Mukundi Lambani caught the producer bug in 2010 when she began producing the international 48 Hour Film Project. At only 23, she bought the rights to produce the film festival in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Gaborone. The initiative created opportunities for more than 200 filmmakers, some of whom went on to Hollywood and at the Cannes film festival as a result of Lambani’s fundraising efforts.
Mukundi now works as the founder and director of Ambani Africa, an education technology company that teaches young learners mother-tongue through augmented reality, an interactive experience of a real-world environment, making it a fun learning resource. Ambani reaches 1.2-million learners in South Africa. The company is one of six that have been selected for the Injini Accelerator programme and is in line for other investments.
Mukundi also works with the Goethe-Institut and heads up the Creative Economies in Townships project, which supports entrepreneurs in Diepsloot, Ga-Rankuwa and Eersterust. The project provides market access, mentorship, travel exchange opportunities and paid job placements.
Lambani obtained her diploma in business management and administration from Varsity College. She has an honours degree in motion and picture medium from AFDA and a master’s in creative media leadership from Bournemouth University in the United Kingdom.
She believes a good educational foundation sets the tone for lifelong learning and, through her work at Ambani Africa and the Goethe-Institut, she hopes to “close the education gap”.
“I focus on the foundation phase because if you’re behind by the time you’re in a grade, you’re not likely to ever catch up,” she says.