Nthanda Manduwi Selected for Rockefeller Big Bets Fellowship
Kwathu Kollective is pleased to share that its founder, Nthanda Manduwi, has been selected for the Rockefeller Big Bets Fellowship.
The fellowship brings together 10 leaders working on system-level challenges across sectors, with a focus on advancing ideas that require coordination, long-term execution, and institutional alignment. It is designed to support work that moves beyond isolated interventions toward integrated systems that can operate at scale.
This recognition comes at an important stage in the evolution of Kwathu Kollective.
A Systems Approach to Innovation
Since its founding, Kwathu Kollective has focused on building the foundational layers required for innovation ecosystems to function effectively. This work has evolved across three key areas:
- Education and Skills Development
Through its origins in the Ntha Foundation, Kwathu has supported the development of digital and professional capabilities among young people, creating pathways into emerging sectors. - Ecosystem Development
The establishment of the Kwathu Innovation and Creativity Centre [Hub] marked a shift toward physical infrastructure, enabling collaboration between entrepreneurs, institutions, and industry stakeholders. - Applied Systems in Agriculture
More recently, Kwathu has expanded into agricultural systems through the Kwathu Smart Innovation Farms, creating environments where production, training, and technology intersect in practice.
These layers reflect a deliberate approach to building systems from the ground up, particularly in contexts where market, infrastructure, and institutional conditions are still forming.
From Ecosystems to Infrastructure
The selection into the Rockefeller Big Bets Fellowship aligns with the next phase of this work.
Kwathu Kollective is now focused on integrating its ecosystem efforts with infrastructure development through its collaboration with Q2 Systems. This includes the development of tools such as QTrax, which are designed to coordinate movement, data, and operations across physical environments.
The Kwathu Smart Innovation Farms serve as applied environments for this integration. They provide real-world contexts in which systems can be tested, refined, and deployed, ensuring that innovation is grounded in operational realities rather than abstract design.
What the Fellowship Enables
The Rockefeller Big Bets Fellowship provides access to:
- a global network of practitioners working on complex systems challenges
- institutional partnerships across sectors
- support for advancing ideas from concept to implementation
For Kwathu Kollective, this creates an opportunity to strengthen its work across multiple dimensions:
- Deepening institutional collaboration with governments, schools, and development partners
- Scaling applied environments such as the Smart Innovation Farms
- Advancing infrastructure systems that support coordination and production
The Year Ahead
Over the next twelve months, Kwathu Kollective will focus on execution.
This includes:
- expanding its applied environments in agriculture
- strengthening partnerships across the public and private sectors
- deploying and refining systems in live contexts
The objective is to demonstrate that integrated models—combining education, ecosystems, and infrastructure—can operate effectively and deliver measurable outcomes.
Looking Forward
Kwathu Kollective was established with the understanding that innovation does not occur in isolation. It requires systems that connect people, institutions, and infrastructure in a coordinated way.
The Rockefeller Big Bets Fellowship provides a platform to advance this work with greater depth and reach.
As this next phase unfolds, Kwathu remains focused on building systems that are practical, scalable, and rooted in the contexts they are designed to serve.
Work With Us
Want to partner on or fund one of our programmes / initiatives? We are always open to collaborations and partnerships. Contact us via kollective@kwathu.org, or give us a call(direct or WhatsApp) on +265991850749.
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