Onyinye Nwaneri is joining Sesame Workshop as managing director for South Africa, stepping into the role in January 2025.

Leading growth strategy and operations in the region, Nwaneri will focus on strengthening the nonprofit’s presence and efforts to reach kids in the country by leveraging Takalani Sesame, the locally produced South Africa version of Sesame Street. 

On the air for nearly 25 years, Takalani Sesame (SABC 2) recently earned an International Emmy Award nomination in the Kids Factual category this past September for The Takalani Sesame Big Feelings Special.

The new MD will report directly to SVP of international social impact Lesley Bourns, who emphasized Nwaneri’s strong experience as an organizational leader in the regional social impact sector, “building and guiding programs that support children’s development starting in the critical early years.”

Nwaneri previously spent 15 years at Afrika Tikkun—a South African NGO that helps youth from disadvantaged communities and is also a for-profit recruitment/training company—where she served as Group CEO for the past year.

Her resumé also includes a consulting stint for the United Nations Development Programme in 2009. She also has a legal background and worked at various law firms in Nigeria practicing corporate, commercial and litigation law.