Vuyiswa Ncontsa is the Regional Director for Southern Africa at the African Venture Philanthropy Alliance (AVPA). Previously, she was the CEO at BRIDGE, an NPO that connects stakeholders and innovators in education. Vuyiswa has 20 years of experience in the developmental sector, gained from both the private and public sectors. She has spent a significant amount of time in private philanthropy, making grants to entities in a number of countries in Southern and East Africa. She has extensive experience in programme design, monitoring & evaluation and extensive stakeholder relations management.

Until recently, she was the Deputy Chairperson of the National Association of Social Change Entities in Education (NASCEE), South Africa. She sits on the boards of the Hotazel Manganese Mining Education Trust as well as the Celebrate Life Foundation (a nonprofit organisation that creates cancer awareness in the rural Eastern Cape).

She has a special interest in developing and nurturing Communities of Practice as well as enhancing Knowledge Management across the various SDGs in general and Education and Health in particular.