Zamantungwa Khumalo is a 27 year old female from the village Bergville in Woodford, KwaZulu-Natal, and is doing her PhD in Veterinary Parasitology at Ondersterpoort Campus (University of Pretoria). She is one of the Apprentesses Leadership 2015 finalists. Through collective experiences that she encountered through her academic life, she realized that the village she came from lacks the fundamental tools of life, which includes self-confidence, life skills and quality education, due to the fact that people in the community are stereotypically convinced that they are inferior, subjected to suffering and living a poor life. This lack of confidence and self-esteem has contributed to growing incidence of substance abuse, crime, teenage pregnancy and adolescence negligence; an increasing number of unemployed individuals as well as a rising HIV/AIDS incidence rate. The combination of these results has hindered socio-economic growth, as well as prevented the chance for society to attain a favorable status, which led her to form ‘I am a Future Leader’ Youth Development Programme (http://www.iamfutureleader.co.za/).

Apprentesses Leardership (http://apprentesses.co.za/) was launched early in 2015 and it is the very first of its kind aimed at developing young female leaders in South Africa. This mentorship programme will empower young women to be leaders in a global perspective, through designed challenges and workshops presented to all contestants. The mentors of the Apprentesses Leardership include Mrs South Africa, Fikile Mokgoe, who is also the founder of the Fikile Mokgoe Foundation.

Zama entered for the competition in order to equip herself with leadership skills and also to gain a platform to demonstrate her acquired leadership skills in real life.

Zama wishes to win the title of Apprentesses leadership 2015, as this will open doors for her ‘I am a Future Leader’ Youth Development programme, gaining exposure and recognition to prospective funders for the objectives of the programme.

The DVTD congratulates Zama on her initiative and wishes her well with her future endeavours.