About - iZinga Assist

About iZinga Assist

Quick background

iZinga Assist was established as a UK-registered charity to help the international Donor community identify and support impactful Non-Profit Organisations in sub-Saharan Africa. Through the iZinga Assist platform, Donors can explore independently reviewed and rated NPOs, and support those they trust, while NPOs receive assistance to maximise their impact. By bridging the gap between NPOs and Donors we bring a new level of transparency and confidence to charitable giving.

With a deep understanding of the trust and transparency challenges that prevent donations from reaching African NPOs, iZinga Assist is uniquely positioned to bridge this gap. We know that Donors require and deserve the assurance that their contributions are going to credible, well-governed organisations, that make a real impact. Our platform addresses these concerns by verifying NPOs, promoting accountability, and providing clear feedback on the impact of Donor support. In doing so, we reduce Donor uncertainty, unlock funding, and maximise the positive impact of NPOs on African communities.

Our Focus

iZinga Assist is committed to empowering Non-Profit Organisations and inspiring Donors. By focusing on the following key areas, iZinga Assist is working to create a more impactful and sustainable non-profit sector.

Bridging the Gap:

Innovatively connecting passionate Donors with impactful NPOs to create meaningful collaborations and address emerging challenges.

Fostering Trust:

Building trust and transparency within the non-profit sector by providing reliable information and verification.

Empowering NPOs:

Equipping NPOs with the tools, resources, and knowledge they need to succeed and achieve their missions.

Amplifying Impact:

Sharing the inspiring stories of NPOs and highlighting their positive contributions to society.

Derek Lubner

Chairman

Derek has experience in a wide variety of start-ups in the technology, product marketing and social entrepreneurialism sectors. He has experience working in the USA, the UK, and South Africa. He has been a board member of Mothers2Mothers since its founding 20 years ago. M2M employs over 1500 HIV positive women as mentor mothers, who help to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child. Based in Cape Town, M2M operates in 10 African countries.

Henk Swanepoel

CEO

Henk is a highly regarded business leader recognised for his exceptional impact on marketing, media, and event management. As Chief Marketing Officer at Digitata Insights Limited, he promoted a groundbreaking gamification platform and implemented cutting-edge strategies that expanded the company globally. Moreover, as Founder and CEO of Swank Marketing Projects, he directed a collection of award-winning events and campaigns. Prior to co-founding iZinga Assist, Henk devoted his expertise to the South African Chamber of Commerce UK as a volunteer executive, where his dedication to advancing social good earned him broad acclaim.

Ricardo Wyngaard

Chief Legal Officer

Vladimir Nikolic

CTO

Vladimir Nikolić is the Chief Technology Officer at iZinga Assist, where he leads the technical vision and execution of the iZinga Assist platform. With deep experience as a hands-on software engineer, founder of Coding Wisely, and organiser within the developer community, Vladimir brings a strong focus on scalable architecture, clean code, and excellent user experience to every project. He champions robust technology design, efficient development workflows, and cross-team collaboration to deliver impactful, reliable solutions that support both internal users and community partners.

Clara Kwizera

Country Manager – South Africa

Jill Ritchie

Head of Partnerships

Rachel Sikwane

Director

Rachel is a lawyer with over 15 years of experience in commercial and intellectual property (IP) law, and the founder and director of RNMS Incorporated. Recognised as a leader in her field, she provides strategic legal advice on cross-border IP transactions, licensing agreements, and IP strategies to local and international and multi-national clients across South Africa, Africa, and around the world.

Gerhard Visagie

Chief Financial Officer

Gerhard is a Chartered Accountant of England and South Africa and a Prince II Practitioner. Big Four trained, he has over 30 years of experience in senior finance and leadership roles, including Finance Director of Business Connexion (UK) and Director of Exceed Accountants Limited.
He brings extensive expertise in financial governance, business turnaround, and strategic growth across international markets. As CFO, Gerhard ensures sound financial stewardship, transparency, and sustainability to maximise the charity’s impact in sub-Saharan Africa.

Janet Lubner

Trustee

Janet studied urban and regional planning at the University of Cape Town and then worked for a number of NPOs in South Africa in the late 1980s. After marrying Derek and taking off time to raise their children Rafael and Julia, she began volunteering and participated in a programme that assisted children to learn to read. She was also involved with M2M from its early years as well as the Shine Centre, both based in Cape Town.

Marlene Woest

Financial Manager

Clico Kingsbury

Trustee

Adél Burger

Head of Administration

Dragana Trivanović

Technical Project Manager

Max Roux

Social Media Manager

Conrad von Moltke

Founders Associate

Conrad is a multi-national graduate of Political Science from McGill University with project management experiences in public relations, the American non-profit sector and Americorps, where he led teams across disaster relief, environmental protection and community development. Driven to create social change, Conrad joins iZinga Assist with expertise in nonprofit assessment from his time at CAF.

Empowering Non-Profits and ensuring impactful donations through trust & transparency.

For more questions view the FAQ section here