MiDesk Global
What does your company do?
MiDesk Global is redefining access to education through a simple yet powerful innovation: the MiDesk, a wheelie school bag that transforms into a desk and chair, complete with a solar light and USB charging port. This all-in-one solution empowers children in under-resourced communities to carry their own workstation to and from school, ensuring they have a dedicated space to learn, wherever they are.
Backed by research showing that a designated homework area can boost academic performance by 48%, MiDesk directly addresses the critical infrastructure gap affecting millions. According to UNESCO, over 3 million children in South Africa alone lack access to desks, 95 million across Africa and over 400 million globally.
MiDesk Global tackles this crisis head-on, aligning with six of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. But we’re not just delivering desks, we’re restoring dignity, agency, and opportunity to the world’s most vulnerable learners.
Our impact has been recognised by global platforms, including the African Impact Challenge (University of Toronto & Mastercard Foundation), the Bambelela Business Award (Hollywood Foundation), and the 2025 CSI Legacy Award for Best Rising NGO.
At MiDesk Global, we believe education shouldn’t start with a seat at the table - it should start with access to the table itself.
What is your biggest success?
My greatest achievement is not defined by titles, accolades, or global recognition - though I am honoured to have earned a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cape Town, to have summited Mount Kilimanjaro at the age of 52, and to be named among the Forbes 50 Over 50 Global List. I have led award-winning ventures across mining, education, and innovation. Yet, it is the family I have raised and the home I have cultivated that stands as my most meaningful success. Within that intimate space - anchored in love, resilience, and unwavering support is where I find the truest expression of who I am. It is there that values such as purpose, perseverance, and compassion are not just ideals, but daily practice. Every professional milestone I have reached has been grounded in the strength of that foundation. In nurturing others, I have become who I was always meant to be.
What has been your biggest hurdle?
I have never subscribed to the notion that any hurdle is insurmountable. Challenges, in my view, are not designed to break us, but to build us. I firmly believe that obstacles are placed in our path not as deterrents, but as instruments of growth - crafted to refine our character, test our resolve, and deepen our resilience. Each hurdle presents an opportunity to rise, to reflect, and to reimagine what is possible beyond our perceived limits. Adversity, when met with courage and purpose, becomes a powerful teacher by shaping not only what we do, but who we become. In embracing difficulty, I have found strength; in persistence, I have discovered clarity; and in every setback, I have unearthed a lesson. It is through this lens that I navigate life - not avoiding challenges, but welcoming them as catalysts for transformation. Despite the challenges I faced, I am where I'm meant to be.
