Reimagine Mental Health

Black Coffee

Grammy Award winner and international DJ and music producer

Nkosinathi Innocent Sizwe Maphumulo, better known as DJ Black Coffee, is the first African DJ to win a Grammy Award. He is a world-renowned DJ, songwriter, music producer, CEO, and founder of the record label “Soulistic Music”.

Over the last two decades, Black Coffee has established himself as one of the most prominent global names in electronic music. He has broken down boundaries musically; bringing his South African roots to the world with a blend of heavily traditional African percussion and distinctively metropolitan techno, dubbed by many as “Afropolitan House”.

Following a remix for the inimitable Alicia Keys, he collaborated with international superstar Drake on the hit “Get It Together” and released his 6th studio LP ‘Subconsciously’ featuring the likes of Pharrell Williams, Diplo, RyX, Usher and David Guetta.

When Black Coffee isn’t on the road, he spends time supporting local charities in South Africa through music and education, as well as helping the next generation of entrepreneurs through his company Flight Mode Digital as an angel investor.

Katy Katopodis

Director: Newzroom Afrika and Nala Media

Katy has crafted an impressive journalism career spanning over 20 years in the media industry. Her versatile leadership style has equipped her to create cutting-edge newsrooms, with interactive and integrated broadcast, digital & social media reach.

Katy is a senior member of the South African National Editors’ Forum (Sanef). She was recently elected to chair SANEF’s journalism wellness and safety subcommittee – which focuses on the mental wellness of reporters and editors.

Katy’s public appearances over the years have included a TedX talk and speeches on a wide range of topics of a professional & personal nature.

Professor Stoffel Grobler

Psychiatrist: Corporate Mental Health Company

Prof. Stoffel Grobler is a medical doctor and psychiatrist in South Africa, with more than 20 years of experience in both psychiatry and workplace mental health.

As an independent medical examiner for the insurance industry, he has become passionate about preventing disability due to mental illness. He is the Head Clinical Unit at Elizabeth Donkin Hospital, Associate professor at Walter Sisulu University and Research Associate at Nelson Mandela University.

Prof. Grobler obtained a Doctorate in Medicine in 2013 from the University of Pretoria on the topic of bipolar mood disorder.

Dr Alicia Porter

Specialist Psychiatrist

Dr Alicia Porter is one of the founding members of the Health workers Care Network, which was established as a mental health support and training network during Covid. She is an Honorary Secretary of the board of directors of the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP) and the Vice Chairperson of the Botshabelo Board; a children's NPO in Johannesburg.

After six years in private practice, she joined the Forensic Unit at Sterkfontein Hospital in Krugersdorp. A year later, she decided to pursue a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She is currently working at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital in the Child and Family Unit.

She obtained her MBCHB degree from the University of Kwazulu-Natal in 2002. She has an International diploma in mental health law and human rights from the Indian Law College in Pune India, which she obtained in 2019.

Darren Behrendt

CEO: Investec Life

Darren Behrendt is the current CEO of Investec Life.

Prior to this, he served as a non-executive director for the Investec Life business since March 2017 and worked across a number of businesses within the Investec Group in different roles since 2006, including; the Head of Investec Bank Credit Investments & Structuring, Head of Investec Financial Products and the CEO of Investec Specialist Investments.

He has a PhD in Mathematics and an MCom in Financial Economics from the University of Johannesburg. He has also completed a leadership development programme through Harvard Business School.

Sinenhlanhla Sithomo

Head of Insurance Business: Investec Life

Sinenhlanhla Sithomo is a cross-functional team leader within Investec. He leads the life insurance business at Investec Life and is responsible for product development, pricing, and insurance innovation.

Over the years, he has gained widespread actuarial experience working on South Africa’s leading brands, in life insurance, healthcare financing, savings, and investments focusing on product design, product management, and technical marketing.

He is a qualified actuary and holds a Bachelors of Business Science (Actuarial Science) from the University of Cape Town.

Kaylash Rama

Head of Medical Underwriting: Investec Life

Kaylash Rama is the head of medical underwriting at Investec Life. Her passion for underwriting began at Old mutual in 1991, where she gained most of her medical knowledge.

She has worked for several life insurance companies in South Africa including a global reinsurer, where her roles included a specialist & marketing underwriter, through to the manager of research and development for a prominent South African Insurer.

The highlight of her career was her involvement in liaising with international participants in the development of underwriting standards for the South African market.  She has a Diploma in Public Relations, Anatomy and Physiology, and has completed several business courses.

Lesley-Anne Gatter

Global Head of People & Organisation: Investec

Lesley-Anne Gatter joined Investec in 2006 and became the Head of Learning & Development in 2007. She was appointed Head of People & Organisation South Africa in 2016. As an established practitioner in the people space, she manages the ways in which Investec’s culture supports and drives its people and their businesses toward extraordinary performance.

In 2019, she was appointed to the newly formed ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Executive Committee. She is specifically focused on the committee’s equality initiatives, a responsibility she is passionate about.

She holds a Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of the Witwatersrand and has lectured on psychology in various academic settings.

Cassey Chambers

Operations Director: SADAG

Cassey Chambers has been the Operations Director at the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), since Jan 2007.

She started at SADAG as a volunteer to man the Suicide Crisis Helpline over 15 years ago. She represents SADAG at national conferences, various press and media interviews, workshops and advocacy projects to help fight for patients’ rights and destigmatise mental health across the country.

Her focus is on various projects including the Teen Suicide Prevention School Programme, Rural Outreach Projects, Support Groups, Responsible Reporting initiatives with press and media, Mental Health in the Workplace and advocacy projects including the Life Esidimeni crisis and Medical Aids.