Bringing Ubuntu to A Global Platform for Social Change - Paul van Zyl, The Conduit

In bustling Covent Garden in London, Paul van Zyl, originally from South Africa and former Executive Secretary of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and his co-founders, have established The Conduit. This private members’ club is dedicated to uniting the world’s brightest minds in a social enterprise committed to changing the world. In an interview with Biznews, Van Zyl discusses his journey from the TRC, led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, to co-founding The Conduit. He describes how he embraces the philosophy of Ubuntu and his efforts to introduce this concept to entrepreneurs. Van Zyl explains that The Conduit merges elements of private members’ clubs like Soho House with ideas festivals and business incubators, hosting 200 talks annually on global issues with a solutions-oriented approach. The Conduit boasts a diverse community of 3000 members, including philanthropists, CEOs, activists, and entrepreneurs. Speakers have included Nobel Prize winners and other influential global figures like Malala. The Conduit also operates a sister business functioning as a business incubator. Van Zyl reveals that the Conduit has expanded to Oslo and has plans for New York, Geneva, Copenhagen, and Singapore. They also plan to launch an academy to deliver recorded talks to a wider audience. He comments on the global leadership deficit in addressing the world’s challenges and reflects on his time with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. I try to live up to the optimism and leadership principles embodied by Archbishop Tutu, and Nelson Mandela, he says. They demonstrated “a kind of leadership that rises above pettiness and partisanship and thinks above the horizon, not on the things that are immediately in front of them.”