Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe, Speaker at Trails to Peace

Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe

Keynote Speaker
CEO of the Desmond Tutu Campaign Centre

Thandeka Tutu-Gxashe is the CEO of the Desmond Tutu Tutudesk Campaign Centre (DTTCC).

This Campaign addresses the 95 million desk shortage in sub-Saharan Africa, by aiming to provide 20 million of these environmentally friendly, portable Tutudesks by 2025. Thus positively enhancing the lives of African children, their communities and countries and making Africa a more globally competitive continent through improved literacy and education.

Ms. Tutu-Gxashe has been educated and worked in Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, UK and the USA. She is passionate about education and public health, especially the fight against HIV/ AIDS, and promoting justice and peace by improving the health and education experiences of young people.

Ms. Tutu-Gxashe received several fellowships whilst completing her MPH at Emory University, Atlanta, Including from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), American Cancer Society, the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry, the South East AIDS Training Center & the Dekalb County Board of Health.

Thandeka began her professional life in the Dept. of Wildlife and National Parks in Botswana educating rural communities & trying to resolve wildlife vs farming conflicts.

She also worked for a few years as an HR Management Trainee in Corporate South Africa in the gold & coal mining sector.

The majority of her professional life has been spent in clinical research both in the USA and in South Africa managing multi-Center adult clinical trials.
She undertakes public speaking at universities, churches, schools and community groups both at home in South Africa, & internationally.
Thandeka has served on the Boards of several foundations and non-profit organizations. She is currently on the Board of the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, HPSA (formerly Heifer International (South Africa), the Foundation for Sport, Development and Peace and is Patron of the Pinotage Youth Development Academy. She was named one of 100 Global Real Leaders by Real Leaders Magazine in 2018 and a Social Impact Heroine by Authority Magazine in 2020.
Thandeka is the eldest daughter of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu & Nomalizo Leah Tutu. She and her husband reside in Cape Town, South Africa and have one son.