Stanford Samora Ndlovu
Nominee's Province:
Eastern Cape
Age:
31
Project Name/Description:
Special Projects Manager – Masinyusane; Co-founder – AIME South Africa
From the rural village of Cunningmore A in Bushbuckridge to national and global platforms, Stanford has turned a life shaped by hardship into a beacon of hope and transformation. Raised by his mother and grandmother, both of whom never completed school, he says he found refuge in books and built a dream rooted in education, equality, and purpose. Now the Special Projects Manager at Masinyusane in the Eastern Cape, Ndlovu leads the Zazi iZandi programme, an innovative early literacy initiative reaching Grade R and 1 learners. He says his work is driven by a steadfast belief that every child deserves access to quality education in their mother tongue. “With a B.Ed. from the University of Pretoria and a Master’s in progress, I have held roles from teacher coach to global mentor, co-founding the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) in South Africa and empowering youth from townships to classrooms. I am also a proud Dell Young Leader and a 2023 honouree of Junior Chamber International’s Top 10 Outstanding Young People,” Ndlovu said. He added that his journey has not been without challenges—gatekeeping, funding gaps, and personal doubt—but his resilience, faith, and strong mentorship network have carried him forward. Building a home for his family remains one of his proudest achievements. “Grounded in the Sustainable Development Goals, I envision a future where communities across the Global South are transformed through partnerships and purpose,” he said. “I want to be remembered,” he says, “as someone who created spaces where others could thrive—where courage and kindness shaped every step.”
