Dr. Maximilian Matschke is an experienced strategy consultant. He is the founder and Managing Partners of Anura Partners, a Swiss-South African boutique consulting firm specialising in mining, logistics, manufacturing, automotive, and service industries. Over the last two decades, he served clients across the Americas, Europe, and Africa on strategy, sales, growth & localisation, organisation, and cost projects.

Max worked at McKinsey & Company’s Munich office, serving clients in the US, UK, and Europe. Before joining McKinsey, he ran his own small consulting firm during his studies.

Max attained a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Technology and Management from the Technical University in Munich. He subsequently completed an Honours degree in Technology Management, spending a term abroad at Columbia Business School in New York, while conducting internships in Germany, Singapore, China, and Spain.

He subsequently took a sabbatical to pursue a doctorate on youth employment in South Africa with the Universities of Witwatersrand, Cape Town and Mainz on youth unemployment in South Africa and built scenarios for 2040, which was published as a book; Youth Unemployment Scenarios: South Africa in 2040.

Max started three social ventures in South Africa, all addressing the issue of youth employment. The first of these, founded in 2011, was a student-run consulting firm in Johannesburg, The Consulting Academy Johannesburg, which later expanded to Cape Town, Nairobi, and Guadalajara. The second was an entrepreneurship boot camp for unemployed youth, which was successfully piloted and used as a base for a train-the-trainer approach. The third, uNowanga, is an upskilling initiative done in collaboration with the international charity, St John South Africa. It is a programme to send unemployed youth from South Africa to Germany to train as nurses.

Marlynie Moodley is a seasoned communications, brand, and reputation risk management professional with over two decades of experience working with local and multinational companies at the intersection of business, government, NGOs, and academia.​ She is an accomplished communications strategist, CEO advisor, and spokesperson with a proven track record in driving business growth, knowledge development, strategic communications, reputation risk advisory, brand building, public speaking, and team development. ​

Marlynie's career spans several high-profile roles, including as Director of External Relations, McKinsey & Company, Senior Vice President, Africa Finance Corporation, and Global Head of Communications, CrossBoundary Group, to name a few. ​ Her key accomplishments include positioning organisations as leaders in their respective fields, leading major rebranding projects, advising leaders on their external positioning, and driving significant media engagement.

An entrepreneur at heart, Marlynie is passionate about ethical leadership, good governance, business, and politics.​ She is a master storyteller with a deep sense of purpose and intrinsic motivation, known for her high level of professionalism, integrity, and determination to make a high impact in all her endeavours. ​

Marlynie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications and Industrial Psychology from the University of South Africa (UNISA) and completed various leadership and management programmes during the course of her professional career. She is a member of the African Leadership Network and has served on various advisory boards and panels.

In addition to her professional achievements, Marlynie has mentored communications professionals and young leaders, demonstrating her commitment to fostering the next generation of talent. Her extensive network across the public and private sectors, combined with her deep awareness of diversity and inclusion, enables her to build authentic, trust-based relationships that drive meaningful impact and change. ​

Thapelo has 25 years of experience in doing business in Africa. He founded Shumba Energy, a mining and energy business in Botswana that is now listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange.

He started his career in the finance department of Impala Platinum and went on to found various mining-related ventures.

He serves as an advisor and non-executive director on other mining ventures and has experience in fundraising and building businesses in Africa, particularly Botswana.