Khulisani Foundation
What does your company do?
Khulisani Foundation is a youth development organisation that empowers young people to lead themselves first so they can lead others and drive change in their communities. For the past 15 years, we’ve worked across South Africa to unlock the potential of youth through transformative, values-driven programmes rooted in African excellence. Our mission is to create meaningful opportunities for youth in underserved communities to grow, lead and thrive. By 2030, we envision African youth; as the world's majority, confidently leading the global village.
Our flagship initiatives include:
1. Campaign for Girls: a personal and leadership development journey for high school girls, with a focus on advocacy, identity and career discovery.
2. Khulisani Agricademy: offering accredited agricultural training, enterprise development and pathways to food security and sovereignty.
3. Early Childhood Development Programme: blending African-centred practices with Montessori principles to improve the quality of early learning.
We are intentionally building a network of youth leadership hubs that nurture civic engagement, ethical leadership and social entrepreneurship. From rural villages to urban centres, Khulisani equips youth with practical skills in farming, education, life leadership and advocacy. In the last year, over 85 young people were trained in sustainable agriculture, entrepreneurship and leadership.
We exist to raise a generation of ethical, community-rooted leaders shaping a more united and sustainable Africa.
What is your biggest success?
Our greatest achievement has been 15 years of building a nationwide, youth-led ecosystem of leadership and enterprise that is rooted in African values and sustained by strategic partnerships. Through strong relationships with local governments, schools across South Africa and community stakeholders; we have created pathways for young people to access accredited training, psychosocial support and real economic opportunities. Our standout milestone is the development of our Khulisani Agricademy farm in Mpumalanga, established as the first training site where youth from across the country are hosted for vocational and accredited agri-skills training in subsistence and introduced to commercial farming as well as childcare development.
Over 85 youth have already been trained through our Khulisani Agricademy operating in various sites, with many starting their own agri-enterprises or leading food security projects. Our alumni, shaped through programs like Campaign for Girls and the Youth Leadership Program, are now mentoring others; proving that sustainable change begins with empowered youth, supported by the right partnerships and purpose.
What has been your biggest hurdle?
Our biggest hurdle has been securing consistent, flexible funding to meet the growing demand for our youth development programmes. As a grassroots organisation with national reach, interest from young people, schools and communities often exceeds our available resources. Balancing this growth with long-term sustainability remains an ongoing challenge.
In 2023, we faced a devastating blow when arsonists destroyed key infrastructure at our Mpumalanga farm; intended to serve as a local agri-skills training hub. This not only damaged vital assets but deeply affected our team and community, pushing us to explore new ways to reach youth who would have benefited from the programme.
Before that, COVID-19 disrupted our high school leadership programs, severing connections with communities that depended on our consistent presence. These back-to-back crises stretched our limited capacity but also inspired innovation, resilience and a renewed commitment to developing sustainable models that we persevere to show up for the youth.
