Anna Vayanos is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa as well as a solicitor for England and Wales. Anna practised trust, tax and charity law in both Cape Town and London for a period of ten years. Passionate about making a difference in South Africa, she then left legal practice to pursue a role working with donors and the non-profit sector. She  re-conceptualised and soon headed up the Philanthropy Office at Nedbank Private Wealth. The business was recognised as the industry leader in South Africa in the provision of philanthropy services in August 2012 and remains the largest and most established philanthropy offering with repeated international recognition.

Anna formed Anna Vayanos Philanthropy Consulting in 2013. She remains very active within the donor and NPO sector and her current board positions include Vice Chairperson of Home from Home as well as Women in Philanthropy (South Africa). She has spoken at many conferences, is a regular contributor of articles and viewpoints on industry-related topics, and co-wrote Advancing Philanthropy in South Africa with Shelagh Gastrow. Anna advises donors and NPOs on tax exemption and structuring, financial sustainability, good governance and responsible and effective giving.