About Dream Big Foundation

Dream Big Foundation is the brainchild of Johan, Reuben and Nicola van der Merwe. What started as a school fundraising project evolved into a wider initiative to simultaneously support their school and donate food packages to communities in need. From there, the idea of bursaries for deserving students was born – focusing on the core interests of each sibling:

Academics

JOHAN VAN DER MERWE
ACADEMICS

My main focus is on academics. I want to give promising kids the opportunity to attend the school of their choice. The Dream Big Foundation will grant scholarships, extra tuition and mentors (where necessary) to successful applicants to enable them to excel academically.

SPORT

REUBEN VAN DER MERWE
SPORT

I want to help kids who are passionate about sport. The Dream Big Foundation will grant sports scholarships to young people who have big sporting dreams. Besides funding their tuition at a school with excellent sports facilities, the Foundation will sponsor extra coaching, sports tours and sports gear.

CULTURE

NICOLA VAN DER MERWE
CULTURE

The performing arts are very close to my heart, so I would like to help kids who love drama, music and dance. There is so much talent in South Africa. I hope that our Dream Big Foundation can help kids reach their dreams in acting, singing, dancing and playing music.

DIRECTORS

The dream of these three siblings resonated so strongly with the adult figures in their lives that they were convinced to join the journey as Directors of Dream Big Foundation.

Johan van der Merwe (Snr)

Johan van der Merwe has extensive experience in the financial industry, having worked in corporate finance, tax, private equity, asset management and investment, among other sectors. He is a CA (SA) and holds an M Phil (Finance) from Cambridge University. Johan is a director on the Boards of numerous listed companies. He is a keen swimmer and enjoys spending time with his wife and children, who were the catalysts for Dream Big Foundation.

Rojie Kisten

Rojie Kisten is a social entrepreneur with over 20 years’ experience in the financial services industry. She is passionate about education and serves on the boards of numerous education-related institutions across Africa. Rojie herself is a bursary recipient, whose first job after graduating was that of a petrol attendant. Her diverse interests include hiking, interior decorating and dairy farming.

Fred White

Fred is a qualified Electronics Engineer with additional MBA and CFA qualifiations. He has worked as a lecturer, engineer, business development officer and, most recently, as an analyst and portfolio manager in the investment industry. Along with his extensive professional skillset, he also has a passion for education, his family and building things with his own hands.