The Board of Directors
Org van der Wath
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
BA Languages (NWU), MBA (University of Stellenbosch), Nutrition Executive (Gain)
George (Org) is a South African entrepreneur and businessman. He started his career as a schoolteacher in 1992, but his entrepreneurial interests soon led him to the private and later also corporate sector.
After completing an MBA at the Stellenbosch Business School in 2016 and conducting a study researching the small farming industry in South Africa, he became intensely aware of the dangerous levels of stunting and critical shortcoming in the nutritional value of sponsored meals to the poor and underprivileged communities in South Africa.
In 2017 he bid a successful corporate career farewell and became involved full-time in developing nutritious meals and finding innovative and cost-effective ways to ensure deprived growing babies, infants and toddlers receive well-balanced ready-to-eat meals at creches and ECD's they attend.
Themba Mnguni
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
LLB, Advanced Company Law I and II certificates (Wits), Advanced Certificates in Labour Law and Competition Law (University of Pretoria), Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management (MANCOSA).
Themba is a driven top achiever with numerous law and business qualifications. As a law student, he has made the Dean’s Merit List at Wits University.
Themba has been admitted as an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa and has extensive experience in his field. He started climbing the corporate ladder as a Candidate Attorney in 2015, then moved up to Mpact Limited as a Group Legal Counsel and is currently serving as a Group Legal Services Specialist at Peermont Global.
The reason why he joined this dynamic team is because he believes that Inani Start Well Foundation is a solution to childhood stunting and, in this way, he can positively contribute to Africa.
Marlo Janse Van Rensburg
NON-EXECUTIVE CHAIR
BCom Law (NWU), BCom Honours (NWU), Financial Planning (Wits), MBA (University of Stellenbosch) Various post graduate qualifications
Marlo has extensive leadership experience starting at school and university level. He started his career at Liberty Life as a Broker Consultant, where he moved up to a Regional Manager in just a few years.
He is currently serving as a General Manager of Sustainability of Afrimat, a listed construction material company on the JSE. Previously Marlo held various MD and Directorship positions.
He has extensive knowledge and experience in his field, and he is passionate about making a difference.
The main reason for joining the Inani Start Well Foundation is to be a part of the solution against the childhood stunting rates in South Africa.
Dr Rethabile Melamu
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
PhD Chemical Engineering (University of Cape Town)
Dr Rethabile Melamu is a dynamic and self-motivated professional; she obtained her PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cape Town.
She is currently the General Manager for the Green Economy Unit at The Innovation Hub. Before that, she acted in the position of Chief Director: Sector and Industry Development in the Gauteng Department of Economic Development.
She has more than a decade’s experience in the green economy sector, spanning renewable energy and waste management sectors. She has experience in developing public sector strategies, and has led the revision of the Gauteng Energy and Green Economy strategies. She has vast research experience in the technology innovation field as it pertains to critical elements that contribute to success of emerging technologies in a developing country context including enterprise development of clean tech start-ups.
She has published and delivered reports and academic articles in her fields of expertise including for the OR Tambo Debate Series based on Chapter 5 of the South African National Development Plan.
She was a finalist in the caterory of Outstanding Woman of the Year in the Power and Water category at the 2017 premium African Utility Awards. In 2019, Dr Melamu was honoured by Mail & Guardian as one of the Women Changing South Africa in the Politics and Government category.
Dr Melamu sits on a number of Advisory Boards in the academia and enterprise developments sectors.
Will Coetsee
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
BSc Biodiversity and Ecology, MBA (cum laude) Social Entrepreneurship (University of Stellenbosch Business School)
Will Coetsee is a passionate entrepreneur focused on social entrepreneurship which combines ecology, indigenous culture and business principles to create products and services in developing countries.
Having graduated with a BSc degree in biodiversity and ecology in 2003, he started working for his family business, the Mogalakwena Group in rural Limpopo.
In 2010 he graduated with an MBA (cum laude) in social entrepreneurship from the University of Stellenbosch Business School. Since 2013, he has been Managing Director of Botanica Natural Products, which is a social enterprise that produces plant extracts, oils and powders for personal care applications and nutritional benefits.