Masechaba Zamisa Mthembu

Community Youth Heroes

Nominee's Province:
Kwazulu-natal

Age:
33

Project Name/Description:
Verago and Gculiseka Projects

More info:
https://twitter.com/MasechabaZM

Born in 1988 in Umlazi, a township south of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, Masechaba Zamisa Mthembu, 33, is the founder and director of two social enterprises named Verago and Gculiseka Projects. Verago was established in 2020 amid the #BlackLivesMatter movement. It educates people at workplaces, schools and communities about diversity, inclusivity and race issues. The company has since managed to create positive dialogues around race, gender and sexuality issues at private schools like Reddam House in Umhlanga, north of Durban. Gculiseka Projects equips young people with skills and tools to turn their social enterprises into commercially viable entities to solve society’s problems. Armed with a BA (University of KZN) and a BCom (MANCOSA) degrees, Mthembu wants young people to be the drivers of change in their communities. “Be open to learn and to change. Even if you run a small spaza shop, your experiences can impact positively on other people’s lives,” Mthembu believes.