Ms Rhoda Hlengiwe Mthembu is a consummate Stakeholder Relations and Social Facilitation Specialist with experience spanning over 20 years in strategic communications, public relations, client relations, social marketing and events management. Her skills have been honed through years of working in the public sector where she gained extensive comprehension of assorted government related principles and policies. Her practical experience is backed by a formal education relevant to her field. She holds a Degree in International Relations, Media Studies, Political Science and Facilitation Skills from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Ms Mthembu is an accredited Social Engagement Facilitator and holds a certificate from the Association of Social Engagement Facilitators Of Southern Africa (ASEFSA) for specializing in the fields of Negotiations and Conflict Management, Social Engagement Intelligence, Social Facilitation, Social Dialogues, Corporate Social Responsibility and Stakeholder Engagement.
Through the years, Ms Mthembu has made her mark on several major projects, having worked with many State-Owned Entities (SOEs) such as Eskom, the National Credit Regulator, the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), Proudly SA, as well public sector clients such as the National Department of Health, Gauteng Legislature, the Mining Industry, the National House of Traditional Leaders, as well as Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) She was influential in assisting her clients achieve their intended strategic objectives and respective mandates.
More recently, Ms Mthembu’s expertise become instrumental at the South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) where she headed up the stakeholder relations and social facilitation account at a national level for over three years. Here, she was required to provide strategic direction to the portfolio, providing executive direction to the stakeholder relations and social facilitation teams within SANRAL's four regions across the nine provinces.
Her consultative approach and warranting concise mapping of all relevant stakeholders affected by each road infrastructure development project, for engagement purposes, produced positive and sustainable results. Through her leadership style, project disruptions were averted and the conducive environment on the ground enabled continuity and implementation of work with limited interruptions. Ms Mthembu works closely with a team of top-tier professionals to execute and deliver national, provincial and local projects. She is respected for her prompt turnaround times, her negotiation skills in conflict resolution, and her exceptional tactical approach in the social facilitation discipline.
She is co-founder and Chief Operations Officer of the Consumer Financial Education Foundation (CONFEF), an NPO that seeks to empower South Africans with financial education to address the scourge of over indebtedness negatively impacting society. Her advocacy around issues of economic participation by previously marginalized sectors of society can be heard on various media platforms including IkhweziFM, SABC1 (Yilungelo Lakho), 1KZNTV.
Ms Mthembu has facilitated financial conversations with different organizations, including iThala Bank, One World Human Capital and University of Mpumalanga, to name a few. Her stakeholder relations and social facilitation prowess landed her an industry accolade, having received a Loerie Award for her Operation Khanyisa Campaign - Eskom Energy Losses Programme in 2013. Furthermore, in 2014 she was invited to present a paper on Social Impact Projects at the Social Marketing Conference held in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Ms Mthembu also founded Olwazini Academy, a BANKSETA accredited training provider that assists young people to explore opportunities in the financial sector. She is currently the Executive Chairperson of the Newcastle Community Radio Station that boasts a listenership of over 110 000 daily listeners.
Born to a single mother on the 7th of December 1986, Nompilo is the true definition of a Sagittarius. Having matriculated at Pholela high school in Bulwer, miss Mseleku had always wanted to pursue a career in the communications sector, hence the Journalism diploma. She is a highly versatile, result orientated and a considerate individual with a wealth of practical skill and experience in dealing with various administrative tasks. Her love for people and friendly character has always seen her being a fit in various groups of people. Her outspoken and opinionated nature brings a challenge to a conversation.
Over the years and over the various jobs she done, she has accumulated a vast range of skills, good communication, resilience to hard work and being a team player always. Understanding the importance of planning, organizing and prioritizing tasks in order to accomplish the goal and the greater good of the company is her way of life. She always aims to please but does not compromise her work ethics in the process.
Philile Mkhize is a dedicated professional with a profound commitment to empowering individuals, as evidenced by her extensive 20-year involvement in volunteering with various civil society organizations. Her passion for collaboration spans both public and private sectors, where she has held pivotal roles such as Stakeholder Coordinator at Blueprint SA, Administrator, and Social Engagement Facilitator at the Association of Social Engagement and Social Facilitators of Southern Africa (ASEFSA), business consultant at Open Arms, and Centre Manager at the Diakonia Centre.
Philile's expertise prominently includes supporting road infrastructure projects, leveraging her skills in stakeholder relations and social facilitation. She possesses a comprehensive understanding of government policies and programs, particularly within the transport sector. In August 2023, she assumed the role of Senior Social Facilitator at Cocoon Consulting, where she continues to contribute significantly.
During her tenure with Cocoon Consulting, Ms. Mkhize has effectively created an enabling environment for various projects, showcasing her proficiency in social facilitation and logistics. Her dedication to serving the public is evident in both her professional roles and extensive voluntary contributions to civil society organizations.
