Ms Gail Campbell is Chief Executive Officer of the Zenex Foundation, a non-profit, independent donor organisation that supports mathematics and language education. She has been involved in developmental grant making for over 15 years with a particular emphasis on school education.

Ms Campbell has a Social Science background and practiced as a Social Worker working primarily with women and youth. She also lectured in the field of Social Work at the University of Natal for five years before joining ABSA as General Manager of Corporate Social Investment where she was responsible for the ABSA Foundation, pioneering the Employee Involvement Programme.

Gail currently serves on the boards of a number of non-profit organisations including the National Research Foundation, Sci-Bono Discovery Centre, the Gauteng Education Development Trust and the KwaZulu-Natal Education Development Trust. She also serves on the recently formed, National Education Council which is part of the National Education Collaboration Trust.

Dr Fatima Adam joined the Zenex Foundation in 2012 after serving as programme director for Open Society Africa and in enrolment planning at the University of Johannesburg.

Fatima provides specialist input into all programme/project evaluations commissioned by the Zenex Foundation, develops the organisation’s research strategy and agenda, and manages its research grants. She also has responsibility for the Foundation’s communication strategy and positioning the organisation as a thought leader.

The holder of a PhD in Higher Education Transformation, Fatima’s academic qualifications include a B.Sc. (Chemistry) and a Master’s degree in Critical Thinking. The prospect of developing solutions to education challenges through the application of systematic project design and rigorous research design principles and practices, is one of the big motivators for Fatima to be part of the Zenex Foundation team.

Thami Kubheka joined the Zenex Foundation in September 2023 as Manager: Corporate Services and Finance. A Professional Accountant with over 20 years’ experience across the public and private sectors, he has served as CFO in various organisations including Brand South Africa and the National Arts Council. He has also held executive roles in consulting, engineering, and technology firms. Thami holds a National Diploma in Accounting, an Intermediate Diploma in Advanced Accounting (University of Natal), and a Certificate in Financial Management (UJ), and completed his articles with KPMG.

Thabisile Zuma is a Programme Manager at the Zenex Foundation, where she co-designs and manages education projects to reduce learning backlogs and improve curriculum coverage in South African schools. With over a decade of experience across the public and private sectors, she has led large research and evaluation projects, built organisational capacity, and advanced knowledge management.

She joined Zenex in 2018 as Knowledge Manager, driving research and evidence-sharing initiatives before stepping into her current role. Her earlier career included roles at the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation and Genesis Analytics.

Thabisile holds a BA in Political Science, an Honours in Politics, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management (Monitoring and Evaluation), and a Master of Public and Development Management. She is passionate about making knowledge accessible and strengthening the education system to improve lives in South Africa.

Emisang Machedi is a Programme Manager at the Zenex Foundation with over a decade of experience in programme management, data analysis, and process improvement in the education NGO sector.

He previously served as Chief Programme Manager at Numeric, co-founded Thought School, and contributed as a Teach SA Ambassador.

Emisang also worked as a Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg. He holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry and Physics from North West University and is committed to advancing education in South Africa.

Lauren Tracey-Temba is a Programme Manager at the Zenex Foundation, bringing over a decade of experience in education programme management, research, and policy development. She holds a Master of Arts in Sociology, a Postgraduate Diploma and Honours Degree in International Relations, and a Bachelor of Arts, all from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Before joining Zenex, Lauren served as the Senior Project Management Consultant at the Department of Basic Education, where she led the national Curriculum Strengthening Initiative across academic, vocational, and occupational streams. Her work focused on improving early-grade literacy, mathematics, and language curricula, while coordinating complex, multi-stakeholder programmes and funding streams. She has also held a Project Manager role at JET Education Services, where she managed the Teacher Internship Collaboration South Africa (TICZA) and built strong partnerships across government, higher education, and the broader education sector.
Lauren combines strong technical project leadership with a deep commitment to education reform and youth empowerment. An accomplished researcher, she has published on youth democratic participation and contributed to high-level dialogues with the African Union. Her work is driven by a passion for strengthening education systems and creating meaningful, lasting impact for young people in South Africa.

Ruth Rakosa is the Communications Manager at the Zenex Foundation, where she oversees internal and external communications encompassing content development, digital platforms, events, branding, and copy editing.

She has over 15 years’ experience in the education sector spanning grant management, information and knowledge management, and communications, following earlier roles in the financial services sector.

Ruth holds a Master’s in Development Planning from the University of the Witwatersrand and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management in the field of Philanthropy and Resource Mobilisation from Wits Business School.

Nompumelelo Nkabinde is a Grants and Information Specialist at the Zenex Foundation, responsible for managing and maintaining project information on the Grant Management System.

She brings 10 years of experience in information management, having served as a Grant Administrator at the Foundation for Human Rights and as a specialist librarian at the University of Johannesburg. Nompumelelo holds an Honours Degree in Information Science from UNISA.

Lerato Khoza joined the Zenex Foundation in June 2024 as Senior Bookkeeper and Office Manager, supporting the Finance Manager.

She brings nine years of bookkeeping experience from the private sector, where she held roles including Junior Accountant, Office Administrator, Financial Administrator, and Bookkeeper.

Lerato holds a National Diploma in Internal Auditing, a National Higher Certificate in Accountancy, and is currently pursuing a Degree in Accounting Science with UNISA.

Karabo Sithole joined the Zenex Foundation in May 2025 as a Project and Administration Intern, supporting the project team with report uploads and administrative tasks.

She holds a National Higher Certificate in Accountancy and a National Diploma in Internal Auditing from Tshwane University of Technology.

Karabo previously interned at Penreach, where she contributed to Early Childhood Development initiatives. She also took part in the dlab programme and gained hands-on experience as an Administration Intern at Child Welfare SA White River.

She brings her growing experience and passion for education to her role at Zenex.