Pumla Maswanganyi

Pumla Maswanganyi is a South African entrepreneur, development strategist and innovator from South Africa, working at the intersection of design and global development. As a global citizen speaking 7 languages, and having lived and worked on 5 continents, she is committed to disrupting conventional development approaches, such as traditional education and employment norms through innovation.Pumla pioneers innovative tailored, and context-based solutions for disenfranchised populations: from a vocational training program that offers micro-loans and mentorship to equip young women to start and sustain their own businesses, to forging global partnerships that empower youth from low-income backgrounds through greater accessibility to non-traditional learning.Amongst many accolades, Pumla is a Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD) 100 under 40 Nominee for 2019, and her work has earned her the Forbes Fellowship; the Resolution Fellowship; a seat in the African Women Leaders Network; and an invitation as a 2019 UNLEASH Sustainable Development Innovation Lab Talent, creating solutions in SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, to name a few. Her commitment to youth development in Africa has also been recognised by the African Union Youth Envoy, Ms. Aya Chebbi, who has appointed her to be a member of the Envoy Expert Network. Pumla’s passion for changing the world, alongside her deep background in impact, equity, and inclusion enables Pumla to apply world-changing strategy to Jara.