Bertha Magoge

Ms. Bertha Magoge currently serves as the Executive Director of the ACFS Community Education in Johannesburg, South Africa. With a Social Work qualification and extensive experience as a Community Developer and Child Protection Activist, Bertha is deeply committed to safeguarding and securing the future of vulnerable children. Throughout her 28-year career, she has dedicated her work to serving vulnerable communities, particularly children across Southern Africa.

She holds a Bachelor of Social Work honours degree and is currently pursuing a Master’s research degree in Social Work at the University of KwaZulu Natal (KZN). Over the past 28 years, Bertha has demonstrated an unwavering passion for children and community development issues. She has worked extensively across Sub-Saharan African countries such as Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Lesotho, and South Africa, focusing on child programming, community development, social policy reviews, and advocacy for vulnerable and orphaned children, as well as socio-economic empowerment of families and communities.

Prior to her role as Executive Director at ACFS Community Education in 2018, Bertha was the Director at Training Resources in Early Education (TREE) which is a Regional Resources and Training Organisation focused on Early Childhood Development Education in South Africa which she joined in 2012. She expanded the services of TREE from KZN and Eastern Cape to include operations into Limpopo province. Bertha’s impressive career has encompassed various leadership roles, including being the National Program Manager at Child Welfare South Africa (CWSA). Here she managed a nationwide response programme to the plight of orphaned and vulnerable children in poor and under resourced communities, Asibavikele. Bertha also served as Project Director, at Health and Development Africa (HDA) where she was responsible for a USAID funded programme that capacitated schools and communities to identify early and support orphaned and vulnerable children in their communities during the height of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in South Africa.

Bertha’s expertise extends to working with disadvantaged and under-resourced communities, as well as non-profit organizations and government departments. She possesses a deep understanding of the challenges often faced by children, particularly in poverty-stricken environments where public health/ social issues and various forms of deprivation and disadvantage prevail. Her extensive experience has given her a deep understanding of analysing community needs and modelling community development responses that are impactful.

Her comprehensive experience has provided her with valuable insights in collaborating with multinational donor agencies and local CSI partners. Some of the notable organizations she has worked with include USAID, the Global Fund, DFID, AUSAID, ELMA, OXFAM, LEGO FOUNDATION, FNB, Anglo American, Community Chest KST, DGMT, and many more.

Bertha is not only passionate about children, she also possesses a comprehensive knowledge of the key challenges they face, especially those who are vulnerable. She firmly believes in fostering strong and enduring partnerships that strive to create a better reality for marginalized children and ensure that they reach their potential.