Olivia van Rooyen holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of South Africa, a Bachelor in Business Administration (honours) and an MBA from Stellenbosch University. Prior to the establishment of Kuyasa in 1999 she held positions with the Development Action Group as a Project Manager with a specific focus on end-user finance projects. She has held training positions with the Community Bank Foundation and the Savings and Credit Co-Operative League, and was a trade unionist, unionizing rural workers in the retail and hospitality industry.