Rotary District 9400 has officially inducted Grace van Zyl as its District Governor for the 2026/2027 Rotary year, marking a deeply personal milestone for a leader whose own life was rebuilt through the very organisation she now leads.
Twenty-six years ago, Van Zyl was introduced to Rotary at one of the lowest points of her life. She was jobless, and her husband at the time had suffered several heart attacks and was unable to work. A single Rotarian saw something in her and offered her an opportunity – a lifeline that changed the trajectory of her career and her family’s future. Within eighteen months, she had risen into the top 10 financial advisors in South Africa.
“I am so grateful to what Rotary did for me. Hitting rock bottom, 26 years later being able to stand strong in front of you, taking over as District Governor of this fantastic district, is an honour,” Van Zyl said at her induction.
That single act of generosity set her on a path she has walked ever since, and one she now hopes to extend to millions more through the reach of Rotary’s global work.
A Legacy of Global Impact
Van Zyl used her induction to remind Rotarians of the scale of what their organisation has already achieved:
- Polio eradication: Since 1987, Rotary’s global vaccination campaign has helped drive polio infections down from roughly 1,000 new cases a day in the 1950s to just 35 cases a year worldwide today.
- Malaria vaccine production in Africa: Through a Rotary Global Grant, Rotary has helped bring malaria vaccine production onto African soil in Uganda, backed by $7 million invested over the past four years.
- Cervical cancer intervention in Egypt: A global grant has funded treatment and prevention efforts to protect young women from cervical cancer.
- Maternal health in Nigeria: Rotary-equipped hospitals and clinics, along with trained health workers, have helped reduce maternal deaths during childbirth.
- Safe learning spaces in Diepsloot, Gauteng: The Rotary Club of Morningside has built after-school facilities for learners using eco-bricks — two-litre plastic bottles packed tightly with plastic waste — clearing more than 40,000 tons of rubbish from the township while creating safe, sustainable spaces for young people to learn.
Planting Trees for a Future She May Never See
Reflecting on the long-term nature of service, Van Zyl offered a reminder of why Rotarians give of themselves for causes whose full benefits they may never witness.
“When someone plants a tree, they know very well that they may not live long enough to enjoy the shade of that tree. That is what we are doing today. We want to ensure that Rotary survives long enough to serve more people even when we are gone,” she said.
A Vision Built on Peace, Nutrition and Education
Van Zyl outlined peace as a guiding theme for her term – not defined by the absence of conflict, but by the presence of opportunity.
“Peace is not the absence of war. We need to eradicate poverty through education, and the opportunity to feed themselves,” she said. “I also want to impact the Early Childhood Development Centres, to work with pregnant mothers to get the nutrition for their children.”
Her ambition is to help raise a generation of doctors, lawyers and engineers – starting with the basics of nutrition and care for children today, supported by an expansion of Rotary’s grant-making capacity to match the scale of the challenge.
A Call to Action
Van Zyl closed her address with a direct challenge to every Rotarian in District 9400 to put their skills and networks to work for the causes in front of them.
“Just think – if every one of us applied our knowledge and contacts to the problems we face in this country, this continent and the world, what could we all do?” she said. “My challenge to everyone is that let us leverage the networks we have for the betterment of humanity.”
About Rotary District 9400 Rotary District 9400 is part of Rotary International, a global network of neighbours, friends, and community and business leaders who volunteer their time and talents to tackle the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges.
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