Talifhani Tshitwamulomoni
Former UNIVEN student, Mr Talifhani Tshitwamulomoni has been recently selected and included in the sustainability portfolio of Forbes Africa’s 30under30 list, making him the first person in the Vhembe District to be recognised by Forbes.
This means that Forbes magazine has acknowledged him as one of the leading top 30 under the age of 30 in Africa in terms of influence and contribution as a result of his work. This occurs at a time when the world is more concerned about the effects of climate change and the growing population, which raises worries about sustainable development.
Forbes magazine’s acknowledgment of Talifhani Tshitwamulomoni is a tremendous boost to his career and confirmation that he is Africa’s foremost sustainability expert. As Africa’s foremost authority on matters pertaining to the environment, social cohesion, and economic inclusion, he is now regarded as an authoritative voice.
Forbes has organised a global Under 30 Summit in Botswana from April 23 to April 26, 2023. All notable individuals under the age of 30 will convene at this summit in Botswana to celebrate their accomplishments and exchange perspectives on pressing issues. Talifhani will attend this event as one of South Africa’s representatives in order to receive his prize and meet with other outstanding achievers from throughout the world. He is expected to engage in advocacy and help with the development of sustainability initiatives in Africa.
Currently, he heads the Green Development Foundation, a sister organization of the Universal Greening Organisation. From the time he was a student to the present, his work has earned him global accolades from institutions such as the Saemaul Undong Academy in South Korea and most recently Forbes Magazine. The journal is the leading financial publication in the world, with an emphasis on various classifications of individuals. They provide annual lists of the world’s wealthiest, most influential, and other categories.
Born and nurtured in Vondo village under the Tshivhase dynasty. He went to Tshanowa Primary School in the same village, then to Luphai Secondary School, where he matriculated before enrolling as an Environmental Sciences undergraduate student at the University of Venda.
During his tenure as a student at UNIVEN, he founded the Universal Greening Organization (UGO) and oversaw a number of student movements. UGO is a student-led environmental organization whose purpose is to overcome the unemployment gap by empowering students through community participation and business-driven conferences. They have helped numerous communities with environmental education and awareness, clean-ups, and tree planting.
On behalf of staff and students, the University of Venda Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Dr Bernard Nthambeleni congratulated Mr Tshitwamulomoni who will be rubbing shoulders with other young think tankers in Botswana during the 2023 Forbes Under 30 Summit Africa. He said that this is a rare opportunity in one’s lifetime and “I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity for one of our very own Talifhani Tshitwamulomoni to be part of such a distinguished group of young individuals. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Tshitwamulomoni for his dedication and commitment. For UNIVEN is indeed a dream come true with its motto of creating future leaders”.
Issued by:
Department of Marketing, Branding and Communication
University of Venda
Tel: (015) 962 8525 / 8710
Date: 19 April 2023
