MEET THE DISABILITY-20 LEADERSHIP: Sikelelwa “Alex” Msitshana

Transforming Adversity into Global Advocacy

Sikelelwa “Alex” Msitshana is a Disability Inclusion Advocate, Strategic Leader, and Social Entrepreneur with more than 30 years’ experience spanning the corporate, development, and social impact sectors.

After experiencing bilateral auditory nerve damage from TB medication in 2007, which led to her becoming Deaf, she channelled this lived experience into building inclusive systems that create access and opportunity for persons with disabilities.

Alex is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Deaf Empowerment Firm (DEF), a pioneering social enterprise dedicated to advancing the economic empowerment of Deaf youth and other persons with disabilities in South Africa. Through DEF, she has spearheaded initiatives that have created pathways into skills development, employment and entrepreneurship for Deaf youth across the country in various industries.

Her link with the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) has been a natural extension of this journey. She currently serves as the Chairperson of the Executive Board, providing governance leadership and strategic oversight to ensure the organisation remains South Africa’s foremost disability rights body—driving programmes, advocacy, and partnerships that advance equality, justice, and full inclusion of persons with disabilities in all areas of society.

At a global level, Alex serves on various international boards and advisory structures that advance disability rights, inclusive development, and equitable access to opportunity. These roles have positioned her at the forefront of shaping inclusive policies and governance frameworks that influence both national and international agendas.

Building on this global leadership, she represents South Africa’s disability movement in the C20 (Civil 20) and Disability-20 engagement platforms of the G20. In these roles, she contributes to shaping inclusive global policies and championing the voices of persons with disabilities within international decision-making forums. Specifically, she chairs the Digital and Inclusive Economies Workstream within the Disability-20, ensuring that issues of accessibility, technology, and inclusive growth remain central to the G20 policy process.

 Key Achievements and Milestones

Entrepreneurship and Social Impact:

Alex established the Deaf Empowerment Firm in August 2015 and made it operational in January 2016 after realizing the systemic barriers Deaf individuals face in accessing economic opportunities. In its operational years, DEF has empowered Deaf persons through various programmes, including skills development, learnerships, internships, work placements, and enterprise development across various industries..

Among DEF’s innovative initiatives is a flagship programme in the ICT field that develops Deaf software developers, demonstrating how persons with disabilities can excel in cutting-edge technology sectors. DEF also pioneered an aquaponics social enterprise project in partnership with INMEDSA, the Mondelēz International Foundation and USAID Southern Africa, training 15 Deaf youth in sustainable agriculture.

Alex is a graduate of the SAB Foundation Tholoana Enterprise Programme, where she was selected from 2,000 applicants as one of 58 successful entrepreneurs.

National Leadership and Advocacy:

In 2015, Alex was appointed to serve on the Presidential Working Group on Disability. This platform brings together government departments and civil society organizations to guide policy implementation and advance the rights of persons with disabilities.

She has served as a Patron of the National Institute for the Deaf (NID) as well as on the Board of CBM South Africa (Christofel-Blinden Mission), an international NGO working to alleviate poverty for persons with disability worldwide.

Alex has been a tireless advocate for the recognition of South African Sign Language (SASL) as an official language, which was achieved in 2023 when the National Assembly amended Section 6 of the Constitution, making SASL the country’s 12th official language and continues to push for full implementation of this policy in educational institutions.

International Engagement:

In July 2015, Alex attended and presented at the World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf in Istanbul, Turkey, engaging with global leaders on issues affecting the Deaf community.

At the C20 South Africa Launch in 2025, which mobilised 14 working groups to generate actionable policy recommendations ahead of the G20 Summit, Alex emphasised the importance of establishing Early Child Development (ECD) structures for people with disabilities and advocated for inclusive employment practices.

 Understanding the Disability-20: A Historic Platform for Disability Inclusion

What is the Disability-20?

The Disability-20 initiative was created to reshape global economic, political, and social discussions by ensuring the active political participation of people with disabilities in the G20. This international forum brings together the 19 largest economies and two supranational entities representing 87% of the world’s GDP and 80% of the global population.

Why Disability-20 Matters:

Historically, disability inclusion has been notably absent from global platforms, including the G20 and its civil society engagement platform, the C20. Barriers such as inaccessibility, limited resources, and the absence of formalised inclusion mechanisms have prevented persons with disabilities from engaging in global governance processes that directly affect their lives.

In 2024, the Instituto Jô Clemente (IJC) in Brazil made significant progress during the G20 Brazilian presidency by launching the Disability-20 initiative, raising visibility for disability rights, and laying the foundation for continued engagement.

South Africa’s Leadership:

With South Africa assuming the G20 presidency in 2025, there is a unique opportunity to solidify and elevate the Disability-20 initiative. The National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), alongside Disabled People South Africa (DPSA) and other partners, seeks to advance this work.

The Disability-20 initiative aligns with the G20 South Africa 2025 theme of “Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability,” aiming to operationalise this vision by ensuring that disability leadership and expertise contribute directly to G20 policy development and implementation.

Digital and Inclusive Economies: Alex’s Portfolio

As Chair of the Digital and Inclusive Economies Workstream, Alex focuses on critical intersections between disability rights and economic transformation:

Digital Accessibility and Technology:

The South African G20 Presidency comes at a time of increased international focus on the digital economy, particularly its instrumental role in development and economic and social reconstruction.  Digital inclusion should remain a key element in promoting the digital economy to ensure that no one is left behind, regardless of their gender, region, age, disability, or economic status.

Financial Inclusion:

Two billion adults worldwide lack access to formal financial services and are excluded from opportunities to improve their lives. Digital technologies offer affordable ways for the financially excluded—the majority of whom are women—to save for school, make payments, get a small business loan, send remittances, or buy insurance.

Economic Participation:

Key strategies for ensuring active participation of persons with disabilities in G20 discussions include inclusive communication through accessible materials in all official languages, including sign language, awareness campaigns to promote disability rights, accessibility in both physical and digital spaces, resource allocation for assistive technology and transport, and collaboration with Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs).

The Importance of Lobbying Platforms

Amplifying Marginalised Voices:

The most outstanding achievement of Disability-20 is demonstrating to the world that persons with disabilities are experts in their fields. While they navigate daily barriers imposed by exclusionary societies, they also bring irreplaceable knowledge to discussions on food security, philanthropy, sustainable development, and other critical global issues.

Policy Impact:

The Disability-20 objectives include engaging persons with disabilities in identifying policy gaps through participatory consultations, increasing representation across G20 working groups, and producing position papers and recommendations that inform C20 and G20 policy outputs.

Systemic Change:

Despite progress, disability issues have been weakly integrated into the C20’s final policy packs and the G20’s communique. The Disability-20 initiative represents a crucial opportunity to ensure that persons with disabilities are no longer peripheral but central to the G20’s vision of solidarity, equality, and sustainability.

A Vision for Inclusive Global Governance

Alex Msitshana’s life and work are grounded in the belief that true inclusion is achieved when diverse voices are not just heard but are central in shaping the systems and policies that govern our societies. Through her leadership in the Disability-20’s Digital and Inclusive Economies Workstream, she continues to champion a future where technology, economic opportunity, and policy development serve all members of society, leaving no one behind.