Board members
Ralph Ruthford
Chairperson
Ralph has had the privilege of working in a number of varied industries, most notable integrated health care solutions, media, printing and publishing, tissue manufacturing, fishing, traffic technology solutions, health, and wellness. He has successfully held senior positions in business since 2000 and is equally adept specialising in HR as he is in general management. He boasts having founded his own business in the wellness industry, Century Spa @ Canal Walk. He believes that underpinning the success of any institution is its human capital and hence he is a protagonist of people empowerment at levels of society.
Presently, Ralph is the Group HR Executive of Novus Holdings, a JSE listed company. He serves on various board subcommittees as invitee and was appointed Chairperson of the Board of Trustees (BOT) for the Media24 Provident Fund in March 2022. Ralph obtained an M.Phil. (People Management) degree in 2016 from the University of Cape Town and is currently completing his Certified Director certificate at the Institute of Directors. He is married and has three children. As a non-executive board member, he endeavours to utilise his collaboration and strategic thinking abilities to further build on the success of USAPHO foundation.
Werner Wepener
Treasurer
Werner has more than 20 years working experience, ranging from Audit to Commercial Finance.
He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and completed his Masters in Business Administration from INSEAD in 2019. After working a couple of years abroad, he returned to South Africa in 2020 and started his own business as a Fractional CFO. His passion is to help SME’s structure their finance functions, digitalising accounting systems and providing strategic financial inputs to business owners to help their decision-making.
Kirstin Davids
Secretary
Kirstin Davids studied at Stellenbosch University where she completed both her LLB & LLM degrees. She plans on continuing a career within the legal field and hopes that her legal knowledge will be aid to the Usapho board moving forward as she takes on the secretary position. She is hardworking, committed, and driven and while she is still young she hopes to gain more experience and exposure whilst being part of the board committee.
Elize Lombard
Ex-Officio Board Member
Elize has more than 25 years experience as a registered social worker. She has extensive experience in child and youth care and family intervention services. Her passion for families has led her to start USAPHO early 2013 with a group of like minded individuals. She completed her Masters in Business Administration (MBA) in 2022 through Henley Business School. This qualification and experience of more than 10 years equipped her with invaluable management and leadership skills.
She strongly believes that the people are the organisation's biggest asset. Elize is a proud mother of 2 daughters, a son-in-law, and two grandchildren.
Thapelo Tsiu
Board Member
Thapelo Tsiu is a visionary leader with a distinguished career in the financial services industry, boasting 19 years of experience at Nedbank, Absa, and Capitec Bank. His extensive background has equipped him with a profound understanding of the economic landscape within the SMME sector and a strong business acumen.
As the Founder of 7th Effort Academy, Thapelo is dedicated to empowering entrepreneurs through comprehensive business financial literacy and interactive learning sessions. His entrepreneurial spirit is further demonstrated by his establishment of Ride2keep Rentals, showcasing his commitment to innovation and business growth.
Thapelo holds a BCom degree in Financial Management from the University of Western Cape and is a certified Process Facilitator. He is a multi-award-winning trainer and skills development facilitator, currently pursuing an MBA at the UCT Graduate School of Business. Thapelo's dedication to continuous learning and professional growth is matched by his passion for volunteering and empowering small businesses in South Africa. He is also a proud father of three wonderful children.
Saphokazi Gcwabe
Board Member
Saphokazi Gcwabe is a qualified Chartered Accountant CA(SA) and currently serves as the Senior Finance Manager at Curo Fund Services. In her role, she oversees the company’s financial operations, ensuring efficiency, compliance, and alignment with strategic objectives.
Her professional expertise spans financial planning, analysis, and reporting, with a strong emphasis on budgeting, forecasting, and performance optimisation. Saphokazi plays a key role in providing financial insights to leadership while ensuring adherence to IFRS, tax regulations, and corporate governance standards through a well-established internal control framework.
A proud graduate of the 2023 Women in Leadership Middle Management Development Programme (MMDP), delivered by Duke Corporate Education, Saphokazi’s commitment to continuous development and mentorship is evident. She is deeply inspired by the philosophy of “Lift as you rise”.
She is a mother of three and is passionate about contributing her expertise to empower communities.