Soul City Institute announces departure of its CEO, Ms Lebogang Ramafoko

Ms Ramafoko is an internationally recognised defender of women’s and children’s rights who joined Soul City in 1995 and who has led the Institute as CEO since 2011.

“After 24 years working at Soul City, it is time to move on and allow a new leadership to take over the helm of an organisation that I hold dear to my heart. I am grateful of what I achieved while at Soul City; the organisation is a pioneer and a leader in its field and I am proud to have been associated with it for as long as I have,” said Ms Ramafoko.

During her tenure as CEO, Ms Ramafoko has led the strategic repositioning of Soul City from an organisation focusing on social and behaviour change communications to an intersectional feminist institute focusing on social justice for young women and girls.

Ms Ramafoko’s intellect, experience, compassion and forthrightness have established her as one of South Africa’s leading feminist thought-leaders and critical thinkers on women’s human rights and social justice.

Ms Ramafoko, who holds a Masters in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, took over the helm of Soul City Institute during a time of rapidly shrinking donor funding and under her leadership the organisation has simultaneously secured its funding base, maintained fiscal discipline, obtained successive unqualified audits and maintained critical relationships with key local and international donors and stakeholders.

“I know Soul City will continue to play a crucial role in the fight for social justice for womxn in South Africa and beyond,” said Ms Ramafoko, who joined Soul City shortly after the dawn of democracy and who played a critical role in establishing the Institute as a globally recognised leader in social and behaviour change communications.  She has been a standard bearer for Soul City at international fora and has been fearless fighter for social justice nationally and internationally where she has gained a reputation as an uncompromising advocate for human rights and equality.

“While we are sad to see Lebo leave the organisation, we are delighted to know that her contribution and passion for social justice and the health sector will continue. We are immensely grateful for the role she has played at Soul City and we are proud of what Soul City has achieved under Lebo’s leadership,” said Board Chairperson, Ms Nadia Bulbulia.

“Leaving Soul City is like leaving home. You go out to spread your wings and you take key lessons and memories with you. I will always be a champion for Soul City’s vision and mission. I have nothing but deep gratitude for an organisation that helped me to hone my voice as a social justice activist. The story of this formidable institution is one that I would be honoured to tell one day,” said Ms Ramafoko.

Ms Ramafoko will leave the Institute at the end of December 2019.

ENDS
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Released by the Soul City Institute for Social Justice
For media enquiries please call Gail Smith 082 561 3878 or gail@soulcity.org.za