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our people

Our campaigning organisation is run by our director and campaign leads, supported by a small support team, management committee (board), events and communications team, and interns and volunteers.

We are grateful to our 20 or so members, individuals who strongly support our work and whom we have invited to join our voluntary association. 

OUR TEAM

Support

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David Le Page

Co-founder & Director-Coordinator

  • David is the co-founder and director of Fossil Free South Africa, a leading campaign based in Cape Town advocating for fossil fuel divestment and sustainable reinvestment in South Africa.

    After an initial career as a copywriter and theatre critic, he became an environment and human rights journalist and campaigner working for the Mail & Guardian, Treatment Action Campaign and Southern African Faith Communities Environment Initiative.

    Under his leadership, Fossil Free South Africa has successfully pressured institutions like the University of Cape Town to divest from fossil fuels and continues to engage other universities and institutions to promote truly sustainable moves towards a thriving, inclusive and climate-resilient South Africa.

    Beyond fighting fossil fuels, he is obsessed with cultural and economic “fossils” – such the concepts of economic growth and austerity – that impoverish us more than they enrich us; and chases a new Parkrun PB whenever his three small boys permit.

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Tracy Caderberg

  • Tracy is an experienced financial manager and administrator who has dedicated her career since 1999 to serving the NGO/NPO community. Past experience includes Edu-Peg, Children’s Resource Centre, Abalimi Bezekhaya and Harvest of Hope. She has a passion for justice and helping people realise their worth, value and purpose.

    Outside of FFSA, Tracy has established a healing circle for women from all walks of life and regularly meets with the group to support them.

Finance & HR Manager

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Eugene Fisher

  • Eugene is a human rights activist with an extensive volunteering background, having worked with Harvest of Hope and the Children’s Resource Centre.

    He is a skilled administrator with multiple certifications from institutions like the University of California, Irvine. He is an avid supporter of buying and sourcing goods and food that are produced locally and ethically, an outdoor enthusiast, and someone who loves being a tourist in his hometown of Cape Town.

Administration & Operations Manager

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Emma Fookwe

Community & Operations Manager and Social media & Events manager

  • Emma, a Stellenbosch University graduate, is a trained social worker with further certifications in marketing, digital content, and copywriting from UCT and Red & Yellow School of Business.

    With a passion for human rights and intersectionality, she serves on our support team, assisting with internal team building, organisational development and general operations. In addition to this, she manages all our events planning, stewards our community and manages our social media platforms.

    Beyond working with Fossil Free SA, she volunteers her time with a NPO that aims at connecting and building communities between young women globally, enjoys spinning classes, and walks in nature with her dogs.

megan smeda

Part-time fundraising administrator

  • Megan started her journey as an intern in 2024 with FFSA. She is thrilled to contribute her skills and experience in administrative work and non-profit fundraising, as well as her growing passion for climate advocacy, to Fossil Free South Africa's mission driven work.

    Her journey with FFSA thus far has been filled with both personal and professional development, allowing her to grow into an informed, resourceful advocate. The best change has been how significantly her bookshelves have altered the more involved she becomes in the climate space.

mobilising universities &

finance advocacy

        Sam bovim         

Sustainable Investment Analyst

  • Sam studied a Bachelor of Business Science at UCT, in Economics and Law. He is passionate about just and equitable change and the power of the individual to drive this change. He will primarily be working on the Future We Want campaign, engaging with asset managers, pension fund consultants and university investment committees to encourage climate-friendly investment.

    Outside of work, he loves to run (trail and road), to sing, and play ultimate frisbee.

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Sandrine Mpazayabo

Campaign Coordinator & team lead

  • Sandrine is a climate justice advocate and impact-driven researcher with a background in migration, governance, and social equity. She has worked across legal, academic, and advocacy spaces, specialising in stakeholder engagement, project coordination, and high-level campaigning.

    Sandrine is currently one of our campaign coordinators, where she leads initiatives such as the "Mobilising universities for climate leadership" and "Financial advocacy" campaigns, engaging students, universities, and asset managers in climate-conscious investing.

    With a Master’s degree in Migration and Displacement Studies (with distinction) from the University of the Witwatersrand and an Honours in African Studies from the University of Cape Town, Sandrine brings an interdisciplinary lens to climate and social justice issues. She has held key roles at various legal and non-profit organisations, where she has led impactful projects in research, legal administration, and community engagement.


    Sandrine is also a Climate Reality Project Leadership Corps graduate and mentor and has published research on urban migration, governance, and African socio-political landscapes. Beyond her work, she is deeply passionate about gender and refugee advocacy, running, reading, and spending time in nature.

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stephanie cookson

Campaigner

  • Steph is Master’s student studying Climate Change and Sustainable Development, with an undergraduate in social science. Her research focuses on climate science communication and policy, and she has a passion for social impact, connecting the right people to the right information, and inspiring people to remake the world differently.

    Steph is one of our campaigners that works on our "Mobilising universities for climate leadership" and "Financial advocacy" campaigns. She is also a Climate Reality Project Leadership Corps graduate and mentor.

    After work, if she's not playing video games, you can find her behind her sewing machine with paleoarchaeology documentaries playing in the background.

fossil ad ban

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lazola kati

Campaign Coordinator & team lead

  • Lazola, a Rhodes University graduate, is a campaigns media and communications specialist. She has a background in social justice and public policy research, and is a dynamic activist and political and international relations practitioner.

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zandile bangani

Communications Officer

  • Zandile completed her Bachelor of Arts, Honours and Master of Arts at the University of the Western Cape, where she specialised in Linguistics, Language and Communication.

    She has experience in media research and freelance writing for the Media and Communications office at UWC. She also worked as an education journalist for New Frame, and a Media and Communications contract specialist for RISE Mzansi. She joins the team as Fossil Ad Ban’s communication officer, overseeing their social media, events and all communications.

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Noxolo Mfocwa

Advocacy Campaigner

  • Noxolo, a Rhodes University graduate, has a background in activism, storytelling advocacy, communications and campaign management. She has experience as a campaigns strategist and partnerships specialist.

communications

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Jo-anne smetherham

Media & Publications Manager and Climate Hope co-lead

  • Jo is an award-winning journalist and PR practitioner with 25 years’ experience and a passion for telling stories of those working to create a more humane and sustainable world. She is a Bachelor of Arts graduate from the University of Cape Town and a Journalism Honours graduate from Stellenbosch university.

    She divides her time as a communications strategist and writer for Seed Communications.

    For FFSA, she specialises in communications strategies and implementation across forums. She focuses on our external media relations and leads our communications team.

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zandile bangani

Fossil Ad Ban Communications Officer

  • Zandile also serves on our wider communications team to ensure that we have consistent messaging and align our communications strategies.

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Emma Fookwe

Community & Operations Manager and Social media & Events manager

  • Emma also serves on our Communications team in the role of social media manager and content creator across our various platforms, website manager and merchandise manufacturer.

Climate media lab

Ozayr patel

Part-time coordinator

  • Ozayr holds Honours and Master’s degrees in Journalism and Media Studies. He is a communications and media associate with experience as an editor and journalist, working across content creation, media strategy, editing and storytelling. In his spare time, Ozayr enjoys engaging in sport, whether it's watching or playing.

Dr enoch sithole

Mentor

READ THEIR DETAILED BIO HERE

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Jo-anne smetherham

Media & Publications Manager & Climate Hope co-lead

  • Jo is an award-winning journalist and PR practitioner with 25 years’ experience and a passion for telling stories of those working to create a more humane and sustainable world. She is a Bachelor of Arts graduate from the University of Cape Town and a Journalism Honours graduate from Stellenbosch university.

    She divides her time as a communications strategist and writer for Seed Communications.

    For FFSA, she specialises in communications strategies and implementation across forums. She focuses on our external media relations and leads our communications team.

Sheree bega       

Mentor

READ THEIR DETAILED BIO HERE

Marcia monyane 

Mentor

READ THEIR DETAILED BIO HERE

clean creatives south africa

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stephen horn

Volunteer

  • An award-winning producer and director, Stephen brought the Clean Creatives campaign to South Africa and is helping launch and lead Clean Creatives SA as a key programme of Fossil Free SA.

Climate hope

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Jo-anne smetherham

Media & Publications Manager and Climate Hope co-lead

  • Jo also co-leads our Climate Hope campaign, from research and copywriting/editing, to campaign-specific communications.

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Emma Fookwe

Community & Operations Manager and Social media & Events manager

  • Emma manages the social media-related content, communications and website pages for our Climate Hope campaign.

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stephanie cookson

Campaigner and Climate Hope co-lead

  • Steph conceptualised the Climate Hope campaign, which launched mid-2025. She is involved in the research, copywriting and editing, and assists with the campaign-related communications and social media.

MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

OUR BOARD

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nicola wills

Chair

Nicola is an energy economist doing her PhD at UCT. She volunteered for our ManCo in March 2024 and became our chair in June 2024.

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jigisha mandalia

Secretary

Jigisha supported our Fossil Free UCT campaign as a student activist in the Green Campus Initiative and now works for a renewable energy company.

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dean bhebhe

Member

Dean is a climate activist with Power Shift Africa and former consultant to our Fossil Ad Ban campaign, who joined our ManCo team in early 2024.

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mark new

Member

Professor Mark New is a climate scientist and former head of UCT’s African Climate and Development Initiative who volunteered for our ManCo in early 2024.

Saarah hendricks

Saarah holds a BA in Multimedia Production and an Honours degree in Media Theory and Practice from the University of Cape Town. Her academic research explored how fast-fashion brands navigate—and too often exploit—sustainability narratives through greenwashing tactics. Saarah joined the ManCo in December 2025.

Member

ashley reynolds

Member

Ashley utilises her specialisation in marketing and communications to advance impact, sustainability, and the Blue Economy. Her work spans climate finance, sustainable investment, governance, and policy, focusing on strategic communications and ecosystems building across Africa. Ashley joined the ManCo in December 2025.

Michael Marchant

Michael is the Head of Investigations Unit at Open Secrets, a non-profit based in Cape Town. There, he leads a team of investigators working to uncover the role of powerful private actors in corruption, economic crimes, and illicit financial flows. He joined the ManCo in November 2025

Member