Alumni Reunion Weekend

Founder And Chairman of Gift Of The Givers

Dr Sooliman was born in Potchefstroom, in South Africa's North West Province, on 07 March 1962.

He attended Sastri College in Durban and matriculated in 1978, going on to study medicine at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Medical School, qualifying as a medical doctor in 1984.

Dr Sooliman commenced private practice in Pietermaritzburg in 1986, but chose to close his flourishing practice in mid-1994, choosing instead to focus his attention on Gift of the Givers Foundation, which he had founded in early August 1992. His establishment of Gift of the Givers Foundation was the consequence of a message Dr Sooliman, then aged 30, received from Sufi Sheikh Muhammed Saffer Effendi al Jerrahi, his spiritual leader in Istanbul, Turkey, who called on him to serve all people of all races, of all religions, of all colours, of all classes, of all political affiliations and of any geographical location... a calling he honoured then and continues to honour today.

His endeavour in this regard has seen Gift of the Givers Foundation emerge as one of the most respected humanitarian organisations in the world and is today the largest disaster response agency of African origin anywhere on the continent.

Futurist, Business strategist, Keynote Speaker and Founder of Futureworld

His passion is to engage senior executives in challenging debates about the many forces, technologies and mar- ket dynamics driving future business success. Few leave Anton’s sessions thinking about anything in the same way; instead they are fuelled with new, exciting, action-shifting insights.
br> His own varied and successful career underscores the lessons he shares. He previously served as MD of Citadel Private Client Wealth Management, Managing Partner of a large legal practice, MD of a major property business and President of a national property owners association, representing property interests worth $60 billion. Anton currently advises several businesses and families, and has served on the Board of Governors of a leading educational institution.

Anton drives the FutureWorld process of strategic thinking from the future back to the present, turning traditional strategy on its head. He shares an insightful understanding of the drivers of long-term business success, shifting business models, and what it takes to stay ahead of the market.
br> He is an inspiring, spirited communicator and a globally acclaimed speaker and facilitator at corporate events and strategic initiatives. Further, he lectured regular executive programmes at major business schools, including the London Business School, Duke CE, Oxford University’s Said Business School, the Tata Management Training Centre for global leader- ship and the Indian School of Business.

Director (Dean) of the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business (GSB)

Before joining the UCT Graduate School of Business, Dr. Catherine Duggan served as Vice Dean and Professor of Management and Political Economy at the African Leadership University School of Business (ALUSB) in Rwanda. As the founding Vice Dean and the business school's first faculty member, she played a pivotal role in designing ALUSB’s innovative blended MBA curriculum.

Dr. Duggan previously held a faculty position at Harvard Business School (HBS) in the Business, Government, and the International Economy (BGIE) Unit, where she taught leadership and political economy in MBA and executive education programmes for nearly a decade. During her tenure at HBS, she made history as the first woman to win the Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching in the Required Curriculum for two consecutive years. She also received the prestigious Charles M. Williams Award for Excellence in Teaching and was honoured as the Berol Corporation Fellow.

An accomplished scholar, Dr. Duggan has been a Visiting Scholar at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School. Her research focuses on the political economy of development in Africa, with a special emphasis on institutional development and financial sector regulation. With over two decades of experience on the continent, she has worked in nearly two dozen African countries and authored numerous case studies on firms and economies across Africa, including South Africa, Nigeria, the DRC, Zimbabwe, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. In addition to her academic contributions, Dr. Duggan frequently leads strategy and leadership workshops for corporations and advises governments and public sector agencies across Africa and beyond.

Global Director for Sustainability Marketing at SAP

Kwena Mabotja is Global Director for Sustainability Marketing at SAP. She has been at SAP for 10 years, with 15 years overall industry experience. She spearheads global engagements with NGOs like the World Economic Forum and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. Kwena also leads SAP's ESG Reporting marketing, enabling organizations to leverage the power of technology as an enabler in addressing key challenges such ESG reporting compliance and sustainable business transformation.

Kwena boasts an MBA from the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business and London Business School (international exchange program), along with certificates from the Kellogg School of Management.

Kwena is a Mandela-Washington Fellow and Afrika Kommt Fellow, where she honed her experience and acquired international business management knowledge. She's a renowned international conference speaker, a voice for youth empowerment, and a change multiplier dedicated to advancing Africa's youth and women through innovation and technology for economic growth.

Managing Director at Solution Strategists Pty Ltd

Ariella is SA’s leading female auctioneer with Hons. Economics and an MBA. She has raised over R150 million for charity. Her latest auction raised R14.25 million for Gaynor Rupert’s Imibala Trust.

After 10 years as an international steel trader for Macsteel International, Ariella returned to SA and entered the Maritime & Mining auction sector.

Despite 3 rounds of cancer, Ariella continues to dominate the maritime auction sector with sales of tankers and vessels totaling over US$ 110 million (>R2 billion) in last 3 years.

2023 saw her as the 1st ever female auctioneer for cricket’s Betway T20 auction of players.

Executive Chairman of Serendipity Ventures

Raymond Ndlovu, the Executive Chairman of Serendipity Ventures, a privately owned investment company, is a seasoned executive and entrepreneur. His leadership is instrumental in the company's focus on partnering and scaling opportunities in the pan-African financial, consulting services, alternative energy, and ICT sectors.

Before assuming his role at Serendipity Ventures, Raymond held the position of Group CEO at Community Investment Ventures (CIVH), one of the largest telecommunications groups in South Africa. CIVH specialises in wholesale open-access connectivity infrastructure and digital technology.
br> During his tenure, Raymond successfully merged the Vumatel and Dark Fibre Africa subsidiaries into a holding company, Maziv. This strategic move paved the way for Vodacom Group's potential acquisition of up to a 40% equity stake, subject to regulatory approvals. His strategic foresight and business acumen were evident in this potential acquisition, marking a strategic shift as the company deepened its focus on the fibre market and expanded its footprint across Africa.

Mr. Ndlovu's career spans over thirty years, encompassing functional and leadership roles in investment banking, institutional asset management and stockbroking, venture capital, and telecommunications. He contributed significantly to Remgro Limited's venture investment division, Invenfin. Later, as a member of Remgro's management board, he oversaw the infrastructure and venture investment platform, including CIVH, DFA, Grindrod, Total SA, Business Partners, and Pembani Remgro Infrastructure Managers.

Before that, Raymond co-founded and was CEO of the institutional stockbroking firm Noah Capital Markets for ten years. Beyond his corporate leadership, Raymond's unwavering commitment to community service is evident through his directorship roles at Franschhoek Wine Valley Tourism and the Cape Wine Auction Trust. As a co-founder and owner of Black Elephant Vintners, an artisanal premium wine production and marketing business based in Franschhoek, Western Cape, he actively contributes to the region's socio-economic development.

As an independent non-executive director of two Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed short-term firms, namely short-term insurer OUTsurance Group Limited and freight infrastructure and logistics operator Grindrod Limited, and non-executive chairman of boutique asset management holding company Investment Managers Group (IMG) and venture investment firm AlphaCode Venture Partners, Raymond leverages his extensive commercial expertise, experience and contacts to guide these leading companies in strategic business development, governance, and sustainability.

Raymond Ndlovu holds a B. Business Studies (Honours) from the University of Zimbabwe. He is affiliated with prestigious leadership networks, including the Africa Leadership Initiative South Africa and Aspen Global Leadership Network.