top of page

Our Mission

Shared Interest mobilizes the resources for Southern Africa’s economically disenfranchised communities to sustain themselves and build equitable nations.

Our Vision

Shared Interest envisions just and vibrant Southern African nations that eliminate disparities, uphold their peoples' basic human rights, and serve as models of economic justice.

Our History

History

A Beautiful Journey Of 28 Years

Click on timeline photo to enlarge

1994 - 2004
1980's Faith Community Protest
Founder Donna Katzin during South Apartheid boycott
Founder Donna Katzin, Brian Grieves & Desmond Tutu
1998
2000
2001
2004 Working with Local Banks
2005 – 2010:  Deepening Economic Growth and Diversifying Impact
2006 Esnath and Angelina own a tomato farm_edited
2009 Investing in Agriculture
2010
2011- 2015: The Next Generation Campaign and Expanding to Southern Africa
2011
2012
2014
2012 Mozambique AfricaWorks
2016 – 2022: Deepening Shared Interest Impact in Southern Africa, and in Working through the Program
2015 - 2016
2018
2018 - AWAB Malawi Seed Grower
2020

Shared Interest was established in 1994 by Founder Donna Katzin along with other U.S. anti-apartheid activists and socially responsible investors who were committed to ending apartheid with an unwavering passion for human rights and economic justice.  That year, after the country transferred political power to a democratic Nelson Mandela government, but left economic power concentrated in the same minority hands; Shared Interest was launched to provide U.S. investors with a catalytic vehicle to help reverse apartheid’s legacy of institutionalized race-based inequality.

 

The enduring vision that drives our organization – then and now – is to not make direct loans to our beneficiaries but to, instead, facilitate guarantees that catalyze South Africa’s own banks to lend to Black entrepreneurs, farmers and microfinance institutions, thereby creating sustainable solutions to address the region’s growing economic inequality and to achieve long-term growth and impact.

Now, 29 years later, we have supported more than 2 million people by unlocking some $131 million in lending. Building on our long track record of success in South Africa, Shared Interest has recently expanded to other Southern African countries, including Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia.

Shared Interest’s work is more critical now than ever before. The World Bank recently deemed South Africa the most unequal country in the world, with "race" playing a key role in a society in which 10% of the population owns more than 80% of the wealth. Shared. Interest is leveling the economic landscape for Black entrepreneurs and small and growing businesses by facilitating access to affordable financing and the technical resources that enable them to expand and scale their businesses.
 

Making Our Mark in Southern Africa

Final Timeline.png
Our Team

Our Team

Leadership Team

Click on photo to view bio

Ann_edited.jpg
Ann_edited.jpg

Ann McMikel
Executive Director

 

Screen Shot 2022-04-21 at 2.02.46 PM.png
Amye Jameson
Senior Director of Operations
Shukura.jpg
Shukura Shears
Director of Individual Giving & Special Events
Program Consulants

Program Consultants

Shared Interest’s programming is powered by a team of financial experts with specific geographic and industry expertise, strong relationships with lenders, and experience with enterprises in different stages of development.

Click on photo to view bio

Screen Shot 2022-04-11 at 1.15.53 AM.png
Lloyd Guzha-Chanetsa
Country Lead
South Africa
Screen Shot 2022-04-11 at 1.15.28 AM.png

Norman Buckham

Program Consultant

South Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique

Screen Shot 2022-04-11 at 1.15.34 AM.png
Joyce Masi
Program Consultant
Malawi
Jessie P Nyirenda Profile (003).JPG

Jessie P. Nyirenda

Program Consultant

Zambia

Board of Directors

Board of Directors

Click on photo to view bio

Tim Smith.jpg

Tim Smith
Chairman

Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility

Screen Shot 2022-04-28 at 5.27.32 AM.png

Brown Advisory

Screen Shot 2022-04-28 at 7.01.23 AM.png

 Community Development &

Finance Professional (Retired)

Screen Shot 2022-05-11 at 2.00.57 PM.png

 

Pratt Institute

Screen Shot 2022-05-11 at 2.02.53 PM.png

David Wildman
Vice Chair

United Methodist Church’s General Board of Global Ministries

Screen Shot 2022-04-28 at 9.49.16 AM.png

Circle for Justice Innovations

Jim Munson.jpg

Road Show Africa

Palesa.jpg

Palesa Morudu-Rosenberg
Board Member

Clarity Global Strategic

Communications

Screen Shot 2022-04-28 at 10.57.29 AM.png

 Capital Group

Adrienne Bailey.jpg 2022.jpeg

Dr. Adrienne Y. Bailey
Board Secretary

Independent Education Consultant

Steve McGann.jpeg

The Stevenson Group

Screen Shot 2022-04-28 at 10.11.20 AM.png

Diane Keefe, CFA
Board Member

Impact Investor, Advisor

Lea-Conrad- pic for SI_ (002).jpeg

Lea Conrad
Board Member

Conrad Advisory

Tolliver.jpg

St. Edmund's Redevelopment Corporation

Screen Shot 2022-05-11 at 1.56.52 PM.png

Cummins, Inc.

Sharron McPherson.jpg

The Centre for

Disruptive Technologies

Board of Advisors

Board of Advisors

Alcinda Honwana, Visiting Professor, Open University, UK

Danny Glover, Actor (Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award Honoree)

Eddie Bergman, President of Innovative Development Services (IDS) &

CEO of Proxima Hospitality Group

Felicia Mabuza Suttle, South African Talk Show Host, Entrepreneur & Activist

H.E. Fikile Magubane, former South Africa Ambassador to Spain

Marion Fremont-Smith, Choate Hall & Stewart

Marco Masotti, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison

Monroe France, Senior Associate Vice President for Global Engagement and Inclusive Leadership, NYU Office of Global Inclusion, Diversity & Strategic Innovation

Rev. Nontombi Naomi Tutu, South African Anglican Bishop, Human Rights Activist & Educator

Peggy Dulany, The Synergos Institute

Robert Brooke Zevin, Investment Advisor

Robert Friedman, Corporation for Enterprise Development

Sandra Appiah, Co-Founder & CEO of Legacy Shift

Sheila Sisulu,  Retired United Nations World Food Programme

Susan L. Taylor, National Cares Mentoring Movement

Vincent Mai, Cranemere LLC

 

In Loving Memory

The Most Reverend Desmond M. Tutu (Honorary Chair)

Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town 

The Honorable David Dinkins

106th Mayor of New York City, Lawyer, Author

23.png

Our Partners 

Our valued network of partners are a collective group of businesses, corporations, foundations, investors and individuals that enable us to support disenfranchised Black communities in Southern Africa by strengthening their resilience and expanding access to the capital and resources they need to create sustainable livelihoods and pathways out of poverty.

Our Partners
Libra.png
Mai.png
EMTA.png
WKKF.png
JJ 2.png
Screen Shot 2022-05-04 at 2.03.45 PM.png
JP Morgan.png
Ratliff.png
Swift_edited.png
Overbrook Foundation_edited.png
UMW_edited.png
Rohatyn.png
Wallace Global Fund.png
West Foundation_edited_edited.png
Opp Fund_edited.png
Tides.png
Global Ministries UMC.png
Screen Shot 2022-04-19 at 5.58.02 PM.png
Screen Shot 2022-05-03 at 9.50.01 PM.png
Pimco.png
Wells Fargo.png
Screen Shot 2022-04-28 at 11.16_edited.png
Calvert.png
Screen Shot 2022-04-28 at 11.22.38 AM.png
Screen Shot 2022-04-17 at 6.17.20 PM.png
bottom of page