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Unstoppable Begins Here: The Start of a 13-Year Journey

A Pathway of Growth, Purpose, and Lifelong Potential Begins at Roedean

 

Transitioning from Nursery School into Grade 0 is a significant and exciting milestone for both children and parents. It marks the beginning of formal schooling, where curiosity is shaped into learning, independence begins to grow, and confidence starts to take root. At Roedean School (SA), this transition is understood as the foundation of a much bigger journey, one that is intentionally designed to span 13 years of growth, discovery, and preparation for a life of significance.

At Roedean, Grade 0 is not simply the start of school. It is the beginning of a continuous, carefully guided journey where each stage builds on the next, forming young girls into confident, capable, and compassionate individuals. From Grade 0 through to Matric, learners are supported in an environment that prioritises academic excellence, emotional wellbeing, personal development, and a strong sense of identity and purpose. This is where the journey begins, and where it is designed to culminate in young women who are ready to make meaningful contributions to the world.

 

A Gentle Beginning to a Lifelong Journey

Unstoppable Begins Here. From the earliest years, learners are encouraged to explore, question, and express themselves in a safe and nurturing environment. Living a Life of Significance is not just a phrase, but a lived experience in every classroom, every interaction, and every opportunity provided.

A typical day in Grade 0 at Roedean reflects balance, structure, and joyful discovery. Mornings begin with warm welcomes and circle time, where children develop language, social skills, and confidence in expressing themselves. Academic learning is introduced through play-based and experiential methods that build early literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking. Creative expression forms a vital part of the day, with art, music, and imaginative play encouraging curiosity and confidence. Physical development is supported through movement, outdoor play, and structured activities that build coordination and teamwork. Throughout the day, emotional wellbeing is carefully supported, ensuring that each child feels secure, valued, and understood in a calm and caring environment.

 

Held with Care, Guided with Intention

Beyond Grade 0, the journey expands into a rich ecosystem of academic, sporting, and cultural excellence. Learners are exposed to a broad curriculum that challenges and inspires, while sport builds resilience, discipline, and teamwork. Cultural opportunities in music, drama, and the arts allow for expression, creativity, and confidence to flourish. Importantly, emotional wellbeing remains central throughout, with strong pastoral care systems ensuring that every learner is supported through each stage of development.

The Roedean journey is designed with intention. It is a continuous 13-year experience where each phase prepares learners for the next, creating a seamless progression from early childhood to young adulthood. Families are not simply choosing a school for Grade 0; they are entering a long-term partnership committed to shaping identity, purpose, and potential.

 

Where Her Future Takes Shape

There is a natural sense of anticipation in this transition. The journey begins here, and it is designed to be truly transformative. Imagine her potential. Then multiply it. At Roedean School, that potential is not only imagined but intentionally nurtured, supported, and realised over time.

This is not just the start of school. It is the beginning of a life shaped with purpose, confidence, and possibility.

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Sarah Calburn

Sarah Calburn (Roedean 1981) is an award-winning architect and founder of her Johannesburg-based architectural practice, established in 1996 following the completion of a Master’s degree in Architecture by Research at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. She graduated with distinction in Architecture from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1987 and has worked extensively both locally and internationally.

Sarah’s architectural philosophy is rooted in the dynamic relationship between landscape and architecture, history and future, and the interplay between built form and environment. She credits the buildings and grounds of Roedean with shaping her early awareness of the emotional and spatial power of architecture.

She designed the Fred & Renee England Centre for Maths Excellence at Roedean, thoughtfully integrating a contemporary structure within the historic Sir Herbert Baker buildings that form the original school Houses. Her connection to the school spans generations, with both her mother and daughter having attended Roedean, giving her a deep understanding of the school’s architectural and spatial heritage.

Her practice has extensive experience across residential, performance, retail, educational, and gallery spaces, and has received widespread recognition for its innovative and contextually responsive work. While serving on the committee of the Gauteng Institute for Architecture, Sarah was also Programme Director of South Africa’s first Architectural Biennale, Architecture ZA 2010.

Alongside her professional practice, Sarah has taught design at several universities, and her work and writing have been published in numerous local and international books, newspapers, magazines, and journals. Her work has featured in prominent international publications including 100 Women Architects (Pratt Institute, 2023), Raising the Roof: 50 Women Architects Who Broke Through the Glass Ceiling (Prestel, 2021), Johannesburg in Transition (Chipkin, 2009), Landscape 1000x, and the Phaidon Atlas of World Architecture (Phaidon, 2019).

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Tota Tsotsotso

Tota Tsotsotso is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lattice Capital, a Johannesburg-based investment management and advisory firm. He brings over two decades of experience across alternative asset management, hedge funds, private equity, and corporate finance advisory.

A Roedean parent, Tota serves as Chair of the Investment Subcommittee of the Roedean Trust, where he oversees the stewardship of the school’s endowment and the strategic allocation of bursary funding. His work supports the long-term sustainability of the school while helping to expand access to a Roedean education for deserving young women.

Tota holds a Bachelor of Business Science with Honours from the University of Cape Town and serves on the boards of several South African and UK-based companies across the financial services sector and related industries.

He is deeply committed to the belief that access to an exceptional education is one of the most meaningful investments a society can make. Through his involvement at Roedean, he is passionate about ensuring that the school continues to equip young women with the confidence, capability, and values needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.

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Nicky Fitzgerald

Ms. Nicky Fitzgerald is the co-founder and former CEO of Angama, a Kenya-based safari lodge company. Since opening her first hotel in 1982, she has conceptualised, developed, operated, and marketed more than 60 hospitality properties across Africa and India, including safari lodges, camps, restaurants, and hotels.

With over four decades of leadership experience, Nicky brings extensive expertise in operations, marketing, team development, and community engagement, particularly within remote rural environments. She has trained more than 4,500 staff members and is deeply passionate about building values-driven organisations rooted in people, purpose, and long-term sustainability.

An Old Roedeanian herself, Nicky shares a longstanding connection with the school. Both of her daughters attended Roedean, and her granddaughter recently began her journey at St Margaret’s.

Following her retirement as CEO in 2024, Nicky continues to serve as a non-executive director of Angama and as an advisor to the company’s CEO.

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Floella Lekhoane

After matriculating, Floella Lekhoane joined a learnership programme at Hollard Insurance through the Roedean Academy. This opportunity provided her with a strong foundation in the insurance industry, with a focus on customer service and administration.

Over the past seven years, she has grown within Hollard Insurance, gaining experience across a range of operational and client-facing roles. While working full-time, she completed a BCom Law degree through Boston City Campus, balancing her studies over three years.

To further enhance her expertise, Floella has completed short-term insurance courses and plans to pursue further studies in Risk Management and Governance next year.

“Through the Academy’s support and guidance, I developed a strong sense of purpose, discipline, and motivation to achieve my goals.”

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Nabintu Birindwa

Nabintu Birindwa completed her BCom Accounting degree at the University of Johannesburg and is currently working as a Junior Financial Analyst at Integram. Her role focuses on researching and analysing JSE-listed companies, with a particular emphasis on ESG and sustainability.

“The Academy opened my mind to new possibilities, encouraging me to dream bigger.”

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Butshi Kibambe

After matriculating, Butshi Kibambe pursued Biotechnology at the University of Johannesburg. This year, she completed her internship at a postharvest and agro-processing research centre, where she now contributes to microbial research essential for product safety and innovation. She also supports postgraduate students with their experimental laboratory projects.

Her experience has broadened her perspective on career possibilities, and she hopes to continue working in this field, which she finds both fascinating and rewarding.

“The Academy taught me resilience and the importance of leadership. It helped me develop strong people skills and the confidence to take initiative—qualities that continue to shape my professional journey.”

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Caslida Paine

Caslida Paine earned a Bachelor of Education from North-West University, where she ranked in the top 15% of her class and was invited to join the Golden Key International Honour Society. During her studies, she completed a full-time teaching internship at St Mary’s Waverley.

She further expanded her expertise in ICT in Primary School Education through the University of London while teaching full-time at St Cyprian’s School and Brescia House School. She also earned certifications including Certified Scratch Programmer and Microsoft Certified Educator.

Caslida is currently based in Thailand, working as a Coding and Robotics Specialist for ICT teachers at the Singapore International School of Bangkok campuses. She also serves as an Educational Consultant, collaborating with EdTech companies to design and implement coding and robotics curricula. She is the founder of InnovateEd with Miss Paine, a digital education hub supporting educators and learners.

“The Academy gave me access to better resources. It was at Roedean where I first used a computer and discovered my passion for digital literacy. It improved my academic performance and opened doors to university and opportunities such as the Realema bursary, which supported me throughout my studies.”

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Kelebogile Mokoto

Kelebogile Mokoto completed a National Diploma in Human Resource Management at Gauteng City College. She joined Clinix Health in 2022 as an HR Intern and was promoted to HR Administrator in March 2024. She plans to enrol for a Bachelor of Technology degree at UNISA next year.

“The Academy helped me improve my social and communication skills. As an introvert, I was encouraged to collaborate with others to achieve shared goals, both in the classroom and through camp activities.”

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Diane Arase

Diane Arase holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the University of the Witwatersrand and currently serves as a Group Enterprise Account Manager at Cloudplexo.

Her entrepreneurial spirit is evident in her ventures. She founded SeeFinds-Africa, a platform curating unique African travel experiences, and recently launched DianeIAM.co, a purpose-driven platform offering research-backed tools for success, leadership, and personal growth.

Diane is also a prominent global voice, frequently invited as a keynote speaker at international forums where she shares insights on leadership, innovation, and the future of business. Her journey exemplifies resilience, passion, and the power of redefining what is possible.

“The Roedean Academy shaped the foundation that made everything else possible. It gave me the mindset, discipline, and values to navigate every season of my journey- from intern to executive, from student to entrepreneur, and from learning to leading.”

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Claudia Bickford-Smith

Claudia began her career as a teacher and has extensive Board and Director-level experience in education: international qualification and assessment development, and school operational management, working with Headteachers and their leadership teams, Ministries of Education, Regulators, and Awarding Bodies. Over the past 30 years, Claudia has led large-scale international curriculum and assessment innovations and teacher professional development programmes, impacting schools worldwide.

In her current role Claudia works with schools on sustainable growth strategies and innovative pedagogies. She serves as Chair of the Board of Governors and Nominated Proprietor for two UK independent schools and Oxford’s oldest 6 th form college and is responsible for financial sustainability, regulatory and financial compliance.

With degrees from the University of Cape Town, the University of Cambridge, and UCL’s Institute of Education, Claudia’s thought leadership in education is widely recognized. She is also 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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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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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 Nkwe

Gontse Nkwe is a proud Old Roedeanian, a Roedean mother, and a member of the SAORA Committee. She holds a BSc in Property Studies and brings experience from corporate real estate, retail development, and lease negotiation.

Her work today sits at the intersection of education, personal development, and integrative thinking. She is particularly interested in how individuals and communities navigate change with clarity and agency, and how insight, awareness, and embodied understanding support meaningful and sustainable transformation.

Gontse is a writer and long-form thinker whose work explores the relationship between mind, body, and consciousness, with an emphasis on lived experience, integration, and practical application.

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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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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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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.