Join Our Team!

TEKANO advances health equity through building the capacity of visionary, values-based change-makers to advocate for health equity in South Africa. This is delivered through a team of individuals sharing two critical traits:

Individuals who are committed to social justice, evidenced by sustained involvement in activities that have challenged unfair social, economic, cultural, environmental, and political structures and systems that undermine health equity.

Individuals who want to continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire in an environment driven by continuous collaborative learning and improvement at all levels in the organisation.

 TEKANO Open Positions

 

Visual Narrative Design Consultant 

Tekano is seeking a Visual Narrative Design Consultant to translate our long-term institutional strategy into an accessible, compelling, and living visual language.

This consultancy sits at the intersection of strategy, storytelling, and design. It is not about beautifying pre-written copy. We are looking for someone who can actively engage the substance of the strategy—distilling complex ideas, values, and commitments into clear visual narratives that are easy to understand, remember, and share.

The core outputs of this consultancy will be:

  • a popular version of Tekano’s strategy, and
  • a phased series of visual snippets that can be released over time as part of a campaign-style rollout, internally and externally.
About Us

Over the past decade, Tekano has invested in leadership, ideas, and collective capacity through a fellowship model that supports justice-oriented leaders embedded in communities and movements most affected by inequity. Building on this foundation, Tekano has adopted a new ten-year strategy (2026–2036) that repositions the organisation as a Catalyst Hub for health equity: weaving leaders, ideas, institutions, and resources into a stronger, more connected, and more resilient ecosystem for systemic change.

Over the coming months, Tekano will roll out this strategy internally and externally, not as a single dense document, but as a living narrative that can be understood, shared, and activated over time. This consultancy plays a central role in that process by translating the strategy into accessible, inspiring visual forms that support learning, alignment, and collective ownership across diverse audiences.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Strategic Distillation & Sense-Making

    • Work closely with Tekano’s leadership and communications teams to identify the core ideas, metaphors, and messages at the heart of the strategy.
    • Translate abstract or systemic concepts (for example: ecosystem building, stewardship, justice-centred capital, or collective leadership) into visual forms that are intuitive and emotionally resonant.

    Visual Narrative & Campaign Design

    • Design a coherent visual narrative for the strategy that unfolds over time, rather than as a single static product.
    • Develop a campaign architecture that breaks the strategy into bite-sized visual moments (static visuals, short animations, or carousels) suitable for phased release.

    Visual Language Development

    • Create a distinctive visual universe for the strategy, including visual metaphors, iconography, typographic approaches, and colour palettes.
    • Ensure the visual language aligns with Tekano’s values of solidarity, dignity, justice, and care, avoiding corporate, extractive, or generic aesthetics.

    Strategy Document Translation

    • Design a popular or reader-friendly version of the full strategy document that prioritises clarity, scannability, and narrative flow, without diluting its political or ethical depth.
    • Support the creation of visual summaries and explainer formats that make the strategy easy to talk about and teach.

    Multi-Platform Adaptation

    • Adapt visual assets for use across platforms such as WhatsApp, social media, email newsletters, websites, and presentations.
    • Ensure consistency of meaning and tone across formats, not just consistency of branding.
Qualifications & Experience:
  • Design & Narrative Fluency: A portfolio that demonstrates strong visual design skills and the ability to think in sequences, stories, or systems.
  • Conceptual Strength: Proven ability to translate complex or abstract ideas into clear visual metaphors or frameworks.
  • Narrative Sensibility: Experience working on projects involving explanation, education, or public engagement, not only marketing.
  • Social Justice Literacy: An understanding of, or strong affinity with, social justice and values-driven work, reflected in both aesthetic choices and content sensitivity.
  • Technical Proficiency: Strong command of design tools such as Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop. Experience with light motion graphics or animation (e.g. After Effects, Canva, Premiere, or similar) is an advantage but not essential.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

  • A Simplifier: You have a strong instinct for cutting through jargon and abstraction and care deeply about accessibility.
  • Strategic by Nature: You think about why a visual works, not only whether it looks good.
  • Curious and Collaborative: You are comfortable asking questions, challenging assumptions, and working iteratively with others.
  • Values-Driven: You care about the ethics of representation, storytelling, and power, and want your work to contribute to meaningful social change.

PLEASE NOTE: We are especially interested in designers who have worked on public education, movement communications, cultural work, or systems change and who are excited by the challenge of making complex ideas legible without oversimplifying them.

APPLY NOW

Application Process:
Interested candidates are invited to submit their proposal by 10 February 2026 to curtis@tekano.org.za.

Proposals should include a short cover note and a link to relevant work. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Governance Lead

TEKANO is seeking a highly skilled and detail-oriented Governance Lead to join our dynamic team in Cape Town. Reporting directly to the CEO, this key role will oversee corporate governance processes, Board and Committee management, stakeholder engagement, and compliance functions within TEKANO. The successful candidate will ensure that TEKANO operates with the highest standards of governance, transparency, and efficiency, contributing directly to the organisation’s mission of advancing health equity in South Africa.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Key Responsibilities:

    • Board and Committee Management: Organise, schedule, and document meetings for the Tekano Health Equity (THESA) and Tekano Foundation Boards, and their sub-committees, ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and corporate governance principles.
    • Follow-up on the Implementation of Resolutions: Track and monitor the implementation of Board decisions, collaborating with key stakeholders to ensure timely execution and resolution close-out.
    • Corporate Governance Compliance: Ensure adherence to governance frameworks, such as King IV and relevant regulatory requirements, and maintain up-to-date policies, charters, and frameworks.
    • Research on Emerging Governance Trends: Stay informed on evolving governance practices and provide recommendations for adopting new frameworks to support TEKANO’s governance standards.
    • Stakeholder Engagement & Communication: Foster strong communication between the Board, Committees, senior management, and external stakeholders to promote transparency and collaboration.
    • Cross-Functional Integration: Support alignment between governance and operational functions, ensuring effective integration of committees and decision-making processes.
    • Risk Management & Compliance: Assist in managing risks and ensuring governance and legal compliance across all Board activities.
Qualifications & Experience:
  • Qualifications & Experience:
    • Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Law, Corporate Governance, Business Administration, or a related field. Membership with the Institute of Chartered Secretaries or equivalent qualification is advantageous.
    • Experience: Minimum of 5-7 years’ experience in a governance role, with proven experience working with Boards and Committees in an NGO or similar environment. Familiarity with the Companies Act and King IV Code on Corporate Governance is essential.
    • Skills: Proficiency in governance and legal software applications, excellent organisational and communication skills, meticulous attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
    • Knowledge: Strong understanding of corporate governance, compliance, risk management, and legislation relevant to non-profit organisations.
APPLY NOW

Application Process:
Interested candidates are invited to submit the Tekano application form and their CV to recruitment@tekano.org.za by 25 April 2025. Applicants who do not submit the application form will not be considered.

Join TEKANO and contribute to shaping a healthier, more equitable future for South Africa through strong governance and strategic leadership!

APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED!