Actor, Producer, Humanitarian Danny Glover; Actor, Playwright, Cultural Activist Dr. John Kani; Freedom Fighter, Writer, Justice of the South African Constitutional Court Albie Sachs; and Archbishop Thabo Makgoba Among Special Guests for Shared Interest’s 27th Anniversary Virtual Gala

Danny Glover

The 2021 virtual gala will pay tribute to South African Youth Day and commemorate Juneteenth during an evening of education, entertainment, empowerment, and philanthropy on June 15

On Tuesday, June 15 at 7:00 p.m. EST, Shared Interest, a prominent Southern African-focused non-profit social investment fund, will hold its 27th Anniversary Virtual Awards Gala. The 2021 theme is United for Hope: Forging the Path for the Next Generation and will celebrate global intersectionality and solidarity in the wake of mass protests, police brutality, and systemic racism while honoring the work of phenomenal women leaders who all have held a strong commitment to human rights and social justice throughout their careers. Additionally, as part of the gala program, Shared Interest will highlight four special invited guests who have all worked tirelessly fighting for freedom and equality around the world. 

Shared Interest is honored to have the following four individuals as special guests for this year’s gala: 

Danny Glover is an acclaimed actor, producer, political activist, and humanitarian. In addition to his talents in Hollywood, Glover is widely respected for his community activism and philanthropic efforts. He is passionate about advocacy for economic justice, access to health care, and education programs in both the United States and Africa. Glover also serves on Shared Interest’s advisory board helping to further the organization’s mission. 

Dr. John Kani is a Tony award-winning South African actor and playwright, known most recently for portraying T’Chaka in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Black Panther (2018), and Rafiki in the 2019 remake of The Lion King. Kani is also a prolific author who has been a prominent player in the anti-apartheid movement as well as an advocate for AIDS awareness and prevention in Africa. 

Albie Sachs is a freedom fighter, writer, and Justice of the Constitutional Court of South Africa (1994 – 2009). Sachs is an internationally acclaimed Freedom Fighter and Champion of Human Rights, and a beloved member of the international law community. Sachs played a leading role in the negotiating committee for the new constitution of South Africa and was appointed to one of the 11 seats on the country’s new Constitutional Court by Nelson Mandela. 

The Most Revd. Dr. Thabo Makgoba has served as the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, and Metropolitan of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa since January 2008. As the youngest person elected to this office, he succeeded Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, who served from 1997 to 2007 and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who served from 1986 to 1996.

For more information about the gala, please visit www.sharedinterest.org/27thanniversarygala or email Shukura Shears at shukura@sharedinterest.org. Both monetary and in-kind sponsorships are still available. For all media inquiries or to schedule interviews, contact Jameka Whitten at 704.965.3297 or jameka@jswmediagroup.com.

About Shared Interest

In 1994, Shared Interest set out to unlock South Africa’s wealth to benefit the majority of the country’s people. Although political power had changed hands in South Africa, economic power had not. We launched a non-profit social investment fund to mobilize the resources for Southern Africa’s economically marginalized black communities by moving banks to lend to them.  Our loan guarantees and technical assistance allow smallholder farmers and emerging entrepreneurs to access the credit, markets, and training they need to create sustainable livelihoods for their families and communities. 

Our model generates a leverage effect that multiplies our capital’s impact: since our founding, we have also placed $30 million of guarantees, unlocking $125 million in loans benefitting more than 3 million people, and never lost a cent of an investor’s interest or principal. Shared Interest has also helped create more than 180,000 new small and micro-enterprises, 1.9 million jobs, and 120,000 affordable homes. Building on our successful South African model, we have expanded to Eswatini, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia. For more information, please visit www.sharedinterest.org.