Dr. Albino Jopela is a Mozambican-born heritage scholar and committed Pan-Africanist currently serving as the third Executive Director of the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) since 2023. In this strategic leadership role, he oversees the only UNESCO Category 2 Centre in Africa explicitly mandated to support the implementation of the 1972 World Heritage Convention on the continent and to help achieve the objectives of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and UNESCO’s Priority Africa, particularly through World Heritage capacity-building and financing.

Dr. Jopela has held several prominent positions in the heritage sector, including Chairperson of the Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA), Co-Chair for Africa and the Middle East of the Climate Heritage Network (CHN), and Advisor to the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) on World Heritage matters.

Veronica Maduna serves as the Head of Partnership Development at the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), where she leads the Fund’s strategic partnerships, resource mobilization, and communication efforts. In this role, she is responsible for strengthening the Fund’s visibility, sustainability, and impact across the continent by cultivating relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, from African governments and UNESCO delegations to international development partners, private sector sponsors, and local communities.

Her work is critical to advancing AWHF’s mission to preserve and promote Africa’s cultural and natural heritage. By aligning fundraising, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement strategies with the Fund’s strategic goals, she ensures that conservation efforts are adequately resourced and that heritage initiatives contribute meaningfully to sustainable development.

Bridget Dube serves as the Partnerships Officer: Fundraising at the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), where she supports the implementation of the Fund’s strategic objective to promote sustainable growth for local communities living in and around World Heritage sites. Her work focuses on resource mobilization, donor engagement, and the development of community-focused programmes that position heritage as a driver for socio-economic development.

Through capacity-building initiatives for youth and heritage practitioners, Bridget helps strengthen African expertise and ensure that conservation efforts are inclusive, locally rooted, and sustainable. Her integrated approach to project implementation and fundraising contributes to the long-term impact and resilience of Africa’s World Heritage.

Rodney Bunhiko serves as a Programme Specialist at the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), where he is responsible for the development and implementation of the Fund’s programmes and projects. His work supports the strategic objectives of the Fund by contributing to the effective implementation of the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention in Africa, with a focus on the conservation, management, and sustainable development of World Heritage sites.

Rodney plays a key role in mobilising both technical and financial resources to support States Parties, and he provides expert technical assistance in heritage management. His responsibilities include supporting the development of nomination dossiers, facilitating capacity-building initiatives, and coordinating project activities that strengthen site governance and resilience.

Precious Mothiba serves as the Partnerships Officer: Communications at the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), where she coordinates the Fund’s strategic communications, media relations, and stakeholder engagement efforts. She champions the Fund’s mission to promote and protect Africa’s cultural and natural heritage.

Precious plays a central role in shaping compelling narratives that highlight the transformative power of heritage conservation in advancing sustainable development, community empowerment, and cultural pride. Through targeted campaigns, media outreach, and the development of high-impact content, she enhances the Fund’s visibility across Africa and globally.

Tsholofelo Legae serves as the Finance Officer at the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), where she is responsible for managing and monitoring the Fund’s financial operations to ensure transparency, accountability, and efficiency. Her role is vital in enabling AWHF to achieve its mission of conserving and promoting Africa’s World Heritage by ensuring financial resources are prudently allocated to heritage initiatives across the continent.

With a strong commitment to robust financial systems and internal controls, Tsholofelo supports the Fund’s long-term stability and its ability to implement the World Heritage Convention effectively. She works closely with service providers, partners, and donors to uphold financial compliance and reporting standards, thereby fostering trust and strengthening partnerships.

As Administrative Assistant at the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), Prisca Lete plays a vital role in ensuring the smooth operation of the Fund’s daily activities. She provides key administrative and logistical support across departments, enabling teams to effectively deliver on AWHF’s mission to conserve and promote Africa’s World Heritage.

Her responsibilities span coordinating meetings and events, managing internal and external communication, supporting procurement and travel logistics, and maintaining accurate documentation. Prisca also assists the Director’s office with diary management, stakeholder liaison, and preparing official documents.

Collaborating closely with Programmes, Partnerships, Finance, and Legal teams, she ensures streamlined workflows and timely execution of activities. Passionate about efficiency and teamwork, Prisca is proud to contribute to a mission-driven organization. As AWHF approaches its 20th anniversary, she remains committed to supporting its legacy through strong operational support.

Tebogo Makgati serves as the Programmes Assistant at the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), where he plays a key role in supporting the planning, coordination, and implementation of capacity-building programmes and conservation initiatives across the continent. His responsibilities include managing the AWHF grant system, supporting stakeholder engagement, and ensuring the efficient delivery of technical and logistical assistance for workshops and projects.

Tebogo’s work is central to translating AWHF’s strategic vision into action. By reviewing project proposals, managing grant documentation, and evaluating technical reports, he ensures that resources are directed where they are needed most—especially at sites facing urgent conservation challenges.

Alina Plattes is the Partnerships Intern at the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF), participating in the AWHF and Flanders Department of Foreign Affairs Partnership Internship Programme. In this role, she supports a wide range of activities that enhance the Fund’s visibility, strengthen partnerships, and contribute to its fundraising efforts.

Her responsibilities include assisting with communications through social media, the AWHF website, and press materials, drafting newsletters, brochures, and fundraising proposals, and conducting donor research across corporate, foundation, and diaspora sectors. Alina also supports the coordination of major fundraising events and the development of media strategies to promote the Fund’s work across the continent.