WiPSA Steering Committee Members

Clara Kwizera

Steering Committee Chairperson

Clara is a Philanthropy Specialist at Nedbank Private Wealth who helps clients realize their giving aspirations. This is where her passion for helping people found an opportunity to be ignited. After an introduction to the NPW Philanthropy Department, Clara knew straight away that social development is where her heart lies. She believes that God has called her into this field to serve those who require assistance and to play a role in impacting our society.

Clara is a Certified Financial Planner and a member of the Financial Planning Institute of South Africa, holding a BCom in Economics and Management, BCom Honours in Financial Management, Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning Law and is currently completing her Masters in African Philanthropy. She has served on the boards of NPOs and hopes to one day establish an organisation that provides women and young people with tools to empower themselves through educational and financials skills development. She loves spending time at the ocean is an avid squash player.

Carolin Gomulia

Steering Committee Member

Carolin Gomulia is a seasoned strategist who has honed her skills in the government- and non-profit sectors. She launched the Workroom (www.theworkroom.biz ), a transformation and development agency, in 2018. She challenges conventional thinking and helps organisations to gain new insights and fresh perspectives. She has an in-depth understanding of resource mobilisation and fundraising. Her 15+ years of experience includes work with non-profits in South Africa, Namibia, Kenia, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Zambia, Iraq, Jordan, Nepal, Germany, the UK and the US.

Carolin, who speaks fluent English, German and Spanish, holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies, and a second one in Development Management. She has also completed a Certificate Course in Business Analysis. She is deeply committed and passionate about social justice and transformation. Carolin is a German national with organic family links to Indonesia and resides for the past 16 years in South Africa.

Moya Wolff

Steering Committee Member & Co-founder

With a varied teaching and business career in South Africa, Europe and Japan, Moya discovered her real passion in 2007, when she stumbled across the Social Sector. The realisation that her contribution at work could be so much more meaningful spurred her on to use her Business Development and training skills to assist non-profits to thrive. She co-founded Women in Philanthropy SA in 2010 with her colleage, Kate Clayton to broaden the sector’s reach and impact through collaboration and knowledge sharing of solution-oriented women. After graduating from Rhodes Business School with a certificate in Resource Mobilization in 2012, Moya became a professional fundraiser/marketer and has had the privilige of working with many organisations on their long-term financial sustainability to further their social impact – most notably: The Clothing Bank (renamed Taking Care of Business), Habitat for Humanity International, FutureMe (consulting role) and Ikamva Labantu Charitable Trust. Moya joined gold Youth Development Agency as Head of Organisational Sustainability and Communication in early 2023 to cocreate and drive the funding strategy for gold-youth’s audacious African scale vision.

Sinenhlanhla Nene

Steering Committee Member 

Sinenhlanhla Nene is an experienced social impact professional, who takes a great deal of pride in connecting people to opportunities that will enable them to uplift themselves and their communities. She holds a Master of Social Science degree in Industrial and Economic Sociology that she obtained from Rhodes University. Her passion for and exposure to the social impact and innovation space began at Reel Gardening in 2015, as a Projects Officer for, but not limited to their Securing Water for Food projects, founded by USAID, the Swedish Government, the Government of the Netherlands and the Department of Science and Technology South Africa. She then transitioned to the CSI Projects Development and Delivery Manager designation in 2018-2020, where she was responsible for the implementation of food security and nutrition education projects around South African schools and communities, through various CSI and retail partnerships.

She currently looks after the Mutual and Federal Community and Development Trusts, as well as the Financial Sector Code portfolio for Old Mutual Insure- under Responsible Business and Transformation. On behalf of the Mutual and Federal Trusts, she oversees various initiatives that support skills and social development, food security, climate change, small business support and disaster relief.

Catherine Du Plooy

Steering Committee Member

Catherine commenced working voluntarily in the NGO space while at high school with abandoned children at Abba house and Home of Hope. She worked on MSC cruise ships for 3 years in Marketing and Public Relations with people of all nationalities.

Catherine’s significant experience in the NPO sector, in marketing and fundraising, as part of an organisation or as a consultant, with over 25 different non-profit organisations (including Afrika Tikkun, St Joseph’s Care and Support Trust, Mamelani Projects). She was asked 4 years ago to join the BackaBuddy team as COO and Director, and has been instrumental in growing it from an organisation that generates R100 000 a month, to one that raises well over R5 million a month.

Catherine graduated from the University of Pretoria with a degree in communication and an honours in marketing management. Catherine recently attended a course at the Harvard Kennedy School on Leadership for systems change: Delivering social impact at scale.  She is a crowdfunding advocate with interests in social enterprise, management, strategy, business development and leadership.

Sarah Nielsen

Steering Committee Member

Sarah is a fundraising and philanthropy professional with over ten years in the social impact sector. Her career began during her graduate studies in fundraising management and international development, after which she led teams and fundraising efforts across Canada and Southern and Eastern Africa with youth development organizations.

Sarah is currently the Managing Director of Relativ Impact, where she leads efforts with their team and partners to support purpose-driven organizations across the world in achieving significant impact through strategic communications, impact measurement, and resource mobilization.

Her leadership extends to her role as Campaign Chair for a YMCA endowment fund in Canada, where she drives fundraising to support youth program offerings. Additionally, Sarah leads the Impact Measurement and Management Community of Practice for the Canada Forum for Impact Investment and Development (CAFIID).

With expertise spanning project development, impact measurement, team management, communications, and, fundraising, Sarah has built a solid foundation in developing and implementing resource mobilization strategies and initiatives. Sarah is committed to advancing innovative approaches to making the world better for people and the planet, and ensuring the sustainability of community-led philanthropic efforts. She is honoured to contribute to WiPSA’s mission as a steering committee member, where she continues to promote collaboration and learning within the philanthropy and social impact sectors.

Barbara Rita Sematimba

Chief Steward, CivSource South Africa
Steering Committee Member 

Barbara Rita Sematimba is a development practitioner with over 18 years of experience in the areas of Human rights and social justice within the South African context.

She has previously worked with ActionAid International, South African Clinical Research Association and Universal Health Development Fund.

Her experience includes women’s rights, equitable access to health, policy and impactful governance, food security and Youth inclusion. She has skills in administration, programs and grant management, partner engagements and managing country-wide networking platforms.

She is a strong advocate for both early childhood and a next-generation development of young people. She strongly believes in the empowerment and uplifting of relevant community-owned programs that work.

Barbara holds a Bachelors of Education from Makerere University and training in Public Administration and Public Health from Wits University Johannesburg. She holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Health and Public Management, and currently studying for a Master’s degree in Public Health in Johannesburg, South Africa.