Growing up in the central and Southern suburbs of Cape Flats, Chad Cuddemby has pleasant memories of communities that were vibrant, rich, and diverse in heritage and cultural differences which aided the growth and development of generations who grew up in them. Chad remembers the back yard organic gardens run by the elders with passed down knowledge from generations before, organized sporting, cultural and educational events and initiatives which built up the youth for generations to come. 

After matriculating at Pinelands High in 2008, he obtained a certificate in Sound Technology and Engineering. He comes from a family of musicians and performance artists and started working in event management in his early 20s. 

He joined a volunteer program with Stop Hunger Now (now known as the Rise Against Hunger Africa) as a volunteer-ambassador and gained valuable experience in the social development and food security development programs. Working with the organization providing donated food parcels to Early Childhood Development Centres, he discovered the large amounts of recyclable waste not being collected and being dumped in informal settlements and landfills which still happens to this day. 

This inspired Chad to put his full time towards the research of the recycling and organic recycling opportunities and co-founded a recycling business New Earth Projects in 2015, which still operates today. Using his passion for the environment and social development he also creates employment opportunities in the recycling and organic recycling industry.

With a goal to see a zero-waste free city, Chad Co-created a Zero Waste Community Initiative in Ward 60 Cape Town, providing sponsored bags to participants interested in a Free Recycling Waste Collection service. This was the first of its kind in the Ward and is successfully running to this day, expanding its Zero Waste community initiatives into more Wards around Cape Town creating employment in the waste management sector. 

With his experiences gained, Chad embarked on building a non-profit organization called New Earth Aquaponics NPO 246-704, whose main task is to empower people to create food security, organic gardens and education of alternative food growing technologies. 

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 Lockdown, Chad continued to research and create a food security donation initiative which assists community food gardens who receive no funding, support or assistance from the government. 

Chad believes that being a CA1st Ward candidate will encourage other youth who are wanting to create real positive change and solutions to enter this arena and engage with communities in order to better their lives. 

“This is the time for our youth who have experienced the pains and are still experiencing the fight for our elders to step up and represent our communities and equality for all in them. I am willing to learn and explore how we can create real positive change together with the people and communities who live in them “ Chad Cuddemby