Sibongile (Bongi) Mkhabela

Sibongile (commonly known as Bongi) Mkhabela, is a social justice activist and a trained social worker. She has extensive experience in Public Policy, Community and Institution building, Philanthropy, Fundraising and Developmental Grant-making. She is the former Chief Executive Officer of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund where she served for 21 years and built a significant endowment. She championed, alongside Mr. Mandela and Mrs. Graca Machel, the establishment of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, the 5th Children Hospital of its kind in the African continent.

A fellow of both the Rockefeller Center in Italy and DukeUniversity School of Public Policy, North Carolina USA, Bongi is also a recipient of the prestigious National Order of Luthuli (Silver) awarded by the President of South Africa, Mr Cyril Ramaphosa in 2018. She was also recently recognised by the French government with a Knight of the French National Order of Merit (Chavalier de l’Ordre national du Merite) for her work in social justice. She holds an honorary Doctorate in Philosophy awarded by the Nelson Mandela University in 2019 (NMU).