Our Team

The leaders and partners building hope from the ocean

Meet the people behind iThemba: the co-op leaders, dedicated fishermen, and partners who ensure that every squid caught contributes to a better future.
iThemba is driven by courageous co-op leaders and dedicated fishers who turn every catch into dignity and opportunity for their communities.

Atlantis Foods brings structure as an investor, offering trusted expertise from years in the global seafood industry to guide and support the co-ops in managing this venture.
Visit the Atlantis Foods website.

courageous co-op leaders

Ayanda Yekani, Hamburg

Chairperson, Siyaphambili Co-op

Ayanda Yekani is a director, shore skipper, activist, and a boxer. “In the ring, no one is coming to help you. You have to stand up for yourself,” he says. It’s a lesson he’s carried into his work with the Siyaphambili Co-operative, where he serves as chairperson.

Formed in 2005, the co-op began as a small group struggling to survive. Ayanda helped mobilise local fishers to fight for permits and recognition. “Before, we were just fishing to eat. Now, we’re building a business – together.”

Ayanda is passionate about inclusion. Women in the co-op harvest periwinkle, youth are being trained to carry the work forward, and all members receive a monthly payment. “This is our legacy. I show them the road – they must follow.”

He believes Africans are generous by nature and that shared work leads to a better life for all. But the ocean must be respected. “We can’t overfish; we’re doing this for the next generation.”
Today, he continues to speak out against offshore oil and gas projects that threaten their future. “We deserve a seat at the table.”

Otto Nozewu

Chairperson, Kiwane Co-operative

Otto Nozewu leads the Kiwane Co-operative in Phozi, Eastern Cape. Before they formed their co-op in 2018, many small-scale fishers were exploited by commercial operations. That changed when they partnered with Blue Wave Atlantis in 2024. “They didn’t just teach us how to fish,” Otto says. “They showed us how to run a business – from the ocean to the market.”

Now, members are earning an income, investing in their futures, and gaining pride in their work. Some are using their earnings to build homes, something that once felt out of reach. “Betterment is coming our way,” Otto says.

He’s passionate about growing skills in the community. Members receive training in sea safety, fishing, office work, and marketing. With support, they hope to buy their own vessel and expand into new areas. Otto believes the government could help create additional co-ops – ones that don’t compete but support one another.
For him, sustainability is key. “We only take the right-sized fish. The ocean must be protected.”

“The co-op has changed my life. That is hope. That is what iThemba means.”

Lungsile James Tsume

Chairperson, Umlibo Co-operative

Born on a farm and raised in Wesley, James Tsume’s early years were spent fishing for leisure, with no clear purpose. That changed when he met a man who employed him to catch prawns, giving him his first rod. It sparked a journey that led to the founding of Umlibo Co-operative, named for a pumpkin seed that germinates, branches out, and bears fruit.

James helped establish Umlibo to give direction and dignity to local youth and to create sustainable employment through legal fishing. “We were struggling here in Wesley before the co-op,” he says. “Now, we can build small brick homes instead of shacks.”

He dreams of a co-op that lasts generations, providing not just fishing jobs but roles in administration and marketing. “We must reinvest and educate ourselves to grow,” he says. With proper permits and training, they’re fishing responsibly and legally, far from the days of uncertainty and arrest.

“Our people now have dignity and a duty to support the community with opportunity.”

Xolisile Ntantiso
Member
Umlibo Co-operative

Born in 1962, Xolisile Ntantiso says his life improved significantly after joining the Umlibo Co-op. “My situation became better because of the co-operative,” she says. With the income he earns, he can now feed his children and pay their school fees.

Fishing remains a challenge – long walks to the ocean don’t always guarantee a catch, but the co-op has brought stability and hope. “Sometimes we return with nothing, but at least now we have something to work toward.”

Mthethisi Gxaweni
Member
Umlibo Co-operative

For Mthethisi Gxaweni, life has taken a turn for the better since joining the co-op. “It changed in a great way, a beautiful way,” he says with a smile.

He remembers the early days of fishing, when their gear was poor and their lines often broke. Today, things are different. The co-op has given him stability and purpose.

“I love the ocean so much,” he says. “It feeds us, it keeps us going.”

Most of all, he says, “I am grateful.”

Sindiswa Mtendeli
Member
Umlibo Co-operative

Sindiswa Mtendeli knows what it means to survive with nothing. Orphaned as a child, she raised her own children through deep hardship. “My kids went to school with no food in their stomachs and no uniform,” she recalls. Out of necessity, she picked up a fishing rod and went to the ocean, catching what she could to feed her family. “No oil needed to cook the fish,” she says, “just water and a pot.”

One day, she gathered abalone like she had seen others do. She was arrested and spent a night in jail. “I didn’t know I was breaking the law. We were just hungry.”

Things changed when she joined the co-op. Now she can put food on the table, buy building materials, and put a roof over her children’s heads. “I’m very grateful. This is the legacy I’m leaving for my grandkids.”

She believes in lifting others too: “If they work, they can eat.” She wants the next generation to follow the legal path, to see the co-op as a stepping stone to a better life. “Phambili – we go forward, we prosper.”

Nomutile  Vinus  Zamisa
Member
Umlibo Co-operative

At 63, Nomutile carries a deep connection to the sea. “Everything I know, I learned from my grandmother,” she says. “When there was nothing at home, we went to the ocean. The ocean would feed us.”

She remembers the hardship – walking long distances to school without shoes, her stomach aching from hunger. Abalone, once a regular part of their meals, is now off limits. “These days, we get arrested for what we used to eat to survive.”

Fishing has brought new dignity and stability. As a member of the Kiwane Co-op, Nomutile earns enough to cover her grandchildren’s school fees. More than that, she can now bypass the long clinic queues and go straight to the hospital when she needs care. “It helps me stay healthy and live longer,” she says.

Her pride in the co-op is strong. “Now we are happy, the future looks bright. I am grateful.”

And she believes in the ripple effect of shared success: “When we prosper, everyone around us prospers – we all prosper.”

Nelson Nkosini Menzeleleni
Kiwane Co-operative

Nelson Nkosini Menzeleleni fishes for octopus – not just to earn a living, but because he enjoys eating it too. “There are two kinds,” he explains, “one red and the other almost black.” Catching them takes skill. You need to know their habits and what bait to use. It’s not easy, especially for someone older like Nelson. “The ocean is far,” he says. They live inland, and the walk makes him tired.

Still, the co-op has brought a positive shift in his life. With the income he earns, he can now provide for his wife and children. “Since I joined the co-op, I have fewer problems,” he says. “ I have hope for the future if we keep going.”

He’s proud to be part of something that works – not just for him, but for the wider community. “Other villages can see that this co-op is a good idea,” Nelson says. “I’m grateful for the opportunity. It’s made a real difference in my life.”

Nongathini Maxhego
Kiwane Co-operative

Nongathini  has been part of the seaweed harvesting team in Phozi since 1958. As the supervisor, she holds a big responsibility – making sure every bale of seaweed is perfectly cleaned and ready for sale. “There’s little room for error,” she explains, “because the quality we deliver reflects on the entire co-op.”

Her role goes beyond supervision. She is also deeply committed to protecting the ocean’s ecosystem. “When we see little fish while harvesting seaweed, we carefully throw them back into the water so they can grow bigger,” she says. This respect for the sea is essential to sustaining their livelihood.

For Nongathini, this work is more than just a job, it’s a way to care for her community and the environment. Through the co-op, she helps ensure that both the ocean and the people depending on it can thrive for years to come.

Mfanele Condwale
Member
Kiwane Co-operative

Mfanele Condwale has lived in Phozi for so long that she remembers when the village huts still had grass roofs. It was her late son who first introduced her to the co-op, a turning point in her life. Today, she earns R1500 a month through the co-op, and while it’s modest, she sees it as a crucial step toward a better life.

“The co-op has lifted our community out of poverty and misery,” she says. “It is the epicentre of prosperity for us.”

She dreams of her grandchild joining one day, continuing the legacy and helping to build something lasting. But despite the progress, she’s honest about the daily struggles they still face—there are no proper toilets, just dangerous long-drops with broken seats, and the roads are in terrible condition.

“There’s still a lot to be done,” she says. But with iThemba—meaning hope—on their side, she believes that change will continue to come.

Ndileka Kenene
Member
Kiwane Co-operative

Ndileka Kenene is one of the women keeping a long-held tradition alive in Phozi along the Eastern Cape coast. As a member of the Kiwane Co-operative, she harvests seaweed by hand, often at low tide and in all weather, travelling to places like Port Alfred, PE and East London to collect it.

It’s back-breaking work. “Sometimes I think I’ll get a backache from picking so much,” she says with a laugh. The seaweed is dried, baled, and sold – sometimes for as little as R30 a bale, despite the size and effort. “It’s hard work for little money, but it’s what we know.”

Ndileka learned from her grandmother, who picked seaweed before her. Now she’s passing that knowledge along while raising four children of her own. She sees opportunity ahead, especially with growing international interest in seaweed from countries like Spain.

Beyond income, the seaweed is used locally to make soaps, sweets and traditional medicine. For Ndileka, being part of the co-op is not just about survival, it’s about honouring the past and holding onto hope.

Ntombekaya Nongce
Member
Siyaphambili Co-operative

For Ntombekaya, Siyaphambili isn’t just a name, it’s a way of life. “Siyaphambili means moving forward,” she says. “And if anything needs doing, us women get it done.”

Through her work with the co-op, Ntombekaya has been able to buy bricks to start building her home and put food on the table – mostly potatoes and water, as meat is a luxury. She looks after five children, including two of her late brother’s young ones. Her first-born recently passed away.

Despite the hardship, Ntombekaya finds strength in her community and pride in what Siyaphambili has achieved. “The co-op helps a lot of people here in Hamburg,” she says. “It makes me happy that my situation is a lot better.”

They still face challenges, like outdoor toilets and limited resources, but Ntombekaya is hopeful. She dreams of growing the co-op to create more jobs and improve more lives. “I’m grateful,” she says. “We’re moving forward, together.”

Nozake Elizabeth Fikima
Member
Siyaphambili Co-operative

Born in 1962, Nozake Fikima is 60 years old and proud to be part of the co-op. “It changed my life,” she says. “Now I can reach my goals.”

She sees her role – as a woman – as central to harvesting food from the sea, like octopus. “It takes hard, diligent work,” she says, “but I love it.”

She feels encouraged by the progress she’s seen and hopeful for the next generation. “My child can stay in school and keep learning.”

“I look forward to working with the co-op every day,” she says. “It gives me purpose.”

Mawanda Ndongeni
Siyaphambili Co-operative

For Mawanda Ndongeni, being part of Siyaphambili has brought real change. “Things are better than before,” he says, reflecting on how life has improved since the co-op began operating. “It changed our lives – our children are better off, and there is now respect for one another.”

Mawanda sees first-hand how the co-op’s success creates a ripple effect. “Buying our squid doesn’t just help one person, it uplifts the whole community,” he explains. The income earned supports families, helps parents put food on the table, and builds a sense of dignity among members.

Sustainability is at the heart of how they fish. “We don’t over-fish,” Mawanda says proudly. “We close the season to allow the squid to lay eggs and grow.” This careful stewardship ensures future generations will also benefit from the ocean.

The Siyaphambili co-op is more than a business, it’s a vehicle for transformation, restoring pride, purpose, and hope in a community long excluded from the formal fishing industry.

Cebo Mvubu
Vice-Chairperson
Siyaphambili Co-operative

Cebo Mvubu is a young leader from Hamburg and vice-chairperson of the Siyaphambili Co-operative. He believes strongly in the role the co-op plays in rebuilding local livelihoods. “Before, people had to leave for the cities to find work,” he says. “Now we’re creating opportunities right here.”

Cebo sees the co-op as more than a fishing operation – it’s a platform for education, sustainability, and shared purpose. Members receive training in management and marketing, learning how to run a business and protect the ocean that sustains them. “We only harvest the bigger squid and leave the small ones,” he explains. “That’s how we ensure the ocean can keep feeding us.”

For Cebo, selling squid is about more than income – it’s about impact. “When someone buys from us, they’re helping entire communities. It changes lives.”

He’s deeply concerned about offshore oil exploration by companies like Sasol, which threatens the waters they depend on. “This co-op is my dream,” he says. “We just want people to feel part of it.”