Mcebo E’zra’ Mngoma

Growing up in rural KwaZulu-Natal, Mcebo Mngoma, 30, always felt a pull toward leadership and public influence. Today, that passion fuels his work as the founder and chief executive of Africurator, the technology wing of Y3K Today. Africurator is a digital innovation platform focused on curating Africa’s creative and entrepreneurial ecosystems. As chief executive and business development lead, Mcebo oversees strategic execution, builds investment partnerships, manages stakeholder relations and leads the rollout of products and services. In 2023, he won the Class Leadership Prize for the University of Cape Town’s Genesis Project cohort and was selected for the IBM Techscale Series 6 cohort in 2025. He also spearheaded the establishment of the first Hult Prize national coordination team in South Africa, expanding it into the country’s largest student-led social entrepreneurship movement. Mcebo credits his strength to mentors like Richard Perez of the Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika, and the teachings of Emperor Haile Selassie I, whose leadership philosophies inspire his values. “My family and the desire to build a better one motivate me daily,” he says. “Entrepreneurship is how I heal, lead and teach — not just for profit, but for people.”

• Postgraduate Diploma in Management, specialising in Entrepreneurship, University of Cape Town 
• Design Thinking Foundations, HPI d-school Afrika* – University of Cape Town 
• BCom in Entrepreneurial Management, University of Johannesburg 

• Selected for the IBM Techscale Series 6 cohort (2025) with the Africurator Technology start-up
• Awarded the 2023 Class Leadership Prize for the University of Cape Town (UCT) Post Graduate Diploma in Management in Entrepreneurship for the  Genesis Project 
• Formed the first Hult Prize South Africa national coordination team and helped build a vibrant student social entrepreneurship movement, positioning South Africa as the largest home of the Hult Prize initiative in the country

I look up to Haile Selassie I, former Emperor of Ethiopia, because in his time of leadership he shared a great deal of knowledge on building thriving African states. His teachings have influenced most of my life, and I carry them as a toolkit to navigate situations that require balanced decision-making. I have encountered one person in my life who fits the criteria of a mentor or role model, and that is Richard Perez, Director of the Hasso Plattner D-school Afrika at UCT. Perez came to my aid when I needed a sense of belonging in a brutal environment that was systematically excluding me from being part of something. He offered me a chance to build from the ashes and reclaim my glory, refining my venture creation skills and building something that has attracted the attention of major corporations.