Professional History: Kunyala Maphisa is the Chief Executive Officer of AFLI. She was appointed to the position in October 2025, and joined the AFLI board earlier that year. Kunyalala was part of the inaugural AFLI cohort of the Tutu Fellowship Programme in 2006.

Kunyalala is a commercial attorney turned entrepreneur and businesswoman, with more than 20 years corporate experience, business and transaction advisory and development work. Her legal experience includes corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and transaction advisory and she has worked in multiple African countries.

She previously practiced as an attorney in one of the largest commercial law firms in South Africa, later serving in various senior executive positions including at Ernst & Young South Africa where she was Head of Emerging Markets in the Corporate Finance Unit.

She founded a Johannesburg based investment and advisory firm in 2018, recently relocating to and investing in Zimbabwe where she currently lives.

Kunyalala serves on the Boards of a number of companies, including the Board of PPC Limited, a South African cement company listed on the Johannesburg Stock exchange and the Board of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. Until recently, she served on the Governing Council for the University of Capetown (UCT), and as the President of the Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa, the largest association of professional and businesswomen in South Africa.

She has served in multiple bi-lateral and multi-lateral bodies and forums attending regional and international meetings including United Nations, African Union (AU) and SADC meetings in various African countries. She has travelled extensively, presenting papers and speaking at conferences and meetings on various topics across the continent and internationally.

In recent years she has focused on development work, using her extensive legal, commercial and business experience, particularly business advisory, capital raising and business development to build capacity and sustainability for NGOs and non-profit organizations.

Academic and professional credentials: Master of Laws, University of Cape Town (UCT)
Bachelor of Laws degree, University of Cape Town (UCT)
Bachelor of Arts degree (BA) in Public Policy and Industrial Relations, University of Cape Town (UCT)

Programs: Crans Montana Forum Young Global Leader