Masonwabe Fuma is a multi-award-winning social entrepreneur, youth strategist, and founder of Sakhulutsha eAfrika, a development hub dedicated to equipping township and rural youth with leadership, entrepreneurship, and digital skills. From humble beginnings in Komani, Eastern Cape, to stages across the globe, Masonwabe has turned lived experience into legacy.
Under his leadership, Sakhulutsha has launched initiatives like the iValue Entrepreneurship Programme, Isiqalo Rugby Coaching Clinic, and the Masonwabe Fuma Bursary Fund—impacting over 6,000 young lives through skills development, mentorship, and enterprise support. His work has earned formal partnerships with the National Youth Development Agency, and media features across Black Business Quarterly, Sunday World, and News24.
In recognition of his impact, Masonwabe was named the 2023 Mercedes-Benz New Entrepreneur of the Year, one of Africa’s Top 40 Under 40 for Community Development (2022), and included in the Mail & Guardian’s Top 200 Young South Africans. He has addressed audiences from Finland to Malaysia, representing South African youth in over a dozen countries.
Currently completing an MBA in Digital Transformation at the Johannesburg Business School, Masonwabe is also authoring a book, Rethinking Youth Development in South Africa, due for release in 2025. His thought leadership influences public discourse on youth unemployment, social policy, and inclusive growth.
Driven by a deep sense of duty, Masonwabe Fuma is shaping a new generation of thinkers, doers, and disruptors—proving that youth are not just the future, but the present architects of change.
