Zenex Foundation

15/07/2026

Zenex Foundation welcomes new Chief Executive Officer

We're pleased to announce that Sibongile Khumalo has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the Zenex Foundation, taking up the role on 1 August 2026.

With over 20 years of leadership experience in education development and social impact, including roles at the South Africa Washington International Programme, The Learning Trust, and DataDrive2030, Sibongile is well positioned to lead the Foundation into its next chapter of impact.

We also want to say a heartfelt thank you to Gail Campbell, whose 23 years of passionate leadership helped build the Foundation into the trusted, evidence-based organisation it is today.

Join us in welcoming Sibongile to the Zenex family!

02/07/2026

The Zenex Foundation is delighted to welcome education practitioners, researchers and sector partners to the From Evidence to Action Seminar, taking place today, 02 July 2026.

The seminar highlights the importance of using evidence to inform education strategy and strengthen interventions that create meaningful impact for learners and educators.

Participants will take part in two engaging masterclasses:

✅ Strengthening Evaluation Reporting
Facilitated by Prof Babette Rabie and Ms Doreen Mavuma

✅ Designing Education Interventions: Translating Lessons into Design Decisions
Facilitated by Dr Lauren Wildschut

By bringing together expertise, research and practical experience, today's seminar aims to help transform valuable insights into informed decisions that improve education outcomes.

We look forward to a day filled with learning, collaboration and action.

11/06/2026

We wish Bafana Bafana every success as they represent South Africa on the world's biggest football stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The pride, unity and excitement being felt across the country remind us of the power of sport to bring people together.

The Zenex team is proudly behind Bafana Bafana every step of the way.

27/02/2026

NGOs are not contractors. They are co-creators of change.

On , we celebrate the organisations working at the heart of South Africa’s education system, innovating, adapting, and partnering to translate policy into practice.

At Zenex Foundation, we believe sustainable reform requires strengthening the entire ecosystem, not just funding projects. That means investing in organisational capacity, supporting sector networks like NASCEE and SAMEA, and building long-term developmental partnerships across funders, NGOs and government.

South Africa’s education challenges are deep and structural. Collaboration is not optional, it is essential.

Read our full reflection here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/world-ngo-day-strong-ngos-build-systems-zenex-foundation-rlgbf/

08/01/2026

When used purposefully, M&E can inform strategy, improve programmes, and contribute to sector learning. Read our article on three decades of evidence driving impact in the Business in Society Handbook 2025.

Read the full case study here: https://trialogueknowledgehub.co.za/handbook-2025-three-decades-of-evidence-shape-the-zenex-foundations-impact/

&E

18/12/2025

As we wrap up our 30th anniversary year, we are grateful to everyone who has journeyed with Zenex. Thank you for the stories, reflections, and moments of celebration that made 2025 so meaningful. Watch our short video reflecting on the year that was. Warm wishes for a restful break and a successful year ahead.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

10/12/2025

What a year it has been!

Thabisile Zuma, Programme Manager at the Zenex Foundation, looks back at 2025 through a deeply personal and inspiring lens, her experience in the FLIEP Fellowship, a programme that connects emerging philanthropic leaders from across the world.

Her story captures moments of learning, challenge, connection, and growth as she navigated retreats, masterclasses, and a powerful collaborative project focused on sustainability in education.

If you’re curious about how leadership in philanthropy is shaped, nurtured, and lived out, this is a must-read.

Read the full article: A Year of Growth: My Journey Through the FLIEP Fellowship
Link: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/year-growth-my-journey-through-fliep-fellowship-zenex-foundation-6yqrf

05/12/2025

05/12/2025

ZENEX STORIES OF IMPACT| IT ALL ADDS UP| From unexpected beginnings to purposeful impact. What began as a simple decision to study from a cousin’s textbook became a life-changing journey. One that led to a passion for sociology, a commitment to education research, and ultimately, a postdoctoral fellowship supported by the Zenex Foundation.

In this powerful story, Prof Zahraa McDonald shares how the fellowship didn’t just support her work, it expanded her capacity, connected her to a dynamic research team, and gave her the opportunity to see the education system in ways few researchers can.

Her gratitude speaks to the heart of what Zenex stands for: opportunity, growth, and impact.

Watch her inspiring journey here.

04/12/2025

ZENEX STORIES OF IMPACT| IT ALL ADDS| As we celebrate 30 years of impact in advancing quality education, we also honour a shared journey with the South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA) marking its 20th anniversary of strengthening the M&E community in South Africa.

From the early 2000s, Zenex recognised the power of evidence-based practice as a catalyst for transformation. SAMEA, born from this same vision, has since become a cornerstone in building professional, ethical and contextually relevant evaluation capacity across the country.

In our latest Story of Impact, Benita Williams and Jen Norins reflect on the enduring partnership between Zenex and SAMEA, a partnership defined by a shared commitment to promoting the use of M&E and cultivating quality evaluation capacity in South Africa.

Watch the video below.