
Unathi Twala is the Founder and Chief Editorial Director of Ntinga Africa Media Pty (Ltd), a media company focusing on rural development communication, and strategic brand placement for African development. The company is founded on the objectives of ‘Agenda 2063’ and the ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs), with the vision to empower (with information and opportunities) that will propel the African youth to build the future that they envision. Unathi holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in International Relations and Media Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand. The 29-year-old is passionate about communicating to the African youth in a language that they understand, and awakening the continent to progressive policies and opportunities. Growing up in rural Transkei in the Eastern Cape, Unathi always dreamed of making an impactful contribution in the print and broadcast media fraternity in tandem with encouraging rural development. Little did she know that her dreams would morph into a contribution to several leading South African publications, as well as the role of editing two youth publications including Campus Times, under the Mail & Guardian. By consistently striving for an inclusive Pan-African agenda, Unathi became one of South Africa’s first online reporters that worked as a journalist and social media strategist for Channel O (including Channel O Africa) and Vuzu. She later worked as a media liaison for the University of Johannesburg, and recently took an entrepreneurial leap by establishing Ntinga Africa Media Pty (Ltd). In essence, Unathi aims to use business in redefining how communication is produced and consumed in the creation of an African future. At the ASRI Future Leaders Program, Unathi hopes to increase her knowledge on policy formulation as well as gain an insight into the execution thereof whilst forging long-lasting relationships with the fellows.