TEDxDurban

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Dr Phathokuhle Zondi

  Dr Phathokuhle Zondi is a Sport and Exercise Medicine specialist with over a decade of experience working in elite sport. She has cared for athletes at Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games, and currently advises the International Olympic Committee on athlete health. She is Chief Specialist for Sports Medicine at UKZN and chairs Rugby Africa's Women's Health Subcommittee, where she leads work to improve health outcomes for female athletes across the continent. Her focus sits at the intersection of clinical medicine, policy, governance and high-performance sport, with a particular interest in athlete welfare, leadership and building systems that allow women in sport to thrive. Her contributions have been recognised with a Ministerial Award and a Businesswoman of the Year honour, although for Dr Zondi, the real measure of success remains the athletes she's cared for, and the systems she's helped shape.

• Tara Roos

  Tara Roos is a political analyst, journalist, author and writer with a deep commitment to strengthening South Africa's democracy and making its political institutions more accessible to the public. She works full-time as the parliamentary correspondent for Business Day, where she reports on legislative developments, political dynamics and the decisions shaping South Africa's future. As a former researcher, she draws on strong institutional knowledge and a grounded understanding of how Parliament functions. Her work extends into broadcast media through her weekly CapeTalk segment, This Week in Parliament, where she unpacks current developments and offers clear, practical insight to listeners. She also authors the widely read Tara's Take Substack newsletter, which provides analysis on South Africa's evolving political landscape and has more than 68,000 subscribers. She co-hosts The Bill podcast with Lester Kiewit, a weekly video show focused on politics, Parliament and her closing "Hot Take" of the week. Roos is also the author of Where To From Here?, a book examining the rise of populism and the realities of coalition politics in South Africa. Her broader mission centres on strengthening democracy and encouraging greater civic participation among young South Africans. She has been recognised for her contributions to governance and youth advocacy, including being named one of the Mail & Guardian's Top 200 Young South Africans and receiving the Ubuntu Youth Diplomacy Award from the Department of International Relations and Cooperation. She previously served as a United Nations Youth Ambassador for Education.