I am Zacharia Matsela, President of the National Co-Operatives Association of South Africa (NCASA), and I have dedicated more than 20 years of my life to the cooperative movement. I was born in Kroonstad and raised in Soweto, Johannesburg, where my journey in cooperatives began through the Social Housing Cooperatives of Johannesburg. From those early days, I rose to serve as President of the South African Housing Cooperative Association (SAHCA), a role that deepened my commitment to building sustainable cooperative models for our people. Today, as the President of NCASA, I play a central role in shaping cooperative policies and fostering collaboration nationally and internationally.

My leadership is grounded in the principles of inclusivity and empowerment. I have chaired several task teams at Nedlac, contributing to national economic policy development, and I remain a strong advocate for women, youth, and people with disabilities in the cooperative sector. Over the years, I have been honored to share South Africa’s cooperative story on international platforms as a speaker and advocate for cooperative development and the solidarity economy. My vision continues to be one of building a cooperative movement that drives economic development while leaving no one behind.