#4. Dream Big, Stay Humble: How a Township Tech Lab and Ubuntu Mentorship Network Are Empowering South Africa’s Next Generation of Entrepreneurs

In a vibrant South African township, a handwritten year-book motto—“Dream Big, Stay Humble”—has grown into a nationwide movement equipping young people with the skills, mentors and mindset to build thriving futures at home rather than abroad.

In this episode, social entrepreneur Khayelihle Nkabinde joins AmickyCarol on Durban’s sun-splashed Golden Mile to share how sports, Ubuntu and a laptop-filled shipping container are opening doors for the next generation.

• Founded Dream Big, Stay Humble in high school after losing his grandfather—and being told he was “too young” to start a nonprofit
• Runs a free tech lab in his township teaching coding, robotics and digital literacy
• Delivers STEM camps for Grade 8-9 girls to tackle gender gaps in engineering
• Awarded five university bursaries to learners in 2024 and mentors dozens more through nationwide summits
• Launching the Dream Entrepreneur Society (DES) to turn youth unemployment into a pipeline of home-grown start-ups
• Embeds the Ubuntu philosophy—“we’re stronger together”—by partnering with business, government and philanthropy rather than competing for scraps
• Explains why sports still unite South Africa 30 years after the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and how trips to Soweto and the Kruger Park reveal the country’s true story
• Shares his vision of keeping talent in South Africa by proving that world-class opportunities can flourish in townships

Support Kaya’s work

🔗 Website  – dreambigstayhumble.com
📸 Instagram – @DreamBigStayHumble
💼 LinkedIn – Dream Big Stay Humble

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to World Changers Podcast
• 0:45 Khayelihle Nkabinde's Journey and Background
• 2:18 Dream Big, Stay Humble: A 10-Year Mission
• 4:25 Real World Impact of Khaye's Work
• 5:07 South Africa: Ubuntu, Sports and Beyond
• 8:37 Tourism Recommendations: Soweto to Durban
• 12:49 Future Projects and Youth Entrepreneurship
• 14:04 South African Music's Global Reach
• 14:55 Dreams and Hopes for South Afirca
• 16:16 Closing & Contact The AVOCADO Foundation

Transcript

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 0:02

Hey, world Changers, welcome to your podcast. I'm Aniki Carroll and I travel the world with a sense of adventure and purpose exploring, learning, having fun and meeting remarkable individuals who are transforming their communities and beyond. Join me as we dive into the inspiring journeys of changemakers from every corner of the globe, tuning in weekly for stories that might just change your life, ignite your passion and show you how ordinary people can create extraordinary impact. Subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform and follow us on social media at World Changes PC, and get ready to take off. Kaya, do you want to first of all start by telling me a little bit about yourself, so a bit of your background and what's led you to this moment?

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 0:54

So my name is Kaya Lisha. I'm from the South Coast, which is like an hour drive from Durban.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 0:58

And this is Durban in South Africa.

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 1:01

So I was a very sporty kid. I was previously playing hockey for KZA, representing the prophets. I grew up with my grandpa and mom and granny I'm a granny's boy International priest, funny enough. From my easiest church, I was this right type man. He gave me some possible food. So I just did hard cannot be a philanthropist but I passed that. I was fortunate as well to be taking it to great schools, primary school and then I was always interested in what's happening around the world. So at home, during when I woke up to school, I was forced to either watch BBC Sky News or sports school, any sports things, anything about the world, and on my way to school I had to talk about what I saw in the morning. Yeah, yeah. So growing up, I was always interested in sports, anything in sports I knew. Okay, growing up. So growing up, I was always interested in sports anything in sports.

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 1:45

I knew, okay, growing up from formula one golf, cricket, rugby, you name it not surfing, not surfing, oh that's a shame.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 1:52

That's the shame, yeah because we just a few minutes ago we were talking about how beautiful where we are in durban is and how many surfers there are. So i'm'm finding out. Yeah, it's a very, very big thing, big thing. But you have that board, your surfboard, kind of.

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 2:08

Yeah, I have a surfboard. I've given my house a friend of mine and I haven't used it, but hopefully one day I'll do paddles.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 2:14

Listen, we always live in hope. Exactly yeah, yeah, yeah. So tell me a little bit about your work.

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 2:25

So. So we all started in Matric. Unfortunately, my grandpa passed on in grade 11. Oh, and then in Matric. Matric is grade 12, the last year in high school. Yes, I figured out that. I told my high school friends and teachers that I like to start a organization, non-profit organization, and all my teachers were like, no, you're too young to win this. So, as we were thinking of high school photos, so we were able to write a quote in a high school photo. And in my high school photo I wrote dream big, stay humble, my organization. So I promised myself, saying that I will start the organization one day. So I've been pushing the organization for the past 10 years.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 2:57

You don't look old enough to have been pushing an organization Since high school.

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 3:01

I know so within the 10 years. It started off with the vision, but I really never had the right resources. Okay, so the whole initiative was called Dream Big Stumble and our vision is to open a wide network of mentors for the leaders to tap into. So it's mentors from private sector, government and philanthropists. So we deal with skills development, which is coded with a tech lab in one of the areas of townships, which is Lazy. We have a tech lab over there and we also deal with high school kids' grade and ninth grade levels, stem Science, biology, engineering, math. That's for high school, specifically for females, because I noticed in my area most engineers are mostly male-dominated.

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 3:44

Still the same world over so we are looking to upskill, especially young females. So we do this every year. We had a summit in Maritzburg, last year in Durban and we're looking to have another in Johannesburg late September. So for me it was basically passion driven, because when I was in high school I actually had an opportunity to go play international hockey but I couldn't get the resources. So I was like, cool, let me actually open up an organization to actually help the next person who needs the resources. Yeah, so we're able to do that. So that's the main thing I'm trying to do organization continue to network with other industries, other organizations to help out the next person.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 4:23

Yeah, that's brilliant. And do you want to share a little bit about you? Know a moment where you felt you were truly making a difference?

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 4:31

with the work that you do. Last year we gave away five groceries to five nurses or five grade 12 learners, and for me that was like wow, I'm actually doing something. Because when I started the organization, I had my own issue of like getting resources and then now it's actually equipped more people and right now our main goal for Dream Big Sample is help scale more individuals and, yeah, more stories as well, cause when people tell us their stories, it actually motivates me to try and get to my resources.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 5:00

That's fantastic. Five busries, that's nothing to sniff at. Okay, so let's move on to South Africa. What is it really about your country that you'd like to share with people that's quite unique from your perspective obviously I'll mention the word Ubuntu.

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 5:17

It is a very impactful word for us here at Durban. Okay, zaday, because we learned that you can't really do anything alone. I had a meeting last week. I had a meeting last week, just, I had a meeting last week one of the state. We are all different organization. We're all in the same mission. Yeah, why race? We're more strong together. So that's the one that replicated in south africa as well, because south africa has really seen in a weird manner other countries, but once you're there as yourself, you've seen that it's actually a nice, beautiful country with nice oceans. But of course, we all have negative thoughts and negative impacts about the country, but for me it's a very nice country. I've learned so much from south africa and I'm really want to put out the word there to the world what south africa is about yeah, do you know, as you say, that, it reminds you that you're right?

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 6:03

uh, south Africa is actually quite tropical right now, and Trump has made it even more so. Do you want to share? Do you feel like speaking into what's happening right now, because people are saying all sorts of things and I know a lot of Caucasian South Africans are actually emigrating, or so it appears you know many of them ended up in the US as as Q-TED people and man. Is that something you'd like to shed some light on?

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 6:32

For me, I really wouldn't say it's really happening, okay, I really don't want to say too much because I'm just there to listen, okay, I'm just there to listen, but I think, but I think from now we shouldn't be I wouldn't say brainwashed for what's happening in social media, rather be there to see it for yourself, okay, and rather be there for yourself to see what South Africa is about. But I think South Africa is in the waves right now in the news. Sports wise, we've been doing really well Olympics and also and also relays, I've noticed. But I feel like we are trying our best as a country. Um, just finished our, our, uh, our government, so elections recently, yeah, and that changed a lot in South Africa. Okay, so for good, for, for, for, for, for good, okay, but it definitely takes some time, cause it's just different when I think she's come together as well For the Trump story. I really do not much to say about that.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 7:27

Okay, okay, I mean I've been here for only a few days. I can't confirm or deny either. I mean, no one seems particularly persecuted to me, but hey, what do I know? I'm just visited. Yeah, okay, alrighty, that's cool. You've talked a little bit about growing up here in South Africa and you talked about other influences. Well, what would you say, apart from Ubuntu, were the key influences of your life as you were growing up?

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 7:53

For me it was sports, sports. It was sports Okay, because I was fortunate to be in a school where I think there were only three black people Playing sports. As a black person I had to prove myself, but in a way it showed us that with the sport, that's where we're all connected together. We are kids. I still talk to my two high school friends. Most of them play for the Parisians and most play for the Sharks, right. So I just say sports, sports is a thing that unites us, as is that the united south africa. I can highlight back to 1950, 1995, for we won the red world cup. South africa. That's a restore from women for us as well. So for me it has to be sports well, thank you so much.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 8:33

So, before we wrap up although I could talk to you for a long time, but before wrap up, I want to explore your country. Yeah, so, if somebody wanted to visit south africa? Yeah so, if somebody wanted to visit South Africa, what would you recommend? And then we will finish up by talking about Durban in particular, which is where we are. But South Africa as a country, what would you say?

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 8:58

no-transcript. I have said it to go to sueto. Okay, so I told the college of the sports soccer teams because that's where everything started and so that's where they would come to the sports and soccer, specifically soccer. And yeah, then I leave it off in durban you haven't mentioned johnny's bag at all.

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 9:12

I mentioned johannes but in terms of so it's so, it's so, it's so, it's. Where the store came from is hard, um, so so it's uprising. All the marches were mostly, and so there's so 19, 1997, the youth, the jah, I think. So it's a jihadist, localized protocols.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 9:29

Yeah, as well, yeah, you know, I've been coming to southern africa for many, many years and I find that I always land at the joburg airport because it's so jihad, he's all right. It doesn't matter where you're going, it's what's in a zombie, it doesn't matter you know're going, it doesn't matter, it'll depend on which airline you landed. You see, that's the busiest place. It is so busy. Sometimes I have long layovers so I have the opportunity to visit different places, but no one is ever keen to visit Joby, and I can't understand.

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 10:03

I don't want to say much, but I'd agree, because Turrubu is most a busy space of South Africa. So just go and try and find a place to figure it out in terms of holiday. Or would you just go to Johannesburg? Hence the emphasis on schedules to townships. That's where you find out. I put more of us in Africa. Yeah, I put more of us in Africa.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 10:20

Yeah, obviously, comes with Turbid and tell us About visiting Soweto. Is it safe to do so For a foreigner or would you advise you know, maybe an organized tour?

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 10:31

I think one nice tour Organized tour in the wild, but I haven't had any bad days. Okay, that's helpful.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 10:37

Thank you, that's good. I do know there's a huge museum, though that's for me. Is it the nelson?

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 10:42

yeah, and we need my these. They'll have a mistake, well yeah, yeah, yeah.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 10:47

So it's fantastic. I mean, it's an experience all on its own. Okay, if you wanted to see the big five, where do you recommend people go to big?

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 10:55

five. Big five would have to be the kruger national parks. Okay, in asia park, I'm sure they've got the big five. Yeah, it's a very nice place to go to okay, brilliant.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 11:04

So now let's talk about durban, which is your home city. What are the sights and sounds?

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 11:10

wow, for me, for durban, it would have to be a shark marine. I'm also doing it yes, we've been.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 11:16

We've been gorgeous. Listen, I just love, love, love the creativity, because it's built from an old ship and we were trying to analyze it and we thought this must have been a battleship, because there are bullet holes. Oh, you don't even know. If you look at it, bits are broken. Somebody actually thought to themselves you know what we can repurpose this? That's very authentic. It is authentic, but it's also the highlight of recycling and reuse it. You know, so I love that. Yeah, okay, so, yeah, okay.

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 11:49

So that's oshaka yeah, okay, very good, we've got the nice rugby stadiums, quick soccer, all this for sports as well. Yeah, all the same area, yeah, and then I was supposed to say to do it up to Musangat as well, just to see more of the beachfront we have the best restaurants there, by the way, yeah, the Rinas. And then also just to understand more about the culture. I'm not sure if you saw people doing Zulu traditional dancing and stuff like that Not on a beach, do they do that regularly? Normally I'm on the beach as well, do they? Yeah, okay, maybe. Well, do they? Yeah, okay, maybe not today, though, maybe not today. I'll keep an eye out, yeah, and just also get the tone. The normally tall buses that go around, uh, the durban as well. They actually start from me. I'm not sure if, being a being one, yeah, um, they just show a bit more. But durban as well. But you need, it's a very peaceful place. Uh, the beach. You feel the peace as well.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 12:39

It's really nice it's so nice here. Hop a cup of Anywhere If you get the opportunity, and then you can figure out when you want to spend More time After you've had it A little. Okay, so tell us some of the things that you're working on right now. So Dream big.

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 12:53

At the moment we're looking to open A DES which is called the Dream Entrepreneur Society. Okay, so the entrepreneurper Society, which we have called other organizations it thinks of how can we upskill the young entrepreneur. I've been looking for Chopper's bosses because it turned out that you might have an idea which I had 10 years ago, but I never had the right resources or the right means or space to me. If I had the right resources 10 years ago, maybe I could be third with what I've mentioned. So that's the one thing we were trying to look at. Chopper Society was third world organization, so there's one thing we were trying to look at our children's society was to have a tech hub and mostly to look at also our stem as well. And what you're looking to have to look at. Two trouble news and we're trying to above script and my favorite organization, my favorite program, which is touch of a dream touch of a dream, trying to look at whoever's got an idea. I would obviously task that dream with someone else down there. Dream for them, for them together.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 13:48

Yeah, I love that. I mean a lot of it, of course, intersects with some of the things we do with our entrepreneurship to absolutely collaborate. It's the Ubuntu spirit, isn't it? Yes, of course, yeah, okay, I don't want to end this without talking about music. Cool, because when my daughter heard I was coming to South Africa, she was like enjoy, is it a cucumber? Cucumber, some kind of music piano? Maybe there's a man piano, but there's something else, she said to enjoy tell us who your favorite artists are I love to listen to them.

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 14:23

When I was going for my job this morning I just did lalatikzin. Okay, gabza, well, a calvin bob, maybe your daughter might like she might, she might. But I think, star forget, music has baking braids across the world. It has, and it's been a very great way to upskill most people, because I think it was from there where to upskill most people, because I think most of our universities are positions and they've helped show this, show the music across the world and actually both made them benefit in that as well.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 14:53

Yeah, and just to finish, what are your dreams and hopes for your country? I?

Khayelihle Nkabinde: 14:58

think for me is for Buddha to stay in the country, not to leave the country really, because we are. We tend to say that there isn't really much that's going to stay in the country in terms of growth. So we just cite it to help us upskill the youth, because there are very, very bad unemployed youth in South Africa, so most of the youth are tending to leave South Africa and find jobs.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 15:24

so what we do as an organisation is to actually upskill the youth so they can create their own businesses and be their own professionals as well, I love that, especially with the entrepreneurship stuff, and that's why we do what we do, because I really do believe that the backbone of every country are their entrepreneurs. So if you can get people thinking about how to create wealth, how to meet needs and we live in such a time right now where you can do that from your bedroom you don't need to emigrate now to make a lot of money. So anyway, who knows, we might actually have another Elon Musk lurking somewhere that will stay in South Africa.

AmickyCarol Akiwumi MBE: 16:03

That will stay exactly. I think the whole world would prefer that the person stays in South Africa and, on that note, thank you so much for joining here, ray. It's been amazing. Take care. Thank you so much for joining me on today's episode of World Changes Podcast. I hope you're feeling as inspired as I am by today's conversation. Remember the power to create change is within each of us. If you were inspired by today's episode, don't forget to subscribe, share it with a friend and leave us a review. It really helps to spread the word and inspire even more world changers. And be sure to follow us on social media at world changes pc for updates, behind the scenes content and more inspiring stories. Until next time, keep exploring, keep making a difference and remember you can be a world changer the world changes podcast is produced by humanized Live and presented by Amiki Carroll.

Humanise Live: 17:08

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