Uyanda Sibiya is a visionary executive leader, national systems architect, and social impact strategist with over two decades of experience spanning corporate social investment, public policy, governance, and large-scale disability inclusion.
She is currently the Chairman of Disability Connect, a national transformation platform housed within Uyanda Mbuli Corporation, focused on advancing inclusive economic development, disability-responsive policy design, and coordinated public-private-philanthropic partnerships across South Africa. Disability Connect operates across the full disability spectrum, including Deaf, Blind, physical, psychosocial, intellectual, developmental, and neurodiverse communities, with a strong emphasis on systemic coherence, institutional legitimacy, and long-term economic participation.
Uyanda is a Master of Philosophy in Corporate Strategy candidate at GIBS Business School, where her research focuses on inclusive data infrastructure, institutional strategy, and economic innovation within underrepresented populations. She is currently drafting a national white paper advocating for the introduction of South African Sign Language as a compulsory subject from Grade R to Grade 3, positioning early language access as a strategic lever for educational equity and economic inclusion.
For ten years, Uyanda served in national leadership and advocacy roles advancing Deaf inclusion in South Africa, contributing to landmark progress in the recognition and institutionalisation of South African Sign Language and the mobilisation of resources for Deaf development initiatives. Her work has consistently bridged business, government, and civil society to translate rights-based advocacy into scalable systems.
Her governance experience includes board and executive leadership roles at the Gauteng Film Commission and TARA Hospital, as well as senior executive service at the Johannesburg Development Agency. She has also held senior government leadership positions, including Deputy Director-General level responsibilities within the Gauteng Department of Economic Development, where she led stakeholder engagement, policy coordination, and economic development initiatives.
Uyanda has presented to the South African Parliament on regulatory standards, disability inclusion, and institutional reform, and continues to advise across corporate, government, and multilateral spaces on ESG integration, disability-responsive governance, and inclusive growth frameworks.
In addition to her professional work, she is the founder of the Uyanda Mbuli Youth Empowerment Project, a philanthropic initiative that has supported marginalised youth development for over 28 years.
She brings to the Save the Children South Africa Board deep expertise in governance, systems thinking, child-centred policy design, and the integration of disability inclusion into national development agendas.
