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Roedean students reflect on more than a century of tradition

Looking back to inform the future

“No era exists in isolation. The past directly influences the present. Traditions help me gain a better understanding of the world I live in and help me form an identity.” – Neo Leseilane, Roedean Class of 2024

As Roedean School (SA) celebrated a remarkable 122 years of history on its Foundation Day, 28 February, past and present pupils looked back with fondness on some long-standing traditions – such as the bell ringing 22 times before and after school every day to commemorate the first intake of students at the school back in 1903.
Roedean’s current head student, Ita Collins, says the traditions at this beautiful old school, with its Herbert Baker-designed heritage buildings, hold a special meaning for her as they connect her to her sister who attended the school 14 years ago. “I’ve always been close to her, but there is something special in knowing she wore the same blazer as me and sang the same songs,” says Ita.

“My favourite tradition is singing the school songs, not only because it gives me an insight into Roedean when it was founded but also because the whole school sings together with such enthusiasm and joy, it’s hard not to have a great time.

“The traditions make life at Roedean more fun and interesting because I’m not just going about my normal school day; I’m going about a school day at Roedean where the walls whisper the lives of all of those who came before me.”

Deputy Head Student Isabella Quaker speaks during Roedean’s Foundation Day service.

Stories of mischief and mayhem

Neo Leseilane, the school’s Class of 2024 Dux student who is studying Computational and Applied Mathematics at Wits University, says her favourite Roedean tradition is Foundation Day, honouring the school’s founding in 1903.

“I loved hearing stories of mischief and mayhem from old Roedeanians. The school’s birthday was always a day of celebration and a reminder of the history that we as Roedeanians have the privilege of being a part of.”

Fellow Class of 2024 Matric alumnus Zhuoyi Wu, who is studying BCom Accounting at the University of Pretoria, says Foundation Day is a chance to reaffirm the school’s values – values that are timeless in a fast-changing world.

“Sitting in Founders’ Hall, walking across Bears Lawn [a privilege extended to matrics only] and speaking with Old Roedean girls filled me with an immense sense of pride and joy,” she reflects.

“In these moments, I feel the invisible thread connecting generations of students – all bound by the same spirit. Roedean’s traditions are not static relics of the past; they evolve with every new generation, enriched by fresh energy and enthusiasm.”

Father Kabelo Motlhakane and Executive Director Mrs Lindi Dlamini attend the Foundation Day service.

A sense of unity and belonging

Romy Day, who matriculated in 2024 and is studying towards a BSc in Physiotherapy at Wits, also loved running across Bears Lawn “as it gave us a sense of unity as we neared the end of our school years”.

The school’s traditions, she says, “are meaningful because they mean I’m part of a legacy of empowered women who have lived lives of significance. It’s so easy to be swept up in personal ambition, but Roedean’s values of truth, honour, freedom and honesty will be my guiding light for years to come.”

Nicola Burger, from Roedean’s Class of 1994, agrees that the school’s values form a constant thread throughout its history. “One of the things the founders left when they retired was a guideline on how Roedean should operate, including being sustainable in the decades to come – and 122 years later, the school is still flourishing. They identified that change would be inevitable but said what must not change are the values that Roedean stands for, which I believe the school still holds dear today.”

Zhuoyi says the school’s customs gave her a sense of belonging. “As someone who was born in South Africa, raised in China and returned to South Africa for high school, these traditions became an anchor for me. By embracing Roedean’s heritage, I have also embraced my identity, finding strength in both my cultural roots and the deep pride of being a Roedeanian.”

As a scholarship student who initially feared she would not fit in at Roedean, Neo felt reassured by the school’s long-held traditions. “They showed that, despite our different backgrounds, the Roedean students of the past, present and future are all connected, and all share the identity of being a Roedeanian. This formation of a strong cultural identity aids in a sense of belonging at Roedean.”

Junior School Head Mrs Keshma Patel cuts the Foundation Day cake with Roedean’s youngest Grade 0 student, as per the school’s longstanding tradition.

Fascinating traditions at Roedean:

  • Pupils must always curtsey when receiving an award
  • The youngest pupil in the school cuts the cake on Foundation Day
  • The head girl opens the dance floor at the matric dance with a waltz
  • It’s good luck to touch the copper frogs on the bell when passing the Sumner Arts Block
Senior School students celebrate Roedean’s rich history on Foundation Day.

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Thabiso Madiba

Thabiso Madiba qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2006 after completing his articles at Ernst & Young in the Mining and Manufacturing division. In 2007, he spent three months on secondment at Ernst & Young LLP in New York, where he focused primarily on auditing hedge funds.

In April 2008, he joined the University of Johannesburg as a lecturer, teaching the Finance 3 module to undergraduate students in the Chartered Accounting stream. During this time, he also supervised Master’s students in Taxation. He went on to complete his M.Com in International and South African Taxation at North-West University in 2010.

In addition to his academic and professional work, Thabiso provides financial and tax consulting services to small and medium enterprises. He also serves in various board and committee roles, including:

  • Sasol Khanyisa – Chairman
  • UJ Provident Fund – Chairman
  • Trevor Noah Foundation – Board Member
  • Peermont Global East Free State – Board Member
  • King Edward VII School Governing Body – Deputy Chairman and Chair of the Finance Committee
  • Old Edwardian Society – Executive Committee Treasurer
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Gontse Zuma

Gontse Zuma is a very proud old Roedeanian, a Roedean mother and a member of the SAORA Committee. Gontse holds a BSc in Property Studies and has a corporate background in retail developments leasing, corporate real estate, and lease agreement negotiation. Her background also includes experience in social media content curation marketing and brand communication.

Currently, Gontse freelances to various global organisations that deliver online education at scale, in the areas of transformational education and property development and investment.

Gontse is an avid writer and scholar on the topic of the mind, body and spirit as it relates to energy, nature, life and transformation.

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Monde Nkosi

Monde is an Investment Director of Value Capital Partners (VCP). He is also an experienced director who has served on the boards of five public companies listed on the JSE and Nasdaq in sectors including financial services, education, staffing, hospitality, and quick-service restaurants. Prior to joining VCP in 2017, Monde was a Senior Associate on the investment team of FFL Partners, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, and a management consultant at Bain & Company, where he focused on financial services and telecommunications clients across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Monde serves on the advisory board of the Centre for Development and Enterprise and is an Archbishop Tutu Leadership Associate. He holds a Bachelor of Business Science with Honours in Finance from the University of Cape Town, a Master of Arts in Education from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education, and an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, where he was an Arjay Miller Scholar.

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Yusuf Noorbhai

Yusuf Noorbhai is a Senior Executive at Standard Bank, heading up the Corporate Finance Division. He also serves on the Executive Committee for Investment Banking.

He has over 18 years of global corporate experience, with a strong track record in building businesses, managing teams, client relationships, and operating effectively at a senior stakeholder level across a variety of cultures and markets throughout the world.

He has represented Standard Bank in various capacities, and has served on external boards of companies and investment funds in which the bank has strategic shareholdings. He has been integral to the development and execution of the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for Standard Bank, which has afforded him insight and knowledge into the subject matter, coupled with an important appreciation for the challenges faced by any institution in navigating this complex yet crucial initiative.

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Sipho Maseko

Sipho Nkosinathi Maseko is Group Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director at Telkom SA and Principal at Kleoss Capital. He also serves on the boards of Afrox Healthcare, the Centre for Development and Enterprise, and the Gyro Group.

Previously, he held the positions of Chairman of Shell and BP South African Petroleum Refineries; Chief Executive Officer of BP Southern Africa; Chairman of the Business Connexion Group; Managing Director and Group Chief Operating Officer of Vodacom SA; Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of the Vodacom Group; and Managing Director of Vodacom (Pty) Ltd.

He holds a graduate degree from the University of KwaZulu Natal and an undergraduate degree from the University of the Witwatersrand

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Dominique Laroque

Dominique Laroque is a third generation Roedeanian. She matriculated with distinction and was awarded the prestigious white honours blazer for colours across four sport disciplines. In tertiary she graduated at the top of her class with a BSc QS and a BCom (Law).

Dominique enjoyed a very successful career path in construction and mining before moving into investment banking. As an analyst at JP Morgan she achieved ratings in various sectors locally and abroad and gained extensive corporate finance experience as a member of JP Morgan’s global aerospace advisory team. She then spent years in research management at Credit Suisse and Nedbank before starting her own stockbroking company in 2017 as an empowerment initiative.

It has been an upward trajectory for Dominique and her team who have developed a mathematical model which evaluates an organisation’s ability to generate long-term value for investors. They are currently ranked no. 3 in South Africa in this field.

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Thembi Mbengashe-Mazibuko

Thembi Mbengashe-Mazibuko serves as the Chief People Officer at Pick n Pay, where she leads the overall People function across PnP retail stores, serving a workforce of over 33,000 employees. A career spanning close to two decades in the retail and communication sectors, Thembi possesses qualifications in finance and information systems.

Throughout her career, Thembi has held various leadership positions, at PnP, Unilever and Woolworths. She has held diverse roles across Marketing, Strategy, Commercial/Buying, ESG, and currently, People/HR. In her current role, she assumes responsibility for directing the strategy and implementation of the complete employee value proposition, which spans recruitment, training, reward, change management, and industrial relations. Thembi’s commitment lies in cultivating a customer-focused, values-led, diverse, and inclusive team within the organisation.

Beyond her professional pursuits, Thembi finds great fulfilment in her role as a family-oriented individual. She has two young children, who attend Roedean and St Johns College. Furthermore, she embodies optimism regarding the future of her country and wholeheartedly believes in actively engaging as a social citizen.

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Dale Quaker

Dale Quaker is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Cupric Africa, a private equity owned mining company which through its Botswana sister company Khoemacau Copper recently completed the building of its copper silver project.

He was previously the CFO of the Khoemacau Group leading the finance function as the Group transitioned from an exploration company, through the fundraising of a $650m debt, streaming and equity funding package through to completion of construction..

Prior to joining Cupric, he was an independent consultant to the mining and construction industries. In his last corporate role, he headed up the marketing and logistics function for Xstrata Coal South Africa, after having fulfilled a senior finance role in the company previously..

Dale held roles at BHPBillition subsidiary, Samancor Chrome, both at the operations and corporate office in Johannesburg. Dale is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Chartered Management Accountant.

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Claudia Bickford-Smith

Claudia Bickford-Smith is an old Roedeanian who began her career as a teacher in South Africa. She has extensive P&L and Board-level experience in education: learning design, edtech, qualification and assessment development and school management, working with senior executives, Heads of schools and their leadership teams, investors, Ministries of Education, Regulators and Awarding Bodies. Over the last 15 years Claudia has worked as a Global Director for both Cambridge University Press & Assessment, and Oxford University Press (OUP), based in the UK.

As CEO of Aldates Global Education, headquartered in Oxford, UK, Claudia is leading on the diversification of Aldates Global Education’s portfolio, focusing on global expansion of best educational practices, while developing a sustainable growth strategy for schools, working with partners to deliver this: technology platforms, school operational services, research partners and sales and distribution.

Claudia holds a degree in History from the University of Cape Town, a Master of Arts from the University of Cambridge, as well as Master’s Modules in Education & Technology from University College London’s Institute of Education. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (F.R.S.A.), and a member of the Harvard Graduate School of Education Professional Community.

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Lindi Dlamini

Mrs. Lindi Dlamini has been at the helm of Roedean as Executive Director of Roedean since January 2023 and is the first black woman to be in this role in the 120 years history of Roedean. She has a wealth of leadership experience with 20 years executive leadership experience. She serves as an Independent Non-Executive for a bank and wealth management firm.

Prior to her tenure at Roedean School (SA), Lindi was the CEO of the President’s GBVF Response Fund1 which was set up in 2020 to resource the fight against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide as part of South Africa’s commitment to SDG5 (Gender Equality) and the country’s National Strategic Plan (NSP) on GBVF. She was previously a CEO of Safrican Insurance Company, Group Executive of PPS Human Capital, MD of Alexander Forbes Retail and Group Executive for Emerging Consumer Markets and Retail Operations in South Africa at Liberty Holdings. She has over twenty-five years of financial services experience. She is a fellow of the sixth class of the Africa Leadership Initiative (ALISA) and the Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN).

She holds BA (LAW); LLB and LLM degrees.