Biography

Dr. Makaziwe Mandela was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, growing up in Soweto, Johannesburg and is the eldest daughter of Evelyn Mase and Nelson Mandela. After matriculating from High School in Swaziland, she went on to study for her BA degree in Social Work at Fort Hare University in the Eastern Cape, and then her Honours Degree in Sociology at the University of Natal in Durban.

In 1984, she received a Fulbright Foreign Scholarship and a Fulbright Distinguished Fellowship Award to study at the University of Massachusetts in the US for a Masters in Sociology and a Doctorate in Anthropology.

She has had a full and varied career that has involved working in several other countries, and holds directorships with Nestlé SA among others. She has presented numerous papers over the years, including the role of women in a changing South Africa. She has been intricately involved in developing a substantial investment portfolio within Nozala, a women’s investment group, and using these funds in the economic upliftment and empowerment of women in South Africa.

She has worked for a number of academic institutions in South Africa and abroad. She spent a number of years working for the Development Bank of Southern Africa as Executive Manager Corporate Services. Prior to that, she worked for Spoornet as General Manager Human Resources.

Dr. Mandela previously sat on the Boards of Rand Water Services, Myriad Medical, Envirosev and the Nelson Mandela Foundation. She is also a consultant in training development and life skills at Self Empowerment International. Dr. Mandela is currently the Chairperson of House of Mandela, a business that she started with her daughter Tukwini Mandela in 2010.

She is also a director of the House of Mandela Family Foundation that was set up in 2017. The ambition of the Foundation is to improve the livelihoods of poor communities and globally advocate for social issues that affect African communities including; HIV and AIDS, education, health, agriculture, women empowerment and promoting alternate energy sectors.

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Videos

Dr Maki Mandela

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Speech TopicsExpand each topic to learn more

Female Empowerment

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Creativity & The Potential of Africa

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Service Leadership

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Collaboration v Competition

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Social Justice & Conflict Resolution

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Testimonials

Powerful. Passionate. Thoughtful. Real.
– Conference Attendee
There's real fire and a call to action in the way that she talks.
– Conference Attendee
Powerful examples of leadership, Dr. Mandela. Thank you.
– Conference Attendee
Inspiring and also very actionable steps for all of us!
– Conference Attendee

Blog Posts

How Seth Godin Transforms Publishing for Books—and What Event Pros Can Learn From It

Marketing provocateur Seth Godin reveals his approach of chapters in his books and how event planners can revolutionize content creation using his riff format.

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The Mindset Shift That Transforms Adrenaline Into Leadership Fuel With Theresa Payton

Transform rejection into resilience with proven mindset strategies from the first female White House CIO Theresa Payton.

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Olympic Champion Apolo Ohno’s Blueprint for Success

This week, we had a top keynote speaker, Apolo Ohno, as a guest on The Keynote Curators podcast, where he shared the performance principles that carried him through eight Olympic medals and now guide his success in business and speaking.

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Crisis Management Lessons From 9/11: Why Top Event Leaders Prepare Before the Alarm Sounds

Crisis management begins before alarms sound. Learn how 9/11 lessons translate to event leadership and prevent disasters.

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Four Health Pillars That Transform Business Performance

Learn the four health pillars Olympic champion Apolo Ohno uses to maintain peak performance in business and life when perfection isn't possible.

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Strategic Thinking: Dorie Clark’s Blueprint for The Long Game

Dorie Clark was recently a guest on The Keynote Curators podcast, where she unpacked her revolutionary approach to strategic thinking and long-term success planning

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