Dr. Mamphela Ramphele is a South African politician, anti-apartheid activist, medical doctor, and businesswoman. She is a leading voice on issues of social justice, economic development, and gender equality. She is a powerful advocate for the poor and marginalized and a tireless champion of change. She is an inspiration to people all over the world who are working to build a better future. Ramphele is a recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Order of Mapungubwe, the highest civilian award in South Africa. She is a member of the Club of Rome and the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Africa. She is also a trustee of the Nelson Mandela Foundation.
Mamphela Ramphele studied medicine at the University of Natal, where she was active in the Black Consciousness Movement. After graduating, she worked as a doctor in Soweto, where she witnessed the brutality of apartheid firsthand. In 1976, Ramphele was forced into exile after the Soweto uprising. She lived in the United Kingdom and the United States, where she continued her activism and worked as a researcher. In 1984, she returned to South Africa after the lifting of the ban on the ANC.
Ramphele served as the executive director of the Institute for Democratic Alternatives in South Africa (IDASA) from 1987 to 1991. In 1991, she was appointed as one of the deputy vice-chancellors of the University of Cape Town. She became the vice-chancellor in 1996, becoming the first black woman to hold such a position at a South African university. In 2000, Ramphele was appointed as one of the four managing directors of the World Bank. She was the first South African to hold this position. She served at the World Bank until 2004. After leaving the World Bank, Ramphele founded the Abantu Batho Trust, a social enterprise that works to improve the lives of poor South Africans. She also co-founded the ReimagineSA movement, which is working to build a more just and equitable South Africa.
Ramphele is a recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Order of Mapungubwe, the highest civilian award in South Africa. She is a member of the Club of Rome and the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Africa. She is also a trustee of the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Ramphele is a leading voice on issues of social justice, economic development, and gender equality. She is a powerful advocate for the poor and marginalized, and she is a tireless champion of change.