and ...
Gcobani Zonke, Ubuntu Pathways
Gcobani Zonke is the deputy president of Ubuntu Pathways, a nonprofit organisation based in Zwide, Gqeberha. He has over two decades of experience in community development and education. Gcobani has been central to Ubuntu’s growth and the development of its ...
Dr Steven Zwane, Absa
Dr Steven Zwane serves as Absa managing executive, bringing 19-years of experience across the banking value chain and 20 years in youth development initiatives. His banking career has provided him with comprehensive insights into the industry's operations. At Absa, Dr ...
EXHIBITORS
|
|
|---|---|
|
|
|
|
