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Challenging circumstances while he was growing up have instilled in Zanoxolo Futwa strong values and the necessary skills to navigate hardships in life. He credits his mother as his biggest motivator, who made him believe in the power of education to unlock opportunities and build a better life. His upbringing has influenced many of his choices in life and has guided him to where he is today.

Futwa grew up in Cala in the Eastern Cape. Since he was in Standard 8, he has had to work at small jobs in order to pay for his schooling and later his university education, up to his highest qualification   a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning.  

Natural entrepreneur
"As a child, I was always motivated by the desire to help others. This comes from growing up in a big family where we had to look out for each other and survive by sharing the little we had."

A natural entrepreneur, Futwa founded and managed two successful businesses that he ran for 10 years before selling them and joining local government administration. During this time, he also co-founded a trust to support rural schools through educational programmes and in-class libraries.

Passion for education
At present, he is head of administration at the South African Local Government Association (Salga) in the Free State. He has always been passionate about education and is looking forward to serve on the University of the Free State Council.

“I would like to contribute towards improving access to university education, especially for young people from challenged backgrounds. I also want to improve the quality of their learning environment by creating intellectually challenging spaces conducive to creating opportunities for knowledge development and an exchange of ideas.”

Futwa is married with two children.