Meet the team at Nal'ibali | Nali'ibali
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Meet the team behind the Nal’ibali magic! Based across the country, each one of these individuals works to bring the power of stories to as many South Africans as possible.

Meet the team

Leadership

Lorato Trok

Director

Lorato is an early literacy expert who has been working in the field for over twenty years. She has authored several children's books and nonfiction biographies for young adults. Lorato is particularly skilled at creating reading materials for young children that promote reading for enjoyment, especially in African languages.

Lorato’s influence in promoting African languages and early literacy extends far beyond our borders. She has worked across all nine South African provinces, the African continent, and even North America. As a respected thought leader, she has presented papers on early literacy and multilingualism at prestigious venues such as the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., And was instrumental in launching the “Reading Africa'' programme at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C.

Lorato serves on several boards supporting literacy and education initiatives, including the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture Ministerial Book Policy Development Task Team. Her contributions have been acknowledged by Academia.edu, who named and profiled her as one of the 28 Leading Women in African Publishing & the Book Trade in their journal of The African Book Publishing Record Volume 48, Issue 2, in 2022.

Lorato Trok

Director

Gabrielle Kelly

Head of Research, Impact & Innovation

Dr Gabrielle Kelly is the Head of Research, Impact and Innovation at Nal’ibali. She has 14 years of experience working in research and programme evaluation in the social development, health, and education sector. She has a PhD in Sociology, an MPhil in Research Methods, a BComm in Politics, Philosophy in Economics and a PGDip in M&E. She has a strong interest in the utilisation of research in advocacy for social change, as well as policy and programme development.  

Gabrielle Kelly

Head of Research, Impact & Innovation

Bahihah Mohamed

Head of Finance & Operations

Bahihah currently serves as the Head of Finance and Operations, overseeing the Finance, Human Resources, and Support Services departments. With three decades of extensive experience in financial accounting, Bahihah boasts a diverse background spanning the higher education, manufacturing, and media sectors. Recognized as a seasoned professional, Bahihah is esteemed for her proficiency in financial analysis, control, reporting, and project management.

During her tenure in the higher education sector, which spanned 15 years (12 at WITS University and 3 at the University of the Western Cape), Bahihah primarily worked in grant-funded research units, where she effectively managed financial and grants administration. Before this, she gained valuable experience in the manufacturing sector, particularly in the automotive industry, refining her skills in project management and financial control.

Bahihah holds an MBA qualification and certifications in project management, management, and supervisory training, underscoring her solid foundation in both academia and practical application. With a proven track record in managing donor funding and multi-grant projects, she brings a comprehensive understanding of financial operations and strategic planning to her current role.

Bahihah Mohamed

Head of Finance & Operations

Communication and Advocacy

Suri Tsholetsane

Communications & Marketing Manager

Suri is an award-nominated Media Strategist and an experienced Communication and Marketing professional. She has developed, implemented and managed national and international communication and marketing programs, projects and initiatives for various audiences.

Her vast experience includes Corporate Communication, Health Communication, Media Management, Crisis Communication,  Public Relations, Stakeholder Relations, Sponsorship Management, Digital Transformation, Brand Positioning and Advocacy.

"Communication-without-Borders" is how Suri describes her experience in managing diverse international communication projects in countries such as Ethiopia, Mozambique, Kenya, Botswana, Tanzania, Finland, Spain, Germany, Monaco and here in South Africa. Her industry experience includes ICT, IT, Sports, Media, Medical Research and the Development Sector. She has qualifications in Communication Science, Telecoms MBA, Business Management and Digital Transformation.

Suri is a member of Women in Tech Africa, ONE and Global Citizen.

Suri Tsholetsane

Communications & Marketing Manager

Athenkosi Matyalana

Digital Specialist

Core, Special Projects and Content

Bawinile Peters

Special Projects Manager

Carol Titus

WESTERN CAPE PROVINCIAL COORDINATOR

Sithembiso Nhlapo

Gauteng Provincial Coordinator

Nompucuko Zakaza

Eastern Cape Provincial Coordinator

Righardt le Roux

Mpumalanga Provincial Coordinator

Sibongiseni Blose

KZN Provincial Coordinator

Bongani Godide

Provincial Coordinator- North West

Lebohang Dunster

Project Coordinator- LnL Project/ Northern Cape

Vuisile Nombula

Literacy Mentor-LnL Project/Free State

Madoda Ndlakuse

Project Coordinator- Nal'ibali VW Project

Oscar Sekgobela

Project Coordinator- Nal'ibali-Lebalelo Literacy Project

Rijiwe Songo

Nal'ibali-Trevor Noah Foundation- Project Lead

Nelisiwe Zondi

USAID-Siyafunda Community Learning Hubs- Project Lead

Sanelisiwe Ntuli

USAID-Siyafunda Community Learning Hubs- Literacy Mentor

Thabiso Mahlape

Publishing Specialist

Brigotte Naicker

Content Developer

Nosiphiwo Sifumba

PRODUCTION AND TRANSLATION COORDINATOR

MERL

Neeyam Gareeb

Data Manager

Rosemary Rollinson

Researcher

Tshandapiwa Tshuma

MERL Officer

Luleka Bara

Monitoring and Evaluation Officer

Professional Services

Danielle Piet

Human Resource Manager

Siwakhile Bili

HR Officer

Bonelwa Nqabeni

Accountant

Ibtishaam Salie

Support Services Manager

Ongama Makie

Support Services Coordinator

Verona Engelbrecht

Executive Assistant