The Thabo Mbeki Foundation (TMF) and the WDB Trust have officially consolidated to establish the Thabo and Zanele Mbeki Foundation (TZMF), aimed at driving intellectual discourse, public policy, and women-led grassroots development across Africa.

A statement issued by the new organisation says the strategic consolidation’s foundation is a clear institutional division of labour, and signed resolutions and Deeds of Amendment. Rather than absorbing one entity into another, the restructure establishes a dual-entity architecture.

Thabo and Zanele Mbeki Foundation (TZMF) operates as the mission-driven, public-facing vehicle and will spearhead all intellectual, political, and social programmes.

WDB Endowment Trust (WDB-ET) reconstituted from the original WDB Trust, will act as the capital steward and will manage TZMF’s funding.

While the legal restructuring is already complete, the broader regulatory, tax, governance, and operational integration will roll out sequentially.

The new organisation will be introduced formally at a public launch in November. Existing teams, programmes and stakeholder commitments continue throughout the transition, with day one planned for March 1, 2027.

All existing teams, current programmes, grants, partnerships, and community stakeholder commitments will continue.

The consolidation merges two distinct operational strengths, with the TMF’s bringing a pan-African mandate, intellectual leadership, policy research, political heritage, and highly trusted convening platforms.

The WDB Trust’s contributes over 30 years of experience in women-led community development, financial inclusion, micro-enterprise support, and grassroots execution.

"Bringing that experience together with the Thabo Mbeki Foundation’s continental platform is a natural next step. It does not set either legacy aside. It gives both a wider platform and keeps women’s leadership at the heart of what comes next,” said WDB Trust chairperson Gloria Serobe.

The overarching frame of the newly formed institution remains anchored heavily in the African Renaissance, with women-led development elevated as a core feature.

"The TZMF will be able to move across the full chain from ideas and dialogue to implementation, evidence and policy influence. We have the privilege, and the responsibility, of building an institution capable of serving Africa for generations,” explained the Thabo Mbeki Foundation chairperson Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi.

The consolidation represents a proactive effort to protect, strengthen, and extend the geographic reach of both legacy institutions. Further announcements regarding the upcoming public launch in November, finalised governance structures, and the unified programme framework will be made public soon.