Latty Thlaka, 24, obtained her private pilot licence at the age of 18. She is the chief executive of NGOConnectSA where she manages a number of strategic and operational processes, including stakeholder engagement and fundraising to keep the organisation running smoothly. NGOConnectSA provides nonprofit organisations with skills, tools and resources to be better able to do their work. Latty says NGOConnectSA has worked with companies, government departments and community organisations.
Her organisation’s success is marked by its ongoing projects, some of which include daily blogs that share experiences of civil society, developing an innovative disaster management solution, working on a trust for community-based organisations in rural areas and on various youth development programmes. As she grows NGOConnectSA, Latty says she envisions a society where nonprofits are more economically and financially sustainable, and where community-based organisations can have long-term effects on their beneficiaries.
Latty is also a chairperson of the South African Internet Governance Forum, a globally recognised platform that deals with the internet governance space.
Private Pilot, Superior Pilot School
I got my private pilot licence at 18 and I am really proud of it. I am the chairperson of the South African Internet Governance Forum, a globally recognised platform. At NGOConnectSA, every project we work on is significant. I am proud to celebrate three years at NGOConnectSA and I am fortunate to say we have big corporate partners. We have worked with the government, communities and organisations and got really great reviews, stories and testimonies that keep us going.
Avbob was a key partner, because they believed in us before we even reached three months of operation and continue to support us.
As a young person and social activist, I appreciate the opportunity to be able to have an effect in such spaces; that in itself is an achievement for me.
My late father. He was a civil society servant and introduced me to the civil society sector.