Team

President & Founder

Mercia Isaacs is the current executive chairperson of Vuya! Investments and the President and Founder of Vuya Foundation. She began her career as a businesswoman with her husband – Samuel Isaacs – in 1978 when they started an electrical company, SMI Electrical. This was the start of Mercia’s love for business.

Since then she has sat on numerous boards such as the Western Cape Gambling Board, TUV Rheinland, SHAWCO (A student-run NGO started by the University of Cape Town), chairperson of the Western Cape Tender Board and previous chairperson of G.F. Jooste Hospital board. She was also the first woman to be elected to sit on the board of KWV South Africa and was the first female chairperson for the board of ABSA Bank in the Western Cape. She previously served as a member of the council for Diocesan College (Bishops) from 2007-2017 and sits on the board for Women in Leadership at the UCT Graduate School of Business in an advisory capacity.

Currently, she is a member of council at the Health Professions Counsil of South Africa (HPCSA) and is a non-executive director of Henkel South Africa.

Chief Executive Officer

Jansen Electrical quickly expanded into a multi-faceted construction company and after having studied project management in 2001, Dez was able to expand on the company to create Dez Jansen Projects – a project management company. After working in commercial property sales and leasing, Dez took on the responsibility of project management for the Vuya Foundation. He looks after all the logistical aspects of our multiple projects and is our on-site advisor for all matters technical, operational and logistical.

Dez has been an invested Rotary Club member since 2005. He was appointed President of the Pinelands Rotary Club in Cape Town (District 9350) in 2018 and is the past chairman of the Rotary Youth Exchange. He is passionate about what he does for the community and what the community can do for others.

Project Manager

Josh’s primary role is providing a strategic understanding of the Vuya Foundation from business and marketing perspectives. He is involved in the everyday operations of the Foundation, with a special focus on the communications and social media side of the business. A naturally curious person, Josh’s degree in psychology and philosophy honed his ability to think critically about problems, while further studies at the Red & Yellow Creative School of Business expanded on this knowledge. He relishes the opportunity to give back through his career and views the ability to help others as the most important thing in his life. “I try to keep myself grounded by constantly reminding myself of what I am grateful for.” He has recently taken up mountain biking and enjoys riding the odd trail with some of his closest friends.

Office Administration

Melanie has been an integral part of the Vuya family since day one and is responsible for the smooth running of the office, switchboard, event planning and much more. Bringing years of experience in office administration and stock control systems, you can rely on Melanie to get just about anything done. With three children of her own, she is passionate about the well-being of the communities in which Vuya works. “I love being busy with various little projects. One of my strengths is that I can multitask, and this is a value add to the Foundation.” She loves spending time with friends and family and making each day count. “Through many life challenges, my kids have been the reason that I strived to beat every curveball that has been thrown my way.”

Financial and Administration Manager

Amelia started under the mentorship of Mercia Isaacs as an executive assistant at Vuya Investments and fell in love with the business world. Completing her degree in human resources and industrial development, Amelia is now responsible for all financial functions of the Vuya Foundation including cash flows, budgets, management accounts and account payments. She has been the right-hand woman of Mrs Isaacs for the past 12 years. Amelia loves spending time with her family, young son and dogs.

Administrative Assistant

Nathan started at Vuya as an intern after completing his Bachelor of Social Sciences (BSocSci) undergraduate degree at UCT. His passion for social justice and equality, and his hands-on role at Vuya, has seen him very quickly become an integral part of the Vuya team. Nathan provides administrative and logistical support to the Vuya team. “During my time at the Vuya Foundation, I have been exposed to the multitude of issues facing our country and the need to implement creative solutions to address these. I am aware of the significant social impact that can be achieved through community driven action.”

Relationship Manager

Oscar’s creativity, energy and discipline make him a real asset to the Vuya team in his role as Relationship Manager. Before his involvement with Vuya’s charitable work, Oscar worked in provincial administration, specifically in the Department of Corporate Services and Department of Health. He was also a senior site manager for one of Africa’s leading facilities management companies. Community upliftment is something that is very dear to his heart, therefore he enjoys representing his community on various forums and platforms. Married to Sharon with two children and three grandchildren, Oscar is also the proud dad of a Rottweiler and a very spoilt cat. Secret skill? He once worked as a snake handler.

Marketing & Fundraising

Avril has been working in the charity arena for more than 25 years as an avid fundraiser for various causes. She finds it extremely fulfilling, especially working with those less fortunate where she can truly make a difference. “I believe in a culture of lifelong learning, the development of people and that we are not independent beings but rather inter-dependent.” When she’s not working with sponsors and donors, she enjoys reading, crafting and a spot of DIY.