Above - introducing our 4 new Dare To Lead - Liyaba ‘ambassadors’ for the Clipper Race 2023-24.

Four young black Africans have been officially revealed as the latest cohort to be selected for our ground-breaking social responsibility initiative during the Dare To Lead crew event in Cape Town today (Sunday 12 November).

Left to right: Adams Desmond, Luci Mensah, Ntokozo Msiya and Olwami Zungu

The ‘Dare To Lead – Liyaba’ programme takes young people from challenging backgrounds and develops their confidence, resilience and leadership skills through participating in the Clipper Race

The successful candidates are from South Africa and Mozambique, and will take on some of the toughest ocean crossings on the planet aboard Dare To Lead, under South African skipper Ryan Gibson.

Luci Mensah (18) who is from Maputo, Mozambique, will join the crew of Dare To Lead this week for the next leg of the global circumnavigation. She will take on the notorious Southern Ocean destined for Fremantle in Western Australia.

Luci says she applied for the Dare To Lead – Liyaba initiative to test herself: “I felt that I would be putting myself out there in terms of challenging myself, testing my limits.

“In this day and age as a young black female there are already so many stereotypes placed upon us, I Intend to use this opportunity to break out of those stereotypes.”

Luci Mensah inspiring other strong black African females

Luci will join the Dare To Lead team in the next few days. She adds: “I’m unemployed and strive to become a civil engineer beginning my studies next year. It would mean so much to see other young strong black females being encouraged to do the same (break stereotypes) to follow their dreams and become someone in the future.”

Three South Africans will also join the Dare To Lead team on subsequent Legs:

Olwami Zungu (19) is from Pietermaritzburg and will take on Leg 4 of the Clipper Race from the west to east coasts of Australia. He describes himself as not only a student but also an entrepreneur. He says the project will give him the opportunity to do something different and get to grow his network with people from around the world.

He said: “It means a lot to me as it gives me an opportunity to break barriers installed in my community, giving the new generation a broader mindset about things they can do and achieve, also giving them the confidence and courage to do things out of the norm, hopefully making a long lasting impact on my country for the better.”

Ntokozo Msiya (20) is from Durban and will be on Leg 5 from Eastern Australia to Viet Nam and China. She is currently a volunteer at Sail Africa Youth Development. She said: “One day I see myself as a professional ocean race skipper.

“I applied for this because I wanted to challenge myself and also lead by example, that regardless of your background or gender you have the ability to change your life, just put your mind to it and, as much as you dream about it, work towards it.”

Adams Desmond (22) is also from Durban and will tackle Leg 6 from China to Seattle on the US west coast across the mighty Pacific Ocean. He’s an intern at LIV Durban/LIV Invest. He says he applied for this project because the Clipper Race represents the ultimate test of sailing skills, determination, and spirit of adventure.

Adams said: “To me, it’s not just a race, but a transformative journey that pushes the boundaries of what I thought possible. The race means a chance to explore the world’s oceans, learn from the unpredictable nature of the sea, and form lasting connections with fellow sailors who share the same passion. It’s an opportunity to embrace challenges and achieve personal growth while experiencing the profound beauty of our planet from a unique perspective.”

Speaking at the event Dare To Lead race partner and creator of the DTL-Liyaba project, Dirk van Daele, said: “Young people in this programme return with a new self-belief and determination to succeed personally and for their communities. Many have become positive role-models for their peers.

“We will mentor them through their continued development after their participation in the Clipper Race, as we have previous candidates.”

Clipper Race officials welcomed the announcement. They said that the initiative has powerful and purposeful social values, and added that the skills and experience the Dare To Lead - Liyaba ‘ambassadors’ will gain, through taking part in the race, will set them up to succeed in all walks of life.

See the extended interview reel with Luci below.