Alumni Apply
Applications are now open! Read more

The Scholarship
The Scholars

Esethu Cenga

South Africa & University of Cape Town, 2017

Esethu Cenga is a care-free, multifaceted individual who is fascinated with maximizing her human agency to the fullest and living life authentically. She is originally from the Eastern Cape where she grew up and later moved to Cape Town in 2013 to study at the University of Cape Town. Here, Esethu was part of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation and was continuously curious about value creation and creative problem solving, particularly given the many socioeconomic problems South Africa, and Africa at large are faced with. Through her studies in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (PPE) and Development Economics, Esethu began to gain a holistic understanding of the many problems Africa is facing in the context of globalization. Since completing her university studies, Esethu has been driven to create a meaningful impact through a start-up she co-founded alongside Tshepo Bhengu and Lonwabo Mgoduso in 2017 called Rewoven.

Rewoven is an innovation project that is in commercial pilot phase that seeks to divert textile waste and extend the lifecycle of those garments by facilitating reuse and recycling of those fibers. Rewoven’s big hairy audacious goal is to locally recycle and manufacture 100% recycled fabrics from textile waste Esethu is also the co-founder of Future of Fashion, a two-day fashion indaba taking place in November annually. The aim of the indaba is to provide a platform for all key stakeholders in the clothing industry to collaboratively learn and share solutions that can contribute to the development of a thriving, ethical and future-fit African fashion industry. The indaba does this through a variety of mediums including exhibitions and films, masterclasses, keynote addresses and peer-to-peer discussions; and a marketplace aimed to support local fashion businesses, particularly those who put sustainability front of mind. To

DecorationEsethu Cenga

Could you be a Mandela Rhodes Scholar?

See if you qualify

© Mandela Rhodes Foundation ·  Privacy policy  ·  Contact
Website by Entle