Swati Mandela, granddaughter of Nelson Mandela – one of the flag names of the 21st century –representative of South Africa at the Grand Assembly of the World Business Angels Investment Forum as High Commissioner.
In 1993, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly to Nelson Mandela and Frederik Willem de Klerk “for their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa.”
Known and loved around the world for his commitment to peace, negotiation and reconciliation, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela never wavered in his devotion to democracy, equality and learning. Despite terrible provocation, he never answered racism with racism. His life is an inspiration to all who are oppressed and deprived; and to all who are opposed to oppression and deprivation.
The World Business Angels Investment Forum announces that Swati Dlamini Mandela, granddaughter of Nelson and Winnie Mandela, will represent South Africa at the Grand Assembly of the World Business Angels Investment Forum as High Commissioner.
She recently contributed to the publication of The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela, for which she wrote the foreword. She is a co-founder of the Long Walk to Freedom Clothing brand and a non-profit that delivers container libraries to disadvantaged communities in South Africa. She is a real social entrepreneur who supports important values, following in the footsteps of her grandfather.
South Africa is now more connected with global investment markets
WBAF Chairman Altuntas says ‘’I believe that the participation of High Commissioner Mandela in WBAF will bring a wide range of opportunities for South Africa’s startups, scaleups and high-growth businesses and open more doors for economic development. With Mandela’s appointment, South Africa has joined the largest forum of the world’s equity investment markets and will now be able to connect more easily with the global investors market, which will in turn open up splendid opportunities for the country. Local South African angel investors, incubation centres, accelerators, private equity funds, co-investment funds, technology parks, corporate ventures and aspiring entrepreneurs will now have expanded opportunities to connect with global leaders in the same field.
As an affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnerships for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the WBAF supports startups, develops entrepreneurial ecosystems, and helps venture capital and companies connect with international companies, fintechs and other relevant institutions. We are confident about our contribution to the economic development of countries by way of facilitating connections with entrepreneurial ecosystems. We strongly believe that South Africa will soon stimulate the development of its economy in a more entrepreneurial atmosphere.
An inspiration for all entrepreneurs who want to succeed
I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to rediscover the values of Nelson Mandela that he presented to the world and new generations. Freedom was an extremely important concept for Nelson Mandela, and the concept ‘freedom’ now has great relevance for world economies because it is the essential driving force of creative thinking, which leads to innovation and entrepreneurial success.
I am sure the life story of Nelson Mandela will be a genuine source of inspiration for entrepreneurs and startups in the 21st century.’’
About the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF)
An affiliated partner of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) is an international organisation aiming to ease access to finance for businesses from start-up to scale-up, with the ultimate goal of generating more jobs and more social justice worldwide. It is committed to collaborating globally to empower world economic development by creating innovative financial instruments for innovators, start-ups, and SMEs. The Forum interacts with leaders in all areas of society, first and foremost in business and political spheres, to help assess needs and establish goals, bearing in mind that the public interest is of paramount importance. WBAF engages a wide range of institutions, both public and private, local and international, commercial and academic to help shape the global agenda.
www.wbaforum.org
About GPFI
The Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) is an inclusive platform for all G20 countries, interested non-G20 countries, and relevant stakeholders to carry forward work on financial inclusion, including implementation of the G20 Financial Inclusion Action Plan endorsed at the G20 Summit in Seoul. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands is the Honorary Patron of the GPFI.
www.gpfi.org
About Swati Dlamini Mandela
Swati Dlamini Mandela is the granddaughter of Nelson and Winnie Mandela. She is the daughter of Zenani Mandela, South Africa’s Ambassador to Mauritius. With the Nelson Mandela Foundation, Swati co-authored the biography of her grandmother, 491 Days, published by Macmillan Publishing. Swati is currently co-producing, with Mandy Jacobson, an authorized documentary about the life of Winnie Mandela, scheduled for release in 2019. She was recently involved in the publishing of The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela, for which she composed the foreword. Swati is a founding partner and shareholder of Qunu Workforce, South Africa’s leading consultancy that promotes equality in the workforce for those living with disabilities. She served as a spokesperson for 21 Icons – a visual celebration of South Africa’s most iconic individuals that captured human achievement through photography, film and narratives. She is a co-founder of the Long Walk to Freedom Clothing brand and a non-profit that delivers container libraries to disadvantaged communities in South Africa. A business developer and public speaker, she launched her own luxury fashion line, Swati by Roi Kaskara, in 2017.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/swati-mandela-2abb5517a/
