South Africa’s Ncazelo Mlilo Scoops Three Awards at the Prestigious Women Changing the World Awards
Celebrating a Global Mental Health Trailblazer and Her Impactful Work in Communities
Ncazelo Ncube Mlilo has made South Africa proud by bringing home not one, but three international accolades from the 2025 Women Changing the World Awards, held in London, United Kingdom, from 2–3 April.
She received the People’s Choice Award for Non-Profit and Social Enterprise, an award determined through public votes from across the globe. In addition, she was honoured with two more awards: the Women in Therapy and Counselling Services Award and the prestigious Golden Heart Award, which was presented to her by Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York. This final award recognises women who serve the world from a place of deep love, compassion and care.
These awards reflect the global recognition of Ncazelo’s groundbreaking contributions to mental health and psychosocial support, especially in low-income communities. Her work is rooted in the development of Afrocentric, culturally sensitive, narrative-based methodologies that empower people to heal and grow through storytelling.
Ncazelo is a world-renowned Narrative Therapist and Psychosocial Specialist, with over 25 years of experience in trauma counselling. Based in Johannesburg, Gauteng, she has worked with children, youth, women, families and communities affected by HIV/AIDS, Gender-Based Violence (GBV), poverty, conflict and other hardships.
One of her most influential contributions is the co-creation of the Tree of Life (ToL) Methodology, developed in collaboration with Michael White. Today, this methodology is used in over 60 countries, including the USA, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Iran, India, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and across Africa. She has also developed other powerful approaches such as COURRAGE, Narratives in the Suitcase Project, and O.U.T.R.R.A.G.E.D. for GBV prevention.
Through her organisation, Phola NPO, which she founded in 2016, Ncazelo trains over 1,000 mental health practitioners annually. Her work reaches an estimated 100,000 people around the world each year. Phola itself directly serves over 15,000 individuals annually through its community-based, culturally responsive mental health and trauma counselling programmes.
Ncazelo’s voice is heard on international stages as a keynote speaker. She has delivered talks at leading global gatherings, including the Trust’s Collective Narrative Practices Conference (Australia, 2024) and the Narrative Therapy Centre Conference (Australia, 2023), where she shared insights on the Narratives in the Suitcase project. Her methodologies are now part of the mental health toolkit used by global institutions like the Dulwich Centre Foundation (Australia) and the NHS Foundation Trust (UK).
Phola NPO extends its heartfelt appreciation to the founders and organisers of the Women Changing the World Awards – Dr Tererai Trent, Katy Garner, and Peace Mitchell – for recognising Ncazelo Mlilo’s extraordinary contributions, both locally and globally.
We also thank the media, our stakeholders, and community partners for their continued support. Phola invites individuals, organisations and companies to partner with us in expanding access to Ncazelo’s life-changing work. We also offer Corporate Cohesion Team Building packages to support mental wellness in the workplace.
To learn more or get involved, visit www.phola.org.
