.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
Overview
The Absa Corporate Social Investment (CSI) Trust was established as a central component of the Absa Group’s landmark broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) transaction, which came into effect on 1 September 2023.
The trust’s mandate is to advance broad-based and sustainable economic empowerment for black South Africans, with a particular focus on young people. The mandate is delivered through investment in education, employability and entrepreneurship to support young people’s transition into income-earning opportunities and becoming economically active.
Please click here to read more
The trust’s recently revised ambition is to economically empower 185 000 young South Africans by 2030. This is to be achieved by addressing structural barriers to economic participation and creating clearer pathways from learning to earning.
The trust has achieved significant milestones since delivery started in 2024, including:
Flagship programmes
Feenix-to-Youth Employment Service
In partnership with the Feenix Trust, the Absa CSI Trust supports financially vulnerable graduates whose historical university debt prevents them from receiving their qualifications, accessing official transcripts or entering the labour market. By helping to settle verified historical debt at selected public universities, the programme removes a critical barrier to graduation and unlocks pathways to economic participation. This is strengthened through collaboration with Youth Employment Service (YES), which connects unemployed young South Africans to structured workplace experience, work-readiness support and professional exposure.
Absa Youth Entrepreneurship Fund
The Absa Youth Entrepreneurship Fund is a catalytic programme designed to help young South African entrepreneurs start, grow and scale businesses with the potential to create jobs. Delivered by the Tshiamo Foundation, the fund combines conditional grant funding with hands-on business development support, including mentorship, financial management guidance, market access and enterprise development pathways. The programme supports entrepreneurs at different stages of maturity – from ideation to start-up and early growth – to help them move from promising ideas to sustainable, market-ready businesses.
Allan Gray Makers
The Allan Gray Makers StartUp Academy provides structured incubation support for aspiring artisan entrepreneurs in technical and vocational trades. The programme equips emerging founders with entrepreneurial training, mentorship, business development support and access to networks that help them establish and grow resilient enterprises. By supporting technically skilled young people to turn their trade capabilities into viable businesses, the programme contributes to job creation, enterprise development and inclusive economic participation.
WeThinkCode_
Absa and WeThinkCode_ are creating an alternative pathway to economic participation by equipping unemployed and underserved young people with market-relevant digital and software development skills. Through a tuition-free, demand-led training model, the partnership connects talented young people, regardless of their educational background, to opportunities in the digital economy. By combining technical training, mentorship and workplace readiness support, the programme improves graduates’ prospects for meaningful employment and long-term career growth.
Gradesmatch
This leading career guidance platform provides comprehensive wrap-around support to university students through career planning, tutoring, personal and on-demand mentoring, and psycho-social support, including to connect students to institutional resources. This, in turn, supports a smoother transition from education to economic participation.
Green Outcomes Fund
Implemented by GreenCape, the Green Outcomes Fund (GOF) is South Africa’s first outcomes-based finance facility that stimulates investment in green small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) while rewarding verified job creation and retention. The programme supports businesses operating in sectors such as renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, water management and the circular economy, to help them access the capital needed to grow and create jobs.
Board of Trustees
Nonhlanhla Mjoli-Mncube
Absa CSI Trust Chair
Nonhlanhla joined the board as an independent non-executive director on 15 October 2020.
She is the Chairman of the Social, Sustainability and Ethics Committee (SSEC) and a member of the Directors’ Affairs Committee (DAC), and the Group Credit Risk Committee (GCRC).
She is the former economic advisor to the Presidency, former chairman of the National Urban Reconstruction and Housing Agency and former deputy chair of the Construction Industry Development Board.
Nonhlanhla serves on the board and audit committee of Zeder Investment Limited, is a non-executive director of Zeder Financial Services Limited, and has previously served on the boards of several other listed companies including Capitec Bank, WBHO Construction, Cadiz Financial Services, Tongaat Hulett and Pioneer Foods.
Godwin Khosa
Godwin Khosa is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Education Collaboration Trust (NECT), he was appointed in 2013. He was previously CEO and Programme Director respectively at JET Education Services. The early 2000s (2001-2003) saw Godwin honing his research skills as research manager of the Human Sciences Research Council. Prior to this, Godwin served as policy analyst and senior manager as the Centre for Education Policy Development (CEPD).
Godwin holds a PhD - Modelling Multiple Stakeholder Approach to Education Services Improvement: A Case Study of the National Education Collaboration Trust in South Africa (University of Sussex); Masters of Management, specialising in Public and Development Management (Wits); a post-graduate diploma in Public Policy and Administration (Wits); BA Honours in Geography (UNISA) and BA Education (UNIN).
Nozipho Tshabalala
Nozipho Tshabalala is a conversation strategist with experience in research, high-impact interventions and brand strategy. The experience she gained was through work in organisations in the public and private sectors such as the Deputy Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, the Executive Office of the Mayor of Washington, Umlambo Foundation and Tata Africa Foundation. She has led efforts of fundraising, stakeholder relations and oversight of programme developments.
She has received fellowships from the Young African Leadership Initiative, African Leadership Initiative (both 2016) and the International Women’s Forum (2023). Awarded 100 Most Influential Youth South African (2019), Most Influential Youth South African (2019), Authentic Leader Award, Young Leaders Connect (Programme of IFWSA)(2022) and Under 40 Leadership Award (2022).”
Deborah Mutemwa-Tumbo
Deborah Mutemwa-Tumbo is an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa with practice experience in organisations such as Webber Wentzel, Cliff Dekker Hofmeyer, Corruption Watch and the Constitutional Court of South Africa. She is currently a member of the Johannesburg Society of Advocates holding Chambers at the Maisels Group. Deborah serves as an independent non-executive director on various boards, including ABSA Home Loans (RF) Limited and NewGold (RF) Limited. She is the non-executive chairwoman of Tumbo Scott Incorporated, a company she co-founded in 2016, which has provided high quality legal services to hundreds of clients locally and internationally.
In June 2021, Deborah was featured in Forbes Africa’s top 30 under 30 list for entrepreneurship in the legal industry. She received recognition in 2019 from the international community as a nominee for the Mary Chirwa Award for Courageous Leadership and was honoured at the awards ceremony held at the Peace Palace in the Hague, Netherlands. In June 2019 she received a special recognition award from Gauteng Premier David Makhura for her work in justice and law at the third annual Gauteng City Region Premier’s Youth Excellence and Service awards. In 2018, she was recognised as one of the top 200 young South Africans by the Mail & Guardian in their 2018 issue of the M&G 200 Young South Africans.
CSI Trust Annual Reports
Absa CSI Trust Impact Report 2025: This report marks a significant milestone in the Absa CSI Trust’s journey. It captures the progress made during our first year of operation and the purpose that guides our future ambitions.
Please click here to read more