Thabo Godfrey Mongatane, 33

Thabo Mongatane is a family man, coach, youth development practitioner and an entrepreneur who advocates for black excellence and living a life of purpose. He is CEO of the Kolano Investment Solutions Group specialising in consulting, advisory, SMME development and talent management. He is also a founder of Kumbaya Africa, a start-up incubator for NGOs and social entrepreneurs across sub-Saharan Africa.

His selfless passion for the development of young leaders earned him international recognition in 2019 when he was admitted to the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders – a flagship programme founded by Barack Obama to develop the next generation of impact leaders. He completed a leadership development programme in civic engagement and leadership with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in the USA and served as a research fellow at LDI Africa, a Washington DC-based non-profit working with emerging African entrepreneurs and companies for growth.

Thabo is a graduate of SA Business Coaches, a community of business coaches assisting entrepreneurs, professionals and NGOs to unlock value and achieve their goals. He mentors and coaches entrepreneurs and young changemakers across South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and Zambia to achieve the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thabo combines his skills as a CA(SA), civic advocacy and coach to work with business, government and the community to find sustainable solutions to social challenges such as unemployment, access to education and economic transformation. He combines his experience with his passion for the development of communities in working with youth advocacy groups to bring about social change.

He was chairperson of the SA State Theatre’s Audit and Risk Committee, a member of SAICA’s Regulations Committee and a task team member for the INTOSAI Competency Framework in Oslo, Norway. He is a facilitator and examiner for the SA Institute of Government Auditors’ RGA programmes and public sector regulatory framework courses. Thabo believes that more CAs(SA) are needed to professionalise the public sector, SMMEs and non-profit organisations. In his experience, being a CA(SA) goes beyond just numbers, it is about having the knowledge and critical thinking skills to solve everyday problems. Being a CA(SA) is about being a positive influence and contributor; it is about serving your country with pride.

He was selected for the SAICA/Deloitte Leadership Development Programme in May 2020. His long-term goals include serving in the United Nations, World Bank and the African Union on programmes to enhance socio-economic development across Africa.

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