by Nduvho Ramulongo
After spending my university years leading literacy projects and a peer mentoring programme, as soon as I submitted my Master’s dissertation, I walked into my first real job interview at the Zenex Foundation.
I left that interview convinced I had cost myself the opportunity after admitting that I aspired to become a researcher and simply needed temporary work while waiting for my masters results. The regret email that followed didn’t surprise me. What did surprise me was the offer attached: Zenex was willing to consider me for a different role -Intern, Project Assistant: Research & Information. I accepted immediately.
Despite my previous work experience, nothing truly prepared me for my internship at Zenex. I quickly realised that even with a Master’s degree, years of student jobs, and volunteer work in education development, academic achievement alone was not enough. Without access to the sector and to the people who shape it, the transition from potential to opportunity remained fragile.
The internship changed that. I learned the language and logic of the sector: systems change, how to move from academic writing to using academic texts to develop other knowledge products like thought leadership pieces, and how small community projects connect to large-scale, evidence-based interventions.
At the 30th anniversary celebration, I met two young people with similar stories. One had joined Zenex’s sector-wide Education Research and Evaluation Legacy Project, which she said was helping her plan and navigate how to pivot in the sector. Another shared how Zenex, instead of rejecting his M&E bid, paired him with an experienced researcher, who has become not only a partner but a valuable mentor. He gained the same exposure and access that had shaped my early career.
Over time, I understood the thinking behind this approach. Decades of programme work and evaluation showed Zenex that the slow pace of transformation in education leadership is deeply connected to weaknesses across the skills and organisational development pipeline. Without clear pathways in the sector, new entrants struggle to enter and often leave due to poor mentoring, weak succession planning, and leadership attrition. I believe that Zenex’s decision to address this, beyond its core work in foundational learning, speaks to its agility and strategic insight.
What inspires me most is how the Foundation continually learns from itself. After several years of running the internship programme, Zenex paused, analysed the first three cohorts, identified the gaps, and redesigned the model. This reflects a view of skills development not as a technical task but as a systemic one that includes testing, refining, and persisting even when the work is challenging.
As South Africa confronts persistent and systemic youth unemployment, sectors must shift from compliance-driven youth initiatives and create meaningful pathways into their industries. This requires investing in young people and in the leadership and institutional strength needed to support them. The Zenex Foundation is an example of what is possible with insight, agility, and a long-term commitment to transformation aimed as strengthening the individual and the eco-system.
