South Africa Reflections: Untold’s First Graduating Class
As May came to a close, the walls of the Kopano Ke Bophelo Center in Johannesburg, South Africa, pulsed with celebration. Untold’s first cohort of clients—regionally known as “beneficiaries” in South Africa—completed their nine-month journey through the program. This milestone was years in the making, long before the center officially opened its doors in the township of Zandspruit.
During the 2022–2024 AIDS SAID Campaign, Untold set its sights on expanding beyond East Africa. “South Africa has one of the highest HIV burdens on the continent, and we believe the local church there is uniquely poised for incredible impact,” says Molly Heacock, Untold’s Managing Director. “Our long-term vision for Untold is to expand into other countries in Southern Africa, and Johannesburg will be a perfect operations hub as we plan for that expansion in the years to come."
Despite the excitement of reaching a new community, the journey wasn’t without challenges. The social and systemic issues facing communities in South Africa differed slightly from what Untold had encountered in East Africa. Our South Africa team met those challenges head-on, committed to making the first graduating class a success story.
“At first, the lack of buy-in from the beneficiaries was a huge challenge. There is generally a lack of trust when new organizations come to the community,” says Tokollo Ngidi, Spiritual Counselor. Miemie Retsuri, TA Spiritual + Counseling, recalls the team’s intentionality in countering this. “We identified beneficiaries who understood the value of commitment and requested them to share their early successes with those who were lagging behind. The peer-to-peer motivation was successful in assisting with motivation and commitment to attend sessions,” she says.
Beyond the beneficiaries themselves, Untold South Africa faced initial hesitation from the broader community. Historically, Untold partners with a local church that hosts all program sessions, but in this case, this cohort kicked off its sessions within a community center.
“It was a challenge getting partnering churches,” says Amanda Matshaka, South Africa Regional Manager. “It eventually worked to our advantage, as we were able to secure very good facilities for skills training from the community center. We managed to find a suitable partner church towards the end of the program, and that is where our beneficiaries graduated from.”
Securing a local church partnership was one of several victories that outweighed the team’s early challenges. Graduation day brought those wins to life—beneficiaries shared powerful stories of transformation, notably ones who have undergone remarkable changes in their physical health. And the impact continues to grow: one graduate has already launched a business and hired fellow Untold alumni.
Looking ahead, the Untold South Africa team is deeply committed to helping the broader community understand the role of the local church. “This requires a change in mindset within the community that a church is not only open on Sundays, but throughout the week to provide much-needed services,” Miemie says. This starts with the newest Untold community ambassadors creating a ripple effect of change. “We are proud of who they have become,” Tokollo says. “May the seeds they plant harvest a great future.”
