Khethiwe Nene
Nominee's Province:
Gauteng
Age:
25
Project Name/Description:
Founder – Khethi’s Foundation
Khethiwe Nene is a Chartered Accountant trainee at Deloitte Africa and the founder of Khethi’s Foundation, a youth-led non-profit dedicated to ending gender-based violence (GBV) through detection, prevention, and correction. Her journey began during the national lockdown, sparked by a moment of reflection while listening to the President’s address on rising GBV statistics. Instead of turning away, she took action—launching the #helpinggbvsurvivors initiative from her home. What started with assembling comfort bags for survivors has grown into a multi-pillar foundation that blends real-time research with targeted interventions to support and empower vulnerable girls and GBV survivors. Under her leadership, Khethi’s Foundation has formed key partnerships, including one with the Kolisi Foundation, and has received several accolades—among them, the News24 30 Young Mandelas of the Future and SAICA’s Social Change Champion award. The foundation has delivered more than 2,200 GBV prevention kits, distributed 2,500 comfort bags to shelters, and mentored hundreds of girls across the country. While navigating challenges like limited funding and policy resistance, Khethiwe remains focused on expanding the foundation’s footprint into KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. Her long-term vision includes influencing national GBV policy and establishing economic empowerment hubs for survivors. Khethiwe Nene is turning personal conviction into collective impact—proving that courage, consistency, and compassion can drive real, lasting change.
