From KwaMashu to the international stage, Nomzamo Mbatha has built a career that extends far beyond entertainment. On 4 November, the actress and humanitarian will open the One Young World Summit 2026 in Cape Town, bringing four young South African women with her as she turns the spotlight towards the next generation of leaders.
For Mbatha, who founded the Nomzamo Lighthouse Foundation in 2015, the occasion brings her advocacy for youth empowerment into an international setting. As young leaders from across the world gather in Cape Town, her decision to bring young South Africans into the conversation speaks to the importance of creating opportunities for those whose potential deserves a wider platform.
Taking place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, One Young World will bring together emerging leaders from business, government and civil society to exchange ideas and explore solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. With more than 20,000 ambassadors across 196 countries, the organisation has established a global network for young people working to create change in their communities and beyond.
Mbatha’s involvement brings a distinctly South African perspective to this year’s gathering. Her journey from KwaZulu-Natal to international recognition has unfolded across entertainment and humanitarian work, but her commitment to creating opportunities for young people remains an important part of her public life.
Through the Nomzamo Lighthouse Foundation, she has worked to expand educational and economic opportunities for young South Africans, particularly those from marginalised communities. Its programmes focus on education, youth empowerment and food security, offering support through bursaries, mentorship, financial assistance and community initiatives. According to the foundation’s organisational profile, it has awarded 112 educational bursaries and worked across seven South African provinces.
The impact of this work can be seen in the journeys of young people who have used the opportunities available to them to pursue careers and build initiatives of their own.
Vumisipho Mondi, known for playing Phumla in e.tv’s House of Zwide, is one such example. With support from the foundation, she completed an Honours degree in Business Innovation before establishing Vumisipho Productions. Alongside her work as an actress and entrepreneur, she is involved in skills-sharing initiatives aimed at creating opportunities for unemployed young people, bringing together her interests in storytelling, business and community development.
Another beneficiary, Dikogro (DK) Mathabatha, completed a triple-major Bachelor of Commerce degree at the University of the Witwatersrand. Recognised as one of the GradStar Top 500 Young Professionals, he is building a career in corporate affairs at AB InBev Greater Africa. His achievements reflect the role that educational support can play in helping young people move towards professional opportunities.
Beyond university and the workplace, the foundation’s wider commitment to developing young leaders also draws attention to initiatives taking place within local communities. In Cape Town, the Pathfinders Girls programme, founded by Charlene Windvogel, supports girls facing challenging circumstances through tutoring, mentorship, educational camps and leadership development.
Its senior youth leaders, matric learners Kayla Van Vuren, Codie Johnson and Zeenith Arendse, are already making a difference in the lives of younger girls while managing their own academic commitments. Kayla has earned five academic certificates and placed second among the matric learners at her school. Codie has received four certificates and ranks among her school’s top ten learners, while Zeenith helps younger children improve their reading skills through the programme’s Reading Room.
Their involvement illustrates how leadership can begin long before young women enter university or establish professional careers. Through mentorship, academic commitment and community participation, they are helping other girls recognise what is possible for themselves.
This emphasis on creating opportunities for young women is particularly relevant as Cape Town prepares to welcome delegates from around the world. The One Young World Summit offers emerging leaders the chance to engage with international peers, learn from established figures and build relationships that can support their work long after the event has ended.
For South African delegates, hosting the summit at home also creates an opportunity to share experiences shaped by local realities, while gaining insight into how young people elsewhere are approaching challenges in their own communities. It is an exchange that places South African talent within a wider conversation about the future of leadership.
Mbatha’s decision to bring four young women to the summit gives that opportunity a more personal dimension. Her own career has taken her well beyond the community where she grew up, and she is now using her platform to help others access spaces that might otherwise remain out of reach. The significance lies not simply in their presence at an international gathering, but in the possibilities that exposure, mentorship and new connections can create.
As the One Young World Summit opens on 4 November, Mbatha will be welcoming a global community to South Africa while bringing the ambitions of young South African women into the room. It is an extension of the work she has pursued through her foundation, with education and opportunity at its centre.
Her story began in KwaMashu, but the next chapter is also about the young women who are building their own paths. By bringing them onto a global stage, Mbatha is helping ensure that their voices and ambitions have the opportunity to be heard.
