Gavin Andersson
Advisory Council
Gavin has had an unusually varied career. He started working as a diamond prospector for De Beers, became involved in the South African trade union movement before being banned by the Apartheid Government, and was then instrumental in the establishment of two successful woodwork factories. This began a period of passionate involvement in enterprise creation and community development initiatives. He was joint founder and coordinator of CORDE, a small business development organization working in manufacturing, agriculture and natural resources management throughout Botswana. He then led a management consultancy, supporting companies, non-profit organizations and educational institutions across southern Africa and in the Caribbean.
Gavin has played a prominent role in strengthening civil society across southern Africa. He was instrumental in the formation of several NGOs, chaired three regional civil society networks and has served on the council of both the Botswana and the South African NGO Coalitions. He was editor of a regional magazine for several years, and a founder and chairman of the board of the Mmegi Publishing Trust, which started what has become Botswana's largest newspaper.
andersson@wol.co.za