Appointed on Monday April 25, Gugu Ndebele succeeds Reverend Canon Dr Vicentia Kgabe, who became the first woman deputy chairperson of Rhodes University Council in 2020. Dr Kgabe was, in 2021, elected the Bishop for the Diocese of Lesotho.
Located in Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, Rhodes is a small university which enjoys the distinction of having among the best undergraduate pass and graduation rates in South Africa, outstanding postgraduate success rates, and the best research output per academic staff member.
Since February 1, Gugu Ndebele is the Executive Director at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG). Based in South Africa, OWLAG is a world-class educational institute for girls, founded by Oprah Winfrey in 2007, that nurtures a new generation of dynamic leaders.
“We are delighted that Ms Ndebele accepted the role as deputy chairperson of Rhodes University Council. Her extensive experience in education and passion for guiding young women to become successful leaders is perfectly in line with the University’s vision and values,” Chair of Council Judge Gerald Bloem said.
Children’s rights leader
Ms Ndebele holds a Master’s degree in Organisational Change and Management obtained in 2000 at the University of Manchester, as well as a Management Advancement Programme, completed in 1999. She also has a certificate in Adult Basic Education and Training awarded by the University of the Witwatersrand in 1992 and a Post Graduate Diploma in Adult Basic Education from the same institution in 1994.
She has a combined experience of over 30 years in education and social development and is recognised as one of the most passionate children’s rights leaders in South Africa. also served as the Chief Executive Officer at Save the Children. During her time as CEO at Save the Children, Gugu Ndebele spent four years overseeing wide-ranging projects committed to children’s rights, literacy development, child protection, health and nutrition and mobilizing resources and developing partnerships in support of its programmes.
Her work has caught the attention of international bodies and in 2018, she was nominated by Save the Children International and other Child Rights Organisations to represent Civil Society Organizations on the Executive Committee of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children. In 2016 she was appointed Vice-Chair of the UNSECO-led Global Alliance for Literacy (GAL) and in 2017, Gugu Ndebele was named Literacy Ambassador by the Minister of Basic Education for her contribution and commitment to improving literacy in South Africa.
Prior to her work with Save the Children, she was, for 18 years, the Deputy Director-General of the Department of Basic Education in South Africa and was a deeply committed contributor to the education sector in South Africa, having risen to the rank of Deputy Director General and serving four Ministers of Education. Her areas of impact related to adult basic education, the consolidation of the Further Education and Training (“FET”) colleges and, of particular significance to her, the establishment of support services in education.
Gugu Ndebele is also on the Executive of the Gauteng Central Region of the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa (ISASA).
Passionate about the environment
Gugu Ndebele is very passionate about the environment. She is one of the Directors of Global Organisation 4 Brighter Youth (GOBY). GOBY aims to educate South African families about the importance of reducing, reusing and recycling waste while removing plastic waste from our environment, especially beaches.
Gugu Ndebele’s footprint extends beyond the country’s borders. In 2019, she was a panelist at the Forbes Women Africa: Leading Women Summit.
Gugu Ndebele is a proud mother of twins and an adult son and is an active alumna of Inanda Seminary, one of the oldest schools for girls in South Africa.
