Board Members

Vusi Mthethwa is a distinguished leader known for his commitment to education, community development, and innovation. With a background in business leadership and a passion for social impact, he brings valuable experience to his role as a board member for the school. Successfully leading Tetrad as CEO, Vusi's strategic vision and collaborative approach have been pivotal to the company's achievements. He is deeply engaged in community and social initiatives, particularly in supporting education and youth empowerment. 

As a fervent advocate for quality education, Vusi envisions a nurturing school environment where every student can excel academically and socially. His dedication to excellence and lifelong learning aligns with the school's goals of fostering responsible global citizens. With one son graduated from Oakhill and another currently enrolled, Vusi's blend of experience and passion makes him an invaluable addition to the school community.

Simon was born and educated in the UK, where his interests in performance and psychology were ignited at BP as a proprietary trader in the crude oil markets. Here he managed risk, emotions and people (1991-2008). Peak Performance became a passion and Simon developed his knowledge through studying different approaches to working with the conscious and subconscious mind. He qualified as a NLP Practitioner, Certified Practitioner of Group Leadership Dynamics, a qualified Hypnotherapist and a Certified Practitioner of BWRT. In 2008, he stepped away from corporate life to pursue performance coaching with individuals and organisations in both the sporting and business arena. Simon and his wife Sandi love living in Knysna and have moved here on a permanent basis to educate their son Rafferty at Oakhill.

Richard is a chartered accountant by profession but comes from a background of investment banking and private equity, with a strong interest in the telecoms sector. Richard grew up in Cape Town but spent 15 years in Johannesburg prior to him and his wife Lauren moving to Knysna in 2022. They have two children at the school. Richard is an avid cyclist and outdoor enthusiast with a vested interest in seeing Oakhill further its well-entrenched position within South Africa’s independent schools.

Kamantha Mannar is an Aeronautical Engineer with a Masters degree in Nuclear Engineering. She was born in KwaZulu Natal but spent most of her adult life in Gauteng where she met her husband, Andrew Fogarty. Together they moved to Knysna in 2015 and now raise their two beautiful boys, Liam and Keeran, in the heart of the Goukamma Valley.

Rob is an entrepreneur whose passion is to build businesses that use technology to solve real world problems. He has been part of the founding teams that started businesses in the Internet, Distribution, IoT and Internet Infrastructure space most notably RSAWeb, Octotel and Olarm. 

Rob moved from Cape Town to Knysna in 2019 and has three children at Oakhill.

Rhian Berning is an environmentalist, educator, and eco-entrepreneur with over twenty years of experience in sustainability and community initiatives. She holds a B.Sc. in Environmental Science and a Postgrad in Education and has spent her career empowering active citizenship and fostering resilient ecosystems. As CEO of the Eden to Addo Corridor Initiative, she leads efforts to reconnect and restore wild spaces and enable sustainable livelihoods.

Rhian has deep roots in the Garden Route and was one of Oakhill’s founding students, graduating with its first Matric class. She still holds that pioneering spirit close and is committed to the continuation of the founding values of curiosity, collaboration and diversity. Her two children are both in Oakhill college.

Rhian is honoured to bring her experience in organisational leadership, education, and stakeholder engagement to the Oakhill Board and is passionate about contributing to an ethos of education which enables a thriving future for all.