Zenex Foundation

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.

28/11/2025

ZENEX STORIES OF IMPACT|IT ALL ADDS UP| Watch: How a Zenex scholarship helped shape a leader in education. Meet Khuselwa Mxatule , now the Assistant Director for Impact & Learning at the The Trevor Noah Foundation. Back in 2016, she joined the Zenex Legacy Scholarship Project hoping to gain skills that would help her stand out in the job market. What she found was much bigger.

Through the programme, Khuselwa discovered the power of Monitoring & Evaluation, evidence building, and how organisations across the education sector work together to create collective impact. Today, she is an active part of that ecosystem.

In our 30 Years of driving impact, it is stories such as this one that bring meaning to our existence.

Click to watch her story.

26/11/2025

ZENEX STORIES OF IMPACT|IT ALL ADDS UP| Watch: An inspiring journey from student to global changemaker! Meet Fatima Mathivha whose career in Monitoring & Evaluation began when she joined the Zenex Foundation Scholarship and Internship Programme in 2016.

With a passion for research and a degree in Development Studies, Fatima struggled to enter the world of work until the Zenex opportunity opened the door. Today, she is a Programme Officer at the Gates Foundation, driving impact through the Goalkeepers Initiative.

She describes the Zenex programme as a launch pad for her entire career.

As we mark 30 years of transforming education, we invite you to listen to Fatima’s moving story.

Play the video to watch her journey.

24/11/2025

We are proud to announce that the Zenex Foundation has received the Outstanding Educator Award from Unisa - The University of South Africat the 2025 Chancellor’s Calabash Awards, hosted by Chancellor Dr Thabo Mbeki !

This incredible honour recognises our commitment to improving learning outcomes in language and mathematics. For 30 years, we’ve invested in evidence-based programmes, African language resources, and teacher development to help build a stronger education system for all children in South Africa.

In accepting the award, our Chairperson Adv. Thandi Orleyn reflected on the meaningful timing of this recognition, arriving as Zenex celebrates 30 years of contributing to education in South Africa. She highlighted Zenex’s enduring commitment to supporting all children and strengthening the country’s education system.

Thank you to UNISA for this meaningful recognition. We remain committed to transforming education and shaping a brighter future for our nation.

21/11/2025

ZENEX STORIES OF IMPACT | IT ALL ADDS UP| Sometimes a “regret email” leads to an unexpected opportunity - and a life-changing one.

This inspiring article by Nduvho Ramulongo, former intern at Zenex Foundation, who now works at UNICEF South Africa, reflects how the Zenex Foundation opens doors for young people by providing exposure, mentorship, and real pathways into the education sector. What starts as an internship becomes a journey into systems thinking, research, leadership development, and sector-wide collaboration.

Zenex continues to refine and strengthen its approach, showing that transformation is not a moment - it’s a long-term commitment to people and the ecosystem.

This is what meaningful youth development looks like.
This is impact.
This is Zenex.

Read the article here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/transforming-talent-pipelines-education-sector-zenex-foundation-1o79f