Our pride at the launch of The Global Goals 2030: Africa Scholarship

Being named the exclusive project delivery partners for Africa for Global Goals 2030: Africa Scholarship, alongside the Umlambo Foundation, has allowed GIFS to expand the global reach of its financial services training brand. In turn, that allows us to bring meaningful change to the lives of so many more people in Africa and beyond. It’s an honour and a privilege that we hold close to our hearts.

23 May 2025 will go down as a monumental date on our calendar. It’s the day we wrapped up our Future of Education: A 5-Day Global Exchange where we brought together local and international delegates who deliberated over issues that are critical to enabling business. The day also marked the launch of the Global Goals 2030: Africa Scholarship. Planned in partnership with former Deputy President Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka’s Umlambo Foundation, the event in Johannesburg also included a thought leadership engagement on commercial partnerships that bring hope for inter-continental trade that was filmed by eMedia for television audiences.

GIFS’ CEO Dr Kershen Pillay and Dr Mlambo-Ngcuka were joined on the panel by Mr

David Schwartz, the CEO of the Financial International Business Association, as well as Dr J. Chris Ford, the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Florida Memorial University. They shared how international cooperation can lead to infinite possibilities for ordinary people.

Outworx CEO Mr Robin Hoekstra welcomed the high-profile attendees before the launch programme moved to the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Dr Mlambo-Ngcuka drew a warm round of applause from the audience when said it’s her honour to be the patron of the scholarship as it enables her foundation to fulfil its mandate of empowering people from disadvantaged communities through education. She spoke of how the way to uplift South Africa remains firmly within our grasp if we work together to ensure that our workforce is globally-competitive and enabled for the future.

B20 Sherpa Mr Cas Coovadia shared his message of support, highlighting that business is the catalyst for global change by enabling education empowerment. Mr Nelson Muffuh, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in South Africa, shared his pride at the opportunity to support the scholarship as a means to make education accessible to more people.

Among the highlights of the programme was the announcement of the companies that had met the application standard to be awarded the Global Goals 2030: Africa Scholarship.

Dr Bernard Jennings, the CEO of the Biscayne Gardens Chamber of Commerce in Florida in the US, presented Dr Pillay with an award in recognition of GIFS’ commitment as an advocate for strengthened trade relations between Africa and the US through the use of educational opportunities.

There was an extra special touch to the launch when GIFS’ 20^th anniversary was celebrated.