Linda Kushinga SibanyoniLinda Kushinga Sibanyoni


Zimbabwe

Occupational Information


Job Title: Founder and Managing Partner at Thirdway Thinktank and politician

Professional History

Linda Kushinga Sibanyoni is the Founder and Managing Partner of Thirdway Think Tank. She is an independent politician who has six years of experience in the Zimbabwean political arena. Currently, Linda is focused on growing her political portfolio through continued civic engagement, following her run for Member of Parliament in the 2018 General Elections. In November 2016 she was appointed to head of policy for the African Democratic Party (ADP), and subsequently in April 2017 to the chief of staff, a historical appointment that resulted in her being the youngest female chief of staff in Zimbabwe. Her role within the ADP led to her fulfilling essential duties within opposition alliance networks such as the Coalition of Democrats, and the Zimbabwe National Electoral Reform Agenda. In October 2017, she resigned from the ADP.

In 2020, she founded Third Way, the political and and governance think tank that has a team of young Zimbabweans seeking to provide and implement ethical solutions to the current political and economic Zimbabwean crisis.  It provides leadership training, including a foundational course Ethical Dimensions of Leadership  to young business leaders and future political leaders on key aspects of being a board member or a political office bearer. Linda says she switched careers from business to politics to be part of ushering in change in Zimbabwe and to join the much-needed voice of female youth.

Linda is an auditor by profession with ten years of experience, having served articles at Grant Thornton Zimbabwe. Her entrepreneurial endeavours include the clothing and retail industry; the agro-processing and fast-moving consumer goods sector, and a consultant.  In 2010, she started a clothing brand focused on the production of t-shirts to provide affordable quality clothing for all Zimbabweans.  In 2018 the company added a line of socks and from that, diversified into the FMCG sector.

She said that after leaving Grant Thornton in 2015, she realised there was a gap in the market for accounting and business advisory services for start-ups and small and medium enterprises. She went on to incorporate Trinity, which specialises in providing accounting and business solutions to start-ups and SMEs. In 2019, Linda set up a business and entrepreneurial hub called DreamHub, which finds and nurtures scalable entrepreneurs and their businesses. She said she founded it on the philosophy that a new generation of ethical and skilled entrepreneurs was key to Zimbabwe’s involvement internationally.  She has also diversified into the personal care sector, producing a range of products locally to support the retention of money and jobs locally rather than spent outside the country on imports.

She has co-authored a book chapter in an Emerald publication titled - Women Courageous: Leading through the Labyrinth.  And in 2021, she raised funds to drill two boreholes for a community that had had no access to clean and safe water for more than 20 years. Working with the community, they have begun a community garden project that trains local youth in agriculture.  Produce from the garden will subsidise a community soup kitchen that will operate once a week, catering to child-headed households and the neglected elderly in the community.

Linda is a Mandela Washington Fellow. 

Qualifications


Bachelors of Accounting Science from UNISA
Currently enrolled at Leadership Studies at Kansas State University

Programs


2020 Archbishop Desmond Tutu Leadership Fellow


Additional Search Tags: politics, political party management, youth vote, women in politics, entrepreneur, accounting, advisory services, SME,
 

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The African Leadership Institute (AFLI) focuses on building the capacity and capability of visionary and strategic leadership across the continent. Developing exceptional leaders representing all spheres of society, the Institute’s flagship programme is the prestigious Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellowship. Offering a multifaceted learning experience and run in partnership with Oxford University, it is awarded annually to 20-25 carefully chosen candidates, nominated from across Africa. Alumni of the African Leadership Institute form a dynamic network of Fellows passionately committed to the continent’s transformation, bridging the divide between nations and ensuring that Africa is set centre-stage in global affairs.