Mnothowandile Cele
Mnothowandile Cele holds a number of academic certificates which BTech Project and Risk Management 2015 (UJ), a B in Criminal Justice 2020, BA in Law and Political Science 2022 (NMU), Certificate in Justice 2022 (Harvard) and BA Hons Political Science 2023 (NMU)
A 2x gender-based violence survivor, she is an aspiring advocate who currently studies at Nelson Mandela University. In 2015 she became a regional semi-finalist for the Miss Earth South Africa pageant and in 2016 was in the top 16 of the Miss South Africa pageant. In 2017, she won a mayoral recognition award for her work with the Gauteng MEC of Safety and Security in her efforts of highlighting the gender-based issues affecting women and children in the country and in the same year, became a recipient of the Strong Woman of the South award. In 2018 she was voted as the Warrior Princess of the Eastern Cape for the Miss Eagle South Africa pageant. In 2019, she was nominated for the Forbes 30 under 30 list for her work in community development especially among women and children on a national scale.
She was the former Vice President of the International Law Students Association, a former Goodwill Ambassador for Yokhuselo Haven, a former radio presenter at MadibazRadio, a former blogger for the international female movement Future Females, and the former Youth Desk Chairperson of Humewood SAPS, which she assisted in establishing in 2020.
She is currently a member of the Young International Arbitration Group under the London Court of International Arbitration, the Eastern Cape Provincial Deputy Chairperson of the Youth Crime Prevention Board, a qualified first responder for trauma victims at higher institutions, a facilitator and coordinator at Nelson Mandela University, an ambassador for the She Leads Africa organization, founder and CEO of her own non-profit called Clipped Wings Foundation, a recipient of the 2021 Mail and Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans under the Civil Society category, 2021 Top 100 Most Influential Young South Africans nominee, 2021 Standard Bank Top Women in Leadership finalist under the Young Achievers category, the 2021 finalist for the Africa Youth Awards under the Leader of the Year category, a 2022 McKinsey Forward Africa graduate, the 2022 South African delegate for UNESCO’s Girl Move Academy, under SDG 16 for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, the 2022 and 2023 World Bank Youth Summit South African delegate, the 2023 South African delegate for the Global Youth Giving Circle under the African Youth Philanthropy Network, a 2023 Business Advisory Board Member for Enactus South Africa at Nelson Mandela University, the 2023 Nelson Mandela University delegate for the Africa Energy Forum and Youth Energy Summit, the 2023 South Africa delegate for the United People Global Sustainability Leadership Programme with the Hurricane Island Centre for Science and Leadership, under SDG 16 for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and a newly certified Justice Scholar at Harvard University in the USA.