Donné Nicol

Biography

Donné Nicol is a Special Adviser to the President of the Republic of South Africa.

She is the former Chief Executive Officer of Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation, which works to improve education, promote skills development and develop small and medium Black business through its partner entities, Adopt-a-School Foundation, Kagiso Shanduka Trust, Cyril Ramaphosa Education Trust and Black Umbrellas.

Donné lead the Foundation since its establishment as Shanduka Foundation in 2004. Throughout this period, she was instrumental in driving the organisation’s strategic focus and mission through model building and collaborations with like-minded organisations.

Prior to 2004, she was Executive Assistant to President Cyril Ramaphosa for eleven years during which she was instrumental in setting up the Adopt-a-School Foundation and acted as Executive Director for its first year of operation. While assisting President Ramaphosa in his capacity as ANC Secretary General she facilitated the establishment of Cyril Ramaphosa Education Trust to provide financial support to disadvantaged tertiary education students.

She was also a coordinator for the ANC National Executive Committee and National Working Committee. Special tasks included the planning and management of the ANC National Conference in 1994 and the administrative coordination of the ANC list process in 1994.

She is a trustee of the Cyril Ramaphosa Foundation, Cyril Ramaphosa Education Trust, Mabindu Business Development Trust and the Constitution Hill Trust. She is a board member of the Adopt-a-School Foundation and Black Umbrellas.