2025 Mail and Guardian 200 Young South Africans - Wits University

Artifical Intelligence

Devon Jarvis (BSc 2019, BSc Hons 2020, MSc 2021) is a lecturer in mathematic foundations of data science and natural language processing. He also leads the Cognition, Adaptation and Learning (CAandL) Lab, a multidisciplinary research group exploring how cognitive neuroscience can inform the future of machine learning. Initially drawn to economics, Devon discovered a love for coding at university and has since earned his PhD in computer science, supported by the Google PhD Fellowship, Commonwealth Scholarship and an NRF Thuthuka Grant.

David Mann

Arts and Culture

David Mann (MA 2022) is a writer and editor based in Johannesburg, works at The Centre for the Less Good Idea, ARAK Journal and Cue, where he served as editor for the National Arts Festival’s publication. “Storytelling was essential to how I made sense of the world,” he says. His accolades include the Thomas Pringle Prize for Best Short Story in 2024, a visiting critics residency in Vienna in 2022, and a series of awards for arts journalism. He has previously been featured in Wits Review magazine.

Kirsten-Lee Naidoo

Arts and Culture

Kirsten-Lee Naidoo (BA Hons 2019) completed her degree in game development at Wits, and is currently the head of publishing at Landfall Games. She manages business development, oversees external partners, and runs backend operations for major gaming platforms such as PlayStation and Nintendo and she scouts for new talent.

Teresa Kutala Firmino

Arts and Culture

Teresa Kutala Firmino (BA FA 2016, MA FA 2019) grew up among former Angolan South African National Defence Force families and these early experiences shaped her understanding of identity, history and postcolonial memory. She is an artist and the director of the BNAP Foundation, as well as the founder of the Teresakutalafirmino Studio. She participated in the international project The Owners of the Earth, with a four-part painting series that culminated in her first book. She also supports emerging artists through the Blessing Ngobeni Art Prize.

Sibusiso Ndlovu

Business

Sibusiso Ndlovu (BAcc 2014, BAcc Hons 2015) is business development manager at Fortress Real Estate Investments. Her accomplishments include winning the 2024 IFC Women in Green Building Competition. Her track record includes serving as a non-executive director on the board of Schindler Southern Africa, being appointed chair of the audit committee for an unlisted property fund and managing a R32-billion property portfolio at one of Africa’s largest asset managers. Beyond the boardroom, she is invested in mentoring young African women in corporate spaces. “It can feel like success depends on who you know, but hard work can open just as many doors,” she says.

Siphosenkosi Mbonani

Climate Change

Siphosenkosi Mbonani (BSc Hons 2017, MSc 2019) just completed his PhD in collaboration with the University of Florida as a Fulbright scholar, lecturing in both environmental and medical sciences. He supervises undergraduate research and teaches conservation science at the Southern African Wildlife College. His teaching has been lauded for its clarity, inclusivity and hands-on relevance. He contributes to community science outreach, especially in under-resourced areas, fostering STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) curiosity and environmental awareness among youth. He chatted to Alumni Relations in July 2025.

Sthuthukile Conco

Climate Change

Sthuthukile Conco (BA 2025) is the founder of Rural Agrarian Climate Education (RACE) — a youth-led initiative that equips farmers and students with climate knowledge in their native languages. She has scaled RACE into a platform for education, empowerment, and community-led sustainability. From the Climate Justice Camp in Tunisia to the 2024 Y20 Summit in Brazil — where she proposed micro-powered grids for energy equity — Sthuthukile is no stranger to the global stage. Her work has earned her spots in the World Bank’s Max Thabiso Edkinson Programme and the African Commission’s human rights defender training, where she was selected from more than 10 000 applicants.

Fezile Wagner

Education

Fezile Wagner (BA Hons 2014, PhD 2024) is head of the analytics and institutional research unit at Wits. She has been nominated in the HERS-SA Emerging Leader Award and the NSTF TW Kambule Emerging Researcher Award categories. Outside academia, she co-founded the NARE Foundation, which combats food insecurity in rural KwaZulu-Natal through education, training and community innovation.

Risuna Maluleke

Entrepreneurship

Risuna Maluleke (BCom 2020, BCom Hons 2021) is the group chief executive of the African Entrepreneurship Development Corporation and chief entrepreneurship officer at the Young African Entrepreneurs Institute (YAEI). His organisations have employed 60 South Africans, including 20 youth in the core team and 40 more through subsidiaries.

Clerissa Davids

Film and Media

Clerissa Davids (LLB 2023) is a marketing coordinator for the University of Johannesburg’s faculty of science. As marketing coordinator for the University of Johannesburg’s faculty of science, Clerissa champions initiatives that make science and technology, particularly for young women from under-resourced schools. From coordinating outreach programmes to shaping strategic partnerships, her work focuses on inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders. Her pride lies in initiatives like the Bring a Child to Work Day and the Aspiring Actuarial Scientist Breakfasts, which create real pathways for young people to dream bigger.

Mbali Mashaba

Film and Media

Mbali Lucia Mashaba (BA FT 2021) is an award-winning filmmaker, film curator, and creative researcher leading Behind Her Lens Visuals. The agency is dedicated to making African diasporic stories accessible to audiences globally. Through film screenings, festivals and talks, her work bridges the gap between industry professionals, emerging filmmakers, and everyday audiences.

Andzani Nkuna

Financial services

Andzani Nkuna (BSc Eng 2022) is a chemical engineering graduate working at Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking, identifies processes for digitisation and automation using tools such as Microsoft PowerStack, BluePrism and AI technologies. He identifies processes for digitisation and automation using tools such as Microsoft PowerStack, BluePrism and AI technologies. A milestone in his career was developing the D&A Value Dashboard — a PowerBI analytics tool that provides executive-level insight into digital delivery metrics across the bank.

Sibongile Zungu

Financial services

Sibongile Zungu (MCom 2019) is the head of finance for business and commercial banking (BCB) at the Standard Bank Group and oversees the consolidated financial reporting for a division that generates over R10 billion in headline earnings annually across local and offshore markets. She is a finalist in the TransUnion Rising Star Awards and Standard Bank’s Individual Excellence Awards. She has also launched diversity initiatives and championed automation in financial reporting.

Bradley Segal

Health and Wellness

Bradley Segal (MBBCh 2021, MSc 2022) is the chief technology officer at Engage Mx, and he leads efforts to automate population health management. He is merging his medical training with artificial intelligence to solve complex problems. His team’s tools identify patients with chronic diseases who have fallen through the cracks — scaling care outreach.

He chatted to Alumni Relations before went to Oxford as a Rhodes scholar. Now his work has already touched thousands of lives, and his influence extends to global platforms. He serves on the editorial board of BMJ Digital Health & AI and contributes to international efforts improving HIV care with AI-driven solutions.

Mandisa Jewel Simamane

Health and Wellness

Mandisa Jewel Simamane (MSc Med 2018, PhD 2024) is the course coordinator in biokinetics and exercise science at Wits. Her research contributions, paired with her leadership in global platforms such as the International Society of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, reflect her commitment.

Mbali Pfeiffer Shongwe

Health and Wellness

Mbali Pfeiffer Shongwe (BA 2022) is the founder of Mindful(l), and she is reshaping how communities engage with mental health. Her organisation offers free counselling services, workshops and digital resources. Her organisation offers free counselling services, workshops and digital resources. Her leadership earned her recognition as part of Nike’s Well Collective. She also serves as a programme manager for BLKHLTH South Africa, a platform amplifying black mental health through education, events and advocacy.

Kevin Smith

Justice

Kevin Smith (LLB 2014) is a partner at Ahmed Gani Attorneys and manages business development, leading legal advisory services and providing legal analysis on platforms like eNCA, Newzroom Africa and SABC News.

Malebo Moropa

Justice

Malebo Moropa (LLB 2013) is an advocate and holds a Master of Laws in International Business Law (cum laude) from Université Panthéon-Assas, Paris in France. After completing her vocational training with Lincoln’s Inn in London, she was called to the Bar of England and Wales as a Barrister in 2024. Moropa has appeared in the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa, the High Courts of South Africa, the Labour Court of South Africa, the Labour Appeal Court of South Africa and the Land Claims Court. She has also appeared in the Competition Tribunal of South Africa.

Read more https://mg.co.za/200youngsouthafricans/2025/malebo-moropa/

Emma Molobi

Mining and Manufacturing

Emma Molobi (BSc Eng 2011, MSc Eng 2016, PhD 2021) is the principal engineer at Transnet Freight Rail, where she leads an ISO 17025 and Transport Canada-accredited testing facility. She oversees a multidisciplinary team and directs work in metallurgy, materials innovation, failure analysis and non-destructive testing for the rail sector. She is a mentor through the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and a chapter ambassador for Women in 3D Printing, promoting gender inclusivity in STEM.

Mmabatho Mongae

Mining and Manufacturing

Mmabatho Mongae (BA 2015, BA Hons 2016, MA 2017, PhD 2024) is acting head of programme for governance insights and analytics at Good Governance Africa Politics and Governance. Her work includes directing the Governance Performance Index, a tool that assesses the effectiveness of local governments, and overseeing the African Cities Project. Her inquiry into South Africa’s political psyche and citizen-state relations reflects her belief that real transformation begins by understanding people’s relationship with power. She was awarded the Walter and Albertina Sisulu Prize during her master’s studies.

Tyrel Singh

Sport

Tyrel Singh (BA 2018, LLB 2022) is a qualified attorney of the high court, he specialises in employment and commercial law. As research officer of the South African Sports Law Association, Singh is also advancing a national dialogue on sports law, policy and ethics. He has contributed legal commentary to Kickoff magazine, debated legal reform on Newsroom Afrika and SAfm, and advised on infrastructure and energy deals that support inclusive development.

Jabu Mtwa

Sport

Jabu Mtwa (BA 2023) is an International Olympic Committee (IOC) youth leader and in his final year of law at Wits. He champions sport as a way of creating work opportunities for young people. He founded the Golden City Football Club, a youth academy and co-founded the Africa Business of Sport podcast, which has had more than150 episodes and listeners across 120 countries. The podcast has featured global voices from the IOC to CNN.

Imraan Akhalwaya

Innovation

Imraan Akhalwaya (BSc Eng 2017) is principal associate and discipline lead for pavement engineering at WSP, a global engineering and professional services firm. He is completing his master’s in pavement engineering, with research focused on sustainable, performance-based technologies for the sector.

Lethula Mokokeng

Innovation

Lethula Mokokeng (PhD 2022) is post-doctoral researcher at UP and working on developing chemical solutions to remove toxic pollutants, he serves as a part-time technical adviser at the National Research Foundation. He promotes science education by judging school expos and inspiring learners through community outreach.

Palesa Madupe

Innovation

Palesa Madupe (BSc 2013) is a postdoctoral candidate at the University of Copenhagen and an associate of the Human Evolution Research Institute at UCT. Her work focuses on extracting proteins from fossilised specimens, some dating back nearly two million years ago. Most recently, her work on Australopithecus africanus, a species pivotal to understanding South Africa’s place in human origins research, was published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature, which marked 100 years since the discovery of the Taung skull. Read Wits Review.

Her work was also highlighted in the South African Journal of Science, and translated into Setswana, reflecting Madupe’s belief that scientific discoveries should be accessible and relevant to local communities.

2025 M&G Young South Africans

Artifical Intelligence

Arts and Culture

Arts and Culture

Arts and Culture

Business

Climate Change

Climate Change

Education

Entrepreneurship

Film and Media

Film and Media

Financial services

Financial services

Health and Wellness

Health and Wellness

Health and Wellness

Justice

Justice

Mining and Manufacturing

Mining and Manufacturing

Sport

Sport

Innovation

Innovation

Innovation

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