Forest Whitaker visits Cape Flats as WPDI marks five years of programs

Oscar winner Forest Whitaker met Cape Flats entrepreneurs on Monday afternoon, November 2, 2026, at the Bridgetown community centre run by the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI), the organisation he founded in 2012. The visit put a founder's face on a program that has operated in South Africa since 2019 — seven years of work whose measurable outcomes remain, notably, unstated.

Whitaker, 65, won the Best Actor Oscar in 2007 and starred in Black Panther. Traditional dancers and community members welcomed him at the centre before he met beneficiaries from Athlone, Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain. Residents gathered outside, hoping to see him and thank him for his humanitarian work.

Who are the entrepreneurs behind the stories?

The graduates told Whitaker how WPDI's programs helped them develop skills, build confidence and pursue business opportunities. Whitaker listened and applauded their achievements. For the graduates, the visit offered a chance to meet the founder of the organisation they credit with their personal and professional development.

Beanca Campher of Bishop Lavis Uniforms told Whitaker the program helped her turn an idea into a business. She described starting with limited resources and said WPDI's training and support gave her the skills and confidence to become an entrepreneur. No revenue or employment figures accompanied her account.

Natalie Tempers, owner of Mitchells Plain-based NT Corporate Solutions, offered a more concrete arc. The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted her livelihood and left her unemployed. After learning about WPDI, she joined the program, completed its training, and has since established her own corporate business.

Other graduates also shared their experiences, including Mika Thompson of Mika's Mobile Massage, Dr Alicia English and Mark Mawele. Their stories highlighted how entrepreneurship training and other skills can help participants create opportunities, support their families and contribute to their communities. Whether those gains translate into jobs or revenue at scale is a question the event did not address.

What does WPDI actually run in South Africa?

WPDI South Africa country manager Chance Chakunga said the visit brought together the organisation's founder, management team, funders and beneficiaries. He said Whitaker was visiting to see the work he had started in 2019 and the programs being run in South Africa.

Those programs cover four areas:

• Peacebuilding and conflict resolution
• Business and entrepreneurship
• Information and communications technology
• Peace through sport

"Those are the programmes he supports, together with the management team. We also have members of management who have travelled from our head offices in France and the United States to support the work," Chakunga said.

He added that representatives of organisations providing financial support were also attending the visit. The funders were present, but the source does not name them or quantify their contributions.

What comes next?

WPDI was founded by Whitaker in 2012; its Cape Flats programs began in 2019, meaning the initiative has now run locally for roughly seven years. The organisation works with young people to develop leadership, peacebuilding and community-building skills, with South African programs also including entrepreneurship and conflict-resolution training.

The visit showcased individual success stories — a uniform business, a corporate services firm, a mobile massage service. What it did not showcase was hard data: participant numbers, survival rates of the businesses, or program budgets. Whether WPDI's Cape Flats footprint grows beyond Bridgetown, Athlone, Khayelitsha and Mitchells Plain will depend on the funders who traveled to see the work for themselves.