The Queen appoints a South African to British Museum Board of Trustees
Anti-apartheid activist Cheryl Carolus has received a prestigious appointment by Queen Elizabeth as Trustee of one of London’s landmark museums.
Cheryl Carolus, the former South African High Commissioner to Britain, has been appointed by Her Majesty the Queen to the British Museum’s Board of Trustees for a period of four years starting 20 June, the Museum has confirmed.
Only one of 25 trustees is appointed by Her Majesty, 15 are appointed by the Prime Minister and five appointed by the Trustees themselves. The remaining four Trustees are appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
Carolus is one of the founders and Executive Chair of Peotona Group Holdings, a company owned by women only, with assets in resources and infrastructure feeder industries.
The company aims to leverage sustainable opportunities for individuals and disadvantaged communities in the “second economy,” through the company’s “first economy,” activity – mainstream business. Over 70 per cent of all large investments have been placed in ring-fenced Community Trusts for education, and or enterprise development.
Carolus was politically active in the struggle for freedom since the age of 13. Later, she was was part of the ANC election team that prepared the organisation to contest the first democratic election and led the ANC consultative process to develop a policy for a post-apartheid South Africa.
As SA High Commissioner to the UK from 1998 to 2001, Carolus helped to reposition South Africa as a serious global tourism destination, through building strong networks with the major players in the British government, business and NGO world. She continued to build South African tourism as one of its major economic sectors as the CEO of SA Tourism from 2001 to 2004.
Carolus plays an active role in a number of civil society organisations mainly around young people at risk, global conflict and conservation. Among others she is a trustee at World Wildlife Fund (WWF). She also served as Chairperson of the South African National Parks Board for six years.
She has a BA Law degree, Bachelor of Education and Honorary Doctorate in Law (for work in Human Rights) from the University of Cape Town.
