Professor Sibongile Muthwa

Professor Muthwa is the Vice-Chancellor of Nelson Mandela University, South Africa. She holds a PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and an MSc in Development Policy and Planning from London School of Economics and Political Science.

She has a distinguished career both in South Africa, and internationally, working in both development and public sector institutions, as well as in academia. Between 2010 and 2017 she was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Institutional Support, at Nelson Mandela University.

Professor Muthwa currently serves as the Chairperson of Universities South Africa [USAf] a membership organisation representing all South Africa’s universities, that promotes and facilitates optimum conditions for universities to operate effectively and contribute to social, cultural and economic development. She further serves on the Presidential Human Resource Development Council.

Prior to joining the university, she served as Director General of the Eastern Cape Provincial Government [2004 and 2010]. Upon her return to South Africa, before joining government, she was Director of the Fort Hare Institute of Government.

She is deeply committed to gender justice, social inclusion and active democratic participation, and accordingly serves on a number of Boards and advisory structures, including from 2014 as a Commissioner of the Financial and Fiscal Commission, and serving as its Deputy Chairperson from 2017-2019.