Alana Bond

Alana Staff Photo

alana.bond@simanye.co.za

I am a Co-founder and Director of Simanye, a group of linked entities which have been developed to implement innovative approaches to impact and change, including using Black Economic Empowerment as a tool. Simanye has also funded innovation and start ups in the social economy through a venture philanthropy model.

I am an entrepreneur with over 20 years of strategic consulting experience, a subject matter expert on B-BBEE and have extensive experience in economic development, social enterprise, the entrepreneurial landscape and youth development.

In 2020, I co-opted two colleagues to co-found Lucha Lunako, meaning The Youth Have It, combining my skills and expertise across these areas into contributing to solving the youth unemployability challenge
in South Africa. Lucha is a thriving social enterprise now moving from start-up to scale-up.

I believe that operating responsible businesses, and business solutions focused specifically on addressing social and environmental issues in society, is the only approach that will create long term sustainability for humanity and thriving economies across the globe, that will bring the management of our natural resources into equilibrium and resolve the key root causes of our societal challenges, including poverty and inequality. For this to happen, internal change within us as individuals is required. This is one of the reasons why Lucha Lunako focuses on whole-person development.
 
I have served on the boards of several foundations and trusts, and have co-founded several social enterprises, including Impact Hub Joburg, which closed due to COVID lockdowns. I am also involved in a few eco-tourism businesses.

I hold a Bachelor of Business Science degree with an Honours in Finance from the University of Cape Town, where I was on the Deans Merit List and (still today) the proud recipient of the class medal for Taxation I! Prior to my work in BEE and Simanye, I lived and worked in London and spent several years at the Johannesburg office of the international management consultancy, Accenture.