Background to the CABC

Registered in 2018, the Centre for Analytics & Behavioural Change (CABC) is a section 18A non-profit established to track and counter mis- and disinformation, coordinated narrative manipulation, and polarising, divisive rhetoric that is promulgated online to undermine social cohesion, democratic integrity and the stability of nation-states.  We foster and empower active citizenries and civil society organisations tackling social, political and environmental challenges facing societies in the 21st century. Since inception, the CABC has been actively tracking conversations online and intervening on issues of social importance that directly influence African citizens. The CABC does not only function as a research insights institute, but also includes an in-house team of dialogue facilitators and creative content designers. With this, the CABC has also been able to find vectors into important conversations online to avoid the spread of harmful content and mis- and disinformation online.

South African organisations like the CABC bring a distinctive and necessary perspective to the global conversation on generative AI, content moderation, and digital governance. We operate in a context marked by deep socio-economic inequality, political polarisation, and a complex information ecosystem shaped by multiple languages in a region where limited investment has been made in harmful social media content moderation.

CABC Team and core qualifications

Kim Thipe ,Director She is an impact communicator for change with experience in both commercial and non-profit entities, Kim started her career in the entertainment industry and has continued in the marketing and media profession where she has held various marketing leadership positions (FNB, YFM, MNET & Nu Metro) and former Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of South African Airways (SAA). Kim currently sits on the board of African Media Entertainment, a broadcast media and content entity (Chairing the Social and Ethics Committee, ESG) and Masimanyane Women’s Rights International, an NGO that aims to advance women’s rights and gender equality in society. Kim is a Chartered Marketer (CMSA) and Vice Chairwoman of the Marketing Association of South Africa (MASA) and Council Member of the Marketing Advertising Council (MAC) SA; a committee appointed by the Office of The Presidency to develop and issue an Annual Transformation Monitoring Report and industry sector codes. She currently serves on the Alumni Board of the Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town. She also holds a BA from Simmons University (Massachusetts) and an EMBA from the Graduate School of Business (Cape Town, South Africa).

Neeran Naidoo – Media Director Neeran is a CABC Founder and specialist crisis communication and reputation risk management consultant with many years of experience in leadership roles in the corporate, NGO and public service sectors. He is one of the founding members of the Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change. He is a British Council Chevening scholar with a Masters’ degree in Communications from the Centre for Mass Communication Research at the University of Leicester, UK. He spent 8 years at Woolworths SA as head of strategic communications for the group, protecting the reputation of South Africa’s celebrated retail brand. More recently, Neeran was Director of Communications at the Nelson Mandela Foundation and Special Advisor to the Speaker of the National Assembly during Mandela’s presidency. Neeran currently serves on the Board of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation. He loves the media with all its pitfalls, personalities and pit-bulls. Proudest contribution to South Africa: Designed the Mace of the National Assembly, one of South Africa’s national symbols when Mandela was President.

Charles Ainslie – CFO, CA(SA) Charles has worked closely with the CABC since 2020, and holds the role of CFO. Charles has 20 years of strategic finance experience, initially with Ernst & Young as a senior member of the transaction advisory team in the UK; and subsequently as the co-founder of an education catalyst fund, set up in South Africa to support growing non profit organisations around the country. Charles is also a professional coach to senior leaders and their teams. Charles oversees all aspects of CABC financial control and strategic finance.

Jesse Cann – Research Director – MBA, BA Jesse holds a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and a minor in Marketing (Fort Lewis College, Colorado) as well as a MBA from University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business. He has lived and worked across the US, Mexico and South Africa. His background centres around operations management and business development.

Euston Witbooi – Senior Researcher at the CABC.- MBA, B.Sc (Hons) Euston has a scientific background in addition to an MBA from UCT’s Graduate School of Business. He is well-versed in report writing and has taken the lead in several of the CABC’s past and current projects. He is passionate about earth stewardship, values-based leadership and the empowering of others through fact-based research. He leads the CABC Just Energy Transition projects.

Dr. Aldu Cornelissen’s research into social media and disinformation straddles the worlds of academia and commerce. He started his career as a lecturer at the Department of Information Science at Stellenbosch University, where he also founded the Computational Social Sciences Research Group. His research focuses on diverse aspects of disinformation techniques, bot classification, and sentiment biases towards external state actors in the South African media. He is a co-founder of Murmur.

Kyle Findlay is a highly experienced and accomplished researcher and is a recognised authority in the fields of brand and social media research. His work extends across market research, data science and social media research, with a special interest in covert influence operations. He is a co-founder of Murmur.

Kyle Janse. Kyle holds an LL.B and LL.M in Intellectual Property Law from the University of Cape Town. His academic interests include the intersection between technology and law, as well as indigenous knowledge systems and intellectual property. Kyle is a researcher at the CABC, supporting a variety of project streams. At the CABC, his work focuses primarily on online narratives in relation to misogyny and gendered norms.

Raeesa Dalwai. Project Manager/Operations Manager Raeesa plays a traffic/project manager role at the CABC. Raeesa is a seasoned professional with diverse experience in operations, project management, digital marketing, and education and training. Having worked in both NGO and corporate environments, she has contributed to the success of organisations such as Islamic Relief, where she led strategic initiatives, project implementation, and people management efforts. Her background spans digital project management, communications, and mentoring, with a passion for helping individuals and teams achieve their potential.

Aviwe Konde is a creative artist, writer and social media specialist. Born with an astounding artistic aptitude. Studied Art & Design in Cape College. Founder of 3rdwavedesign, a group of collective artists in the townships, currently A Deputy Manager of Dialogue Facilitation at CABC as well as involved in communications and social media content creator. To top it off, to me it has been a great privilege that most of my work is around human r Knowing that’s the rights that every person has by virtue of being a human being. That protects vulnerable groups from discrimination and abuse, and allows people to stand up for themselves.

Xolani Yona holds a Bachelors in Computer Science and is a Developer, Technical Advisor and data researcher with a strong background in front/back-end development, web management, data analysis, and software development. Currently leading the tech initiatives at CABC, they specialize in creating dynamic web applications, managing platforms, data analyzing and visualizing, and ensuring seamless user experiences. He is also currently leading the development of an application, a peer-to-peer (P2P) aid and civic engagement tool designed to support South African communities. (P2P) connects individuals, NGOs, and community groups to share resources, access verified information, and organize local initiatives.

Nonhlanhla Mthetwa: Dialogue Facilitator – An experienced dialogue facilitator who holds a degree in Social Work and has completed courses in facilitation and assessment. Her professional expertise lies in fostering community engagement, delivering impactful training, and working collaboratively with diverse stakeholders to drive progress in key social issues. Currently serving as a Team Lead and Facilitator, her work focuses on empowering communities through digital activism, particularly by training soccer teams, taxi drivers, and other groups to become active agents of change in promoting social issues. She has vast experience in working with and training organisations, particularly in the heCareZa program, having contributed to meaningful dialogue and interventions aimed at addressing Gender Based Violence (GBV) and fostering equality through community work and training. Her role involves equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to advocate for positive change both online and offline.

Zenani Dlamini – With a strong foundation in community facilitation, she has devoted her career to addressing critical societal challenges, including gender-based violence, HIV/AIDS, and broader community development initiatives. In her role as Lead Dialogue Facilitator at the Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change (CABC), Zenani skillfully steers conversations and fosters actionable insights, enabling individuals and communities to confront these pressing issues with purpose and resilience. Her unwavering passion for uplifting others underscores her commitment to creating meaningful and lasting impact.

Gia Whitehead – Fundraising Lead: Gia has raised over R500 million for her organisation (TSIBA) and other charities for the last 20 years. She is focused on building sustainable social enterprises and growing strong business modelling. Gia has built international and South African strategic partnerships in BBBEE Consulting, fundraising, academia and collaborations to enrich impact offerings. Gia Whitehead is the CEO (Chairperson for the last 2 years) and Co-Founder of TSIBA Business School. In addition to her position as CABC Fundraising Head, Gia consults with other impact-focussed organisations and assists with strategy development. Gia sits on the United Herzlia Schools Board as an Independent Governor and has previously represented TSIBA on the Board of JP Morgan Chase, and on the Board/Trustee of Lucca Leadership South Africa. She has a Bachelor of Information Technology and completed her Postgraduate studies in Enterprise Management at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Gia was recognized as one of South Africa’s 100 Brightest Young Minds in 2002 and was awarded Top Women Entrepreneur of the Year 2012 (Topco Media).

Camaren Peter (PhD) CABC Founder – is an Associate Professor with the Allan Gray Centre for Values- Based Leadership at the Graduate School of Business. He holds a cum laude BSc (Hons) degree in theoretical physics, an MSc in astrophysics and a PhD in Business Administration. He is also the Executive Head and Director of the Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change. His academic research and practice leverages complexity theory to tackle the grand challenges of the 21st Century. These range from political, technological and socio-cultural transitions and their implications, to powerful global change phenomena such as the fourth industrial revolution, urbanisation, resource scarcity, ecosystems degradation and climate change. He is an author, has published in both theory and practice, and has worked with a variety of global institutions and organisations.