Village Enterprise appoints Sazini Mojapelo as its first Africa-based CEO

Sazini will bring a wealth of global development and nonprofit expertise to lead Village Enterprise's efforts in lifting families out of extreme poverty through entrepreneurship

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors at Village Enterprise is pleased to announce the appointment of Sazini Mojapelo as its next Chief Executive Officer. 

Sazini joins Village Enterprise from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), bringing an invaluable combination of global development, corporate, and nonprofit sector experience to Village Enterprise's mission to lift families out of extreme poverty through entrepreneurship, innovation, and collective action. Sazini will be Village Enterprise's first Africa-based CEO, beginning February 17, 2026. 

The leadership transition reflects Village Enterprise's belief in the power of locally driven solutions to end extreme poverty in rural Africa. With 94% of its staff based in Africa, Village Enterprise's leadership will now be closer to the communities it serves. As CEO, Sazini will lead the team from Nairobi, Kenya, guiding the organization through a shifting global aid landscape and strengthening partnerships with governments and funders to drive long-term, sustainable impact. Sazini replaces Dianne Calvi, who is stepping down as CEO after 15 years of growth and impact at Village Enterprise. Dianne initiated and announced her transition in June as part of her commitment to advancing African-led leadership at Village Enterprise.

Sazini's experience spans both the corporate and nonprofit sectors, having founded and led Hand in Hand Southern Africa, a regional NGO that alleviates poverty through job creation. She joins from the International Finance Corporation (IFC, a member of the World Bank Group) where she was the Global Gender GBV Lead, and she also previously held leadership roles in the corporate sector. Her deep understanding of corporate and multilateral funding, and her vision for how Village Enterprise can engage more effectively in these areas, will be instrumental as the organization's impact continues to grow across Africa. 

As Village Enterprise's impact has expanded to 10 countries in Africa and with bold new partnerships with governments, as well as global and local nonprofits, Sazini's appointment comes at a critical time to build on this momentum and accelerate efforts to alleviate poverty through Village Enterprise's proven poverty graduation approach.

Bruce Sewell, Board Chair at Village Enterprise, said: "The Board and I are delighted to welcome Sazini to Village Enterprise. Her authentic, purpose-driven approach and commitment to servant leadership embody the values at the heart of our organization. She brings extensive experience across global development and nonprofit leadership, combined with the energy and ambition to guide Village Enterprise into a new phase of impact and scale." 

Sazini Mojapelo said: "It is an honor to join Village Enterprise and to build on Dianne's remarkable legacy. I look forward to working alongside our dedicated team and partners to lead the organization into our next chapter—deepening collaboration, strengthening impact, and expanding opportunity for the families we serve across rural Africa."

Dianne Calvi said: "This transition reflects a vision Village Enterprise and I have been building toward for many years—for the organization's next CEO to be based in Africa. I am thrilled that Sazini Mojapelo will lead Village Enterprise into the future."

Media enquiries:
Village Enterprise – villageenterprise@wearesevenhills.com

About Village Enterprise

Village Enterprise's mission is to end extreme poverty in rural Africa through entrepreneurship, innovation, and collective action. We work with vulnerable women, refugees, and youth who are most impacted by climate change, conflict, and displacement, and equip them with skills and resources to launch climate-smart businesses, build savings, and put themselves and their families onto a sustainable path out of extreme poverty. Village Enterprise has started over 118,000 businesses and positively transformed the lives of over 2.3 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Congo-Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Tanzania.

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