Leading pro bono lawyer Ayanda Khumalo bolsters Kagiso Trust board

Throughout her career, Webber Wentzel partner Ayanda Khumalo has shown clear commitment to working with disadvantaged people, and her broad experience in fighting for human rights and social justice makes her a valuable addition to the Kagiso Trust board of trustees, says board chairperson Mankone Ntsaba.

Established in 1985, Kagiso Trust is one of South Africa’s leading development agencies. For forty years, it has been dedicated to creating a brighter future for the most vulnerable communities by promoting equity and socio-economic inclusion.

Ayanda, Head of Webber Wentzel’s pro bono and public interest practice, says the work of the Kagiso Trust has been an inspiration to everyone in the nonprofit sector.

“The Trust’s emphasis on igniting human capacity strongly aligns with my approach to transforming society for the benefit of all South Africans. I’m looking forward to finding ways to make a positive impact on the Trust’s work and governance.”

As Ayanda recently discussed with Africa Legal, before studying law, she considered training to be a doctor or psychologist, as she always wanted a career that helped people. She began her legal career at Webber Wentzel because the leading African law firm had a “very strong pro bono department” that does “groundbreaking work that has real impact”. Khumalo rose to partner during her first stint at Webber Wentzel, before serving as a legal counsel at the South African National AIDS Council, then leading the Director-General’s Office at the Department of Health during the height of COVID. Three years ago, she returned to Webber Wentzel, and recently she became Head of their industry-leading pro bono practice.

A graduate of Wits University, Ayanda also serves as a trustee of the Alliance for Rural Democracy, which seeks to protect land rights in the former Bantustans, and is a former board member of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee, and the current Chair of Boxing South Africa.

“In all her roles, Ayanda has worked at the intersection of civil society, government and the law,” says Ntsaba, welcoming Ayanda to the Kagiso Trust board. “Her achievements include drafting the human rights goal in the National Strategic Plan on HIV/AIDS, securing approval for the use of new TB and cancer drugs, and representing clients who had faced discrimination based on their HIV or TB status.”

“Ayanda was also instrumental in establishing an advice line through Legal Aid SA for individuals discriminated against based on their HIV and TB status, and she has represented clients from various African countries seeking refugee status.”

Ayanda’s legal expereince also covers corporate governance for nonprofit organisations, and she has helped several communities to reclaim their land, going on to support them in setting up sustainable communal property associations.

Through its innovative, bottom-up approach, the Kagiso Trust has implemented scalable and sustainable development programmes across education, institutional capacity building, and socio-economic development. 

In 2025, the Trust proudly celebrates its 40th anniversary, marking a legacy of impactful interventions and a commitment to igniting human capacity to solve critical challenges faced by the country. With over R2 billion invested in development and more than 1,800 programmes implemented, the Trust continues to drive meaningful socio-economic transformation from the bottom up.