The appointment of Dudu Mkhwanazi was announced on 1 August 2017.
Dudu is an alumna of the NWU and studied at the Vanderbijlpark Campus from 2009 – 2012, during which time she obtained a BA and a BAHons in political science. She enjoyed an active student life and served on the Campus Student Representative Council (CSRC) for the term 2012/2013 in the portfolio: Constitutions and Societies Officer. As a strong academic contender she also acted as a tutor the subject groups of Political Science and Environmental History.
She further holds a master’s degree in public policy analysis from Université Montpellier. Her leadership approach combines authentic relationship building with thorough business rigour to deliver sustainably impactful projects in pursuit of social justice for all South Africans.
A self-proclaimed activist for free Wi-Fi
Dudu – who describes herself as an activist for free Wi-Fi – says she is committed to the task at hand, namely to make the internet, as a tool to empower, accessible to those in low socio-economic standing. In a recent interview with the online publication, Business Tech, Dudu shared her vision for Project Isizwe by saying: “When the government heeds the call to make internet access a basic human right similar to water and electricity in South Africa, it will be more than a progressive pioneering policy, it will be a selfless act to bridge digital, economic and social divides.”
The 26-year old Dudu has her task cut out for her.
Project Isizwe heads-up the City of Tshwane’s free Wi-Fi service – TshWi-Fi. Since its inception in 2013, the internet project has brought 1,8 million citizens in the capital city online, in the biggest deployment of municipal free Wi-Fi on the African continent, with more than 700 Wi-Fi zones deployed across the city’s public spaces.
According to Dudu she sees her appointment to the executive role as an opportunity for Project Isizwe to further lobby for ubiquitous, government subsided internet access within a walking distance of every South African.
“I believe in being part of an organisation that not only sets out to change people’s lives but also rewrites the history books as far as empowerment is concerned,” says Dudu.
