Ongeziwe Nxokwana, 31, was raised in the coastal town of Gonubie near East London by her aunt, a woman who instilled the values of excellence, love and possibility. She serves as innovation manager at the DG Murray Trust (DGMT), driving strategic learning in early childhood development, literacy and numeracy. Her role centres on managing a diverse grant portfolio — guiding proposals, overseeing implementation, and ensuring alignment with broader developmental goals. Site visits and data reflections are routine, with insights helping to shape responsive, grounded programming. She also scouts for and scales up promising innovations, connects organisations across sectors, and bridges gaps between grassroots efforts and national policy. Her writing captures the human narrative — amplifying the voices of caregivers, youth and community leaders. An alumna of Rhodes University, Ongeziwe holds a BA in psychology and sociology and an honours in development studies. She represented the DGMT at the World Literacy Summit in Oxford, is a 2025 Mandela Washington fellow, and serves on the board of Ikamva Labantwana Bethu.
If I had to name just one person I truly look up to, it would be my older sister, Akholiwe. She is five years older than me, and she has been my guiding light for as long as I can remember. We are complete opposites: I am more outspoken and forward, while she is calm, quietly focused and deeply committed to the people around her. She is the kind of person who works hard without needing recognition, who puts family first and who sacrifices without ever making it about her. She was my first friend, and everything she did, I wanted to do too. Watching her navigate life — bold, educated and resilient — showed me that it is possible to dream big, to shape your own path and to do so with both heart and purpose. So much of who I am, and the career I have built, is rooted in the example she set. She may not even realise it, but she has been one of the biggest influences in my life.