Mmatshilo Motsei is the founder of Afrika Ikalafe, an institute that specializes in personal and societal transformation that is founded on Afrikan spiritual principles. 

Her overall aim is to uncover the old truth that Afrika is great and powerful beyond measure and that, because of the poisoning of our minds, our souls are afflicted.

She holds that with an afflicted soul comes a dis-eased body. Consequently,  Afrika’s traumatic past has led to it becoming a dis-eased body whose soul calls for holistic healing, hence the name Afrika Ikalafe, meaning Africa Heal Thyself. Through Afrika Ikalafe, Mmatshilo seeks to act as a channel for people’s recovery, rediscovery and reconnection with their innate light and power.

An Afrikan spiritualist, co-creative strategist, author and poet, Mmatshilo has spent the last three decades working as a nurse, midwife, nursing lecturer, social science researcher and community development facilitator. Her line of work has seen her travel extensively across Africa, Europe, USA and Australia while also making considerable impact in rural communities in her home country of South Africa.  In 1992, she founded Agisanang Domestic Abuse Prevention and Training (ADAPT), an organisation using holistic healing methods to address violence against women in townships and rural villages in Gauteng, North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. She was instrumental in introducing a counseling and support programme for men, including organizing the first men’s march against rape in 1997.  In 1995, she was part of an official delegation to undertake research on national gender machinery set up by governments in Uganda and Australia. In the same year, she was seconded to the Office of the President to oversee the process of developing policy for women's empowerment focusing mainly on the establishment of the National Gender Machinery.

Women’s health and wellness

Afrikan humanism, Afrikan feminism – the flip side of the same coin

When abuse follows women to work – impact on productivity

Afrikan Youth leadership – integrating modern and ancient principles and philosophies

Afrikan soul in the workplace – integrating values of Botho/Ubuntu in government and business

The healing power of art

Spiritual politics and leadership – reintegrating the heart in politics and developing a leadership model that actualizes human potential and inner power

She elephant leadership: What role will women play in leading Africa through the 21st century?

Mmatshilo views her work as “a bridge to help people to move across man made boundaries” in their lives. These include, age, race, class, gender, culture and religion. She believes that the destiny of the globe lies in people’s ability to reconcile with themselves and others. Using a combination of narrative, poetry, idioms and proverbs, her remarkable presentations not only electrify the stage, but also create an opportunity for the audience to experience dynamic personal change.  Overall, she encourages people to “Push their boundaries and excel in the art of living”. Through years of delivering workshops, lectures and seminars, she has continually learned to develop the art of nurturing the genius in all humans. By grinding through her own fears and sharing her journey with the audience through her writing, Mmatshilo has learnt the rare skill of celebrating the power within.