Rachel Kolisi Reveals the Real Reason She Cut Ties With the Kolisi Foundation

• Rachel Kolisi finally broke her silence on her decision to leave the Kolisi Foundation, which she co-founded with her ex-husband
• The author and MC revealed that the foundation's growth and organisational changes made it increasingly difficult to offer timely support to communities and causes
• Kolisi revealed that she launched her own foundation to directly amplify smaller, unrecognised South African charities and make it possible for ordinary people to give back

Rachel Kolisi finally lifted the lid on one of the most significant changes in her professional career, shedding light on exactly why she chose to walk away from the Kolisi Foundation.

Speaking candidly on the Do One Better Podcast on 29 June 2026, the author, MC, and philanthropist reflected on her journey and the internal shift that prompted her exit. While she expressed immense love for her time at the Kolisi Foundation, she admitted that the organisation’s massive global expansion changed its operational DNA, pushing it further away from her personal vision for community work.

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According to Kolisi, as the foundation grew, it naturally became more structured, institutionalised, and corporate. While growth is typically seen as a success, she found that the added layers of corporate governance brought lengthy approval processes. This made it increasingly difficult to address urgent, real-time community crises as they arose. She realised she needed a space that prioritised immediate action over administrative delays.

The Kolisi Foundation was founded by Rachel and her ex-husband and father of her kids, rugby star Siya Kolisi, in 2020. A non-profit organisation, it focuses on changing narratives of inequality in South Africa by addressing food security, gender-based violence, and education. In 2025, Rachel stepped down as CEO following her divorce.

She noted that larger entities often lose the ability to see a critical issue and address it on the spot, even when resources are readily available.

"I found that it was further and further away from the way I wanted to work in the non-profit sector."

Rachel Kolisi shares vision for her new foundation

This desire for agility is what birthed her new initiative, the Falling Forward Foundation. Taking a break between the two projects gave Rachel a fresh perspective on South Africa's charity landscape.

Instead of creating massive new programs or "reinventing the wheel," her new mission focuses heavily on collaboration.

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The Falling Forward Foundation, which adopted the name of her memoir, aims to use Kolisi's massive public platform to shine a spotlight on smaller organisations that are doing phenomenal work on the ground but lack the visibility to secure funding.

By keeping her new venture lean and adaptable, Kolisi hopes to cut through corporate restrictions, respond to immediate societal needs, and make it easier for everyday citizens to get involved in impactful charity work.

"The issues, not only in South Africa, but in the world, can feel so overwhelming, so impossible, and you're constantly saying, 'Where do I even start?' I want to create campaigns; I want to create opportunities for an everyday individual who wants to do good and can do good, whether that’s through volunteering or giving their resources and for the organisations on the receiving end of that, I want them to know that a big issue for them is a big issue for me too."

With Mandela Day approaching, Rachel is aiming to break down the walls that keep charities divided. In a viral Instagram post on 2 July 2026, she revealed that her focus is entirely on unity, emphasising that real change happens when resources and platforms are shared rather than fought over.

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"Through the Falling Forward Foundation, one of our greatest hopes is to bring people, corporates, organisations and communities together to create lasting impact. This partnership is exactly what that looks like. Collaboration has the power to change lives."

Rachel Kolisi reacts to Zimbabweans seeking repatriations

In an earlier report, Briefly News shared Rachel Kolisi's sentiments after seeing a photo of thousands of Zimbabweans seeking reparations ahead of anti-immigration protests in South Africa.

The viral picture ignited a fiery discussion online, with social media users debating sympathy for immigrants versus the struggles faced by South African citizens.

Source: Briefly News