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This Leader Guided Her Community Through Some of South Africa’s Most Challenging Environmental and Public Health Crises
>>> Hanlie is one of several learners featured in our 2023 Transparency & Outcomes Report who’ve leveraged the power of online education to transform their lives, their communities, and our world for the better. <<<
When Hanlie Linde began her career in the National Defence Force, she never imagined she’d one day be leading a municipality through some of the toughest environmental and public health crises South Africa has faced. But for the past 12 years, that’s exactly what she’s done.
Today, Hanlie is the second longest-serving Professional Municipal Manager in South Africa. She’s responsible for 38 constitutional functions—from sourcing and purifying drinking water to maintaining critical community services—that directly impact the safety and well-being of Bergrivier Municipality residents. She also manages 15 services on behalf of the provincial and national government, including operating 16 community libraries.
It’s not a simple job. (In 2016, when the Western Cape’s severe drought left her municipality with just 17 days of drinking water, it was up to her team to figure out how to make it last.) But for Hanlie, the opportunity to overcome against all odds is the point. “If it was easy, I would not have wanted to do it,” she says. “I serve the public and ensure friendly, efficient, and effective service delivery. Whatever it takes.”
Learning to Lead in a Crisis
Learning to Lead in a Crisis
In 2019, after years of firefighting one crisis after another, Hanlie knew she needed something more to take control in an era of climate uncertainty—a way to lead, not just react. So, she enrolled in the University of Cambridge’s High Impact Leadership program. The experience gave her more than just tools; it gave her confidence. She learned how to be resilient, stay calm in the midst of adversity, make good decisions under extreme pressure, and build a team that could do the same.
Then, almost immediately, she had to put it all into practice.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, municipalities became the first line of defense in South Africa. Hanlie and her team had to move quickly, making decisions in minutes, not months. Suddenly, they found themselves running homeless shelters and patrolling beaches—jobs they were never trained to do. There was no roadmap, no precedent. “We had to adapt or die,” she says. “We thrived because of good leadership, innovation, and fast decision-making—all skills I learned through Cambridge.”
Now, there’s load shedding that causes rolling blackouts and climate-related disasters piling onto an already strained system. But through it all, Hanlie continues to lean into her training with conviction.
Creating Real Change
Creating Real Change
Even in calmer times, Hanlie’s work isn’t about maintaining the status quo. She’s constantly pushing for more—more access, more opportunity, more unity.
Take Piketberg, one of the towns in her municipality. For years, it was divided—not just socially, but physically. Hanlie led a seven-phase transformation project to change that. They built an outdoor gym, a safety hub, and a youth center with an e-learning lab to bring learning opportunities closer to the poorest communities.
But Hanlie knew infrastructure alone wouldn’t bring people together. So, she collaborated with local leaders to start something new: The Calendula Street Outdoor Dining Event. Once a year, 300 people from different communities sit down to share a meal as one town.
It started as an experiment. Now, it’s a tradition. “We wanted to create a lasting legacy,” Hanlie says. “Four years later, it’s now a highlight on our calendar.”
The Lasting Power of a Leader Who Stays
The Lasting Power of a Leader Who Stays
Municipal Managers in South Africa don’t tend to last long. Political volatility, financial constraints, and public expectations make it a job with a short shelf life. But Hanlie has been leading Bergrivier for more than a decade. Under her leadership, the municipality has become one of the top ten best-run in the country and has received eight consecutive clean audits—a rare achievement.
She credits her success to something simple: showing up every single day with integrity and purpose. The personal values she discovered during her time at Cambridge—accountability, consistency, authenticity—guide every decision she makes. “A leader has to be who they say they are. You have to live your values every day,” she says.
For Hanlie, leadership isn’t about power or prestige. It’s about service. It’s about taking on the most difficult problems—the ones others might shy away from—and turning them into opportunities to build something better. Through droughts, pandemics, and everyday challenges, Hanlie has stayed the course. Not because it’s easy but because it matters. And in doing so, she has not only changed the trajectory of her own career—she has helped shape the future of her community.
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