About Masana

Feminist Thinker.
Ethical Thought Partner.

Care & Epistemic Justice Practitioner.

Global Fund for the New Economy · Current
Africa Fellow — Labour & Artificial Intelligence
Co-creating a collective shaping the future of work & AI for the global majority — centering the people who labour.
Wikimedia Foundation · 2022–2025
Senior Manager: Community Organizing Experience
Built the first global gender equity Task Force — driving 10,000+ new articles and a landmark UN Women partnership on women's health rights.
Sonke Gender Justice · 2021–2022
Programmes Director
Led continental violence prevention & feminist movement programmes across Southern Africa.
CIVICUS World Alliance · 2018–2021
Crisis Response Fund Lead & Women's Rights Advocacy Lead
Managed emergency response funds for civil society across MENA & globally during some of the most volatile years for human rights defenders.
Centre for the Study of Violence & Reconciliation · 2016–2018
Programmes Manager — Research
Directed a 12-country transitional justice research project — producing some of the most cited work on post-conflict social contracting in Africa.
UNDP · Lead Country Researcher
Freelance Research & Consultancy
Delivered country-level research informing UN development policy — translating ground realities into dignified, evidence-based recommendations.
NYU Centre on International Cooperation · Freelance
Systemic Reviewer
Produced a landmark case study on racism, xenophobia & misogyny in South Africa — part of NYU's globally distributed How to Tackle Prejudice series.
Isandla Institute / UK FCDO · 2022
Freelance Researcher
Led a Gender-Equality & Social Inclusion review of local economic development in South African intermediate cities for the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Development Office.
Tekano Fellowship for Health Equity · 2021
Module Lecturer
Designed and delivered a feminist economics curriculum reimagining neoliberal health policy through a social justice lens.
The Racial Equity Index · 2020–2022
Peer Reviewer
Contributed to a globally distributed racial equity measurement framework — ensuring marginalised communities and structural accountability were centred across national contexts.
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Masana Mulaudzi
Full Biography

Masana Mulaudzi is a feminist economist and network weaver dedicated to translating complex policy, ethical, and economic theories into dignified and practical solutions for the global majority. As the Africa Fellow for Labour and Artificial Intelligence at the Global Fund for the New Economy, she is at the forefront of shaping the future of work and technology on the continent.

Masana's approach is distinguished by marrying rigorous economic analysis with principles of epistemic justice, feminist care, and community organizing. Her extensive research experience — including as a lead country researcher for the UNDP and conducting systemic reviews for NYU's Centre on International Cooperation — focuses on building resilient social contracts and advancing racial and economic equity.

She brings a unique, multifaceted perspective to every engagement, integrating her background as a sangoma (indigenous healer) and artist into her work on restorative justice, joy, and healing — particularly for black African women and queer communities.

Recognized by aPolitical as one of the Top 100 Women in Gender Policy globally, Masana is an inaugural Atlantic Fellow, Mandela Machel Fellow, and Chevening Scholar. She holds an MSc in Political Economy of Late Development from the London School of Economics. Masana is currently focused on developing a philosophy of tech justice for the global majority — making her an invaluable partner for organizations seeking innovative, equitable, and impactful strategies at the intersection of policy, technology, and social change.

Masana Mulaudzi speaking on a panel, holding a microphone

Her mission: To be happy. To be bold. To be courageous.

Masana Mulaudzi
Johannesburg, South Africa
Strategic Consulting Keynote Speaking Policy Research Healing & Ancestral Guidance Feminist Economics AI & Labour Policy Knowledge Equity Workshop Facilitation Movement Building Change Management Transitional Justice Network Development
Translating complexity into caring action
Building resilient social contracts
Mixed-methods research & systemic review
AI ethics & labour futures strategy
Gender equity & knowledge campaigns
Feminist curriculum design & delivery
Multi-country policy analysis
Ancestral healing & restorative practice
Stakeholder alignment & coalition building
Communications strategy & thought leadership
Digital security & tool adoption
Financial & people management
Programme & project management

Work
Experience.

Current
Global Fund for the New Economy
Africa Fellow — Labour & Artificial Intelligence
Co-creating a collective committed to shaping the future of work and technology on the African continent — developing a philosophy of tech justice for the global majority and building bridges between AI, labour rights, and just economic realities for the people who labour.
2022 — September 2025
Wikimedia Foundation
Senior Manager: Community Organizing Experience
Led global knowledge equity campaigns and volunteer development across gender, DEI, decolonisation and marginalised knowledge. Managed a team of 5 and oversaw UN Women and OHCHR partnerships to advance knowledge equity at scale.
Established the first Wikimedia–UN Women partnership on women's health rights in Indonesia, bridging global volunteers and civil society.
Led formation of the first global Task Force devoted to gender equity — resulting in over 10,000 new articles on gender equity.
Translated strategic convenings into new programme areas advancing knowledge equity in AI and large language models, in partnership with UN Women and the OHCHR.
Restructured the team's mission and priorities, integrating a programmatic theory of change directly into product strategy.
Co-created the change management process for the WikiforHumanRights campaign, improving coordination between the Foundation, volunteers, and the UN Human Rights Commission.
2021 — 2022
Sonke Gender Justice
Programmes Director
Oversaw all programmes and grantee relationships across one of Africa's leading gender justice organisations. Directed strategic planning, resource mobilisation, and donor relationships across the continent.
Oversaw approximately 60 personnel across the African continent.
Managed 15 grantee projects and approximately USD 10 million in programme budgets across core priority areas.
Led projects spanning gender equity & climate, violence prevention, civic space and youth development across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Co-developed and oversaw the integration of feminist praxis into organisational development.
Managed crisis response effectively, ensuring programmes aligned with advocacy messaging and programmatic safeguarding.
2018 — 2021
CIVICUS World Alliance for Citizen Participation
Crisis Response Fund Lead & MENA & Women's Rights Advocacy Lead
Convened multilateral governments and civil society organisations to respond to civic space threats globally. Led the Lifeline Fund — CIVICUS's emergency grantmaking mechanism — overseeing financial reporting for a USD 2 million grant and developing the Fund's strategy.
Strengthened support for over 160 civil society partners operating in restrictive settings worldwide.
Informed policy debates at the African Commission on Peoples and Human Rights, the UN, and civil society fora.
Led global grantmaking, ensured grantees accessed digital security resources, and reviewed safeguarding policies.
Expert Facilitator — held safe spaces for grassroots activists to engage with multisectoral partners on meaningful solidarity (October 2021).
2016 — 2018
Centre for the Study of Violence & Reconciliation
Programmes Manager — Research
Lead researcher and methodology oversight across major multi-country research programmes. Developed the organisational strategic implementation plan and led funder stakeholder engagement and strategic alignment.
Lead Researcher: African Transitional Justice Comparative Study — spanning 12 African countries.
Lead Researcher: UNDP South African Social Contract case study.
Innovations in Peacebuilding — in partnership with Josef Korbel School of International Studies.
Urban Violence Prevention project — in partnership with the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
Steering Committee Member, National Department of Social Development — Integrated Social Crime Prevention Strategy (2017/18).
2013 — 2016
Poverty & Inequality Initiative / SALDRU
Senior Researcher — Social Cohesion
Extensive research, policy analysis and presentations on youth, social cohesion and economic development in relation to the National Development Plan and Medium-Term Strategic Frameworks in South Africa.
Planned and organised seven high-level multi-stakeholder engagements around key socioeconomic challenges — a strategic first step towards policy development.
Managed relationships with community partners, providing research, facilitation and reports following research engagements.
2011
The Brenthurst Foundation
Inaugural Mandela Machel Fellow
Selected as the inaugural Mandela Machel Fellow — working on multi-country studies in economic development, international relations, innovations in development practices and conflict analysis.
2010 — 2014
Wake Forest University & University of Cape Town
Project Coordinator — Leading Causes of Life Initiative
Coordinated cross-institutional research and community engagement at the intersection of health equity, structural justice, and community wellbeing across South Africa.
2020 — July 2025 · Concurrent
The Racial Equity Index
Peer Reviewer
Contributed to a globally distributed racial equity measurement framework — ensuring marginalised communities and structural accountability were centred across national contexts.
Freelance & Consultancy Work
Selected Projects · 2020 — Ongoing
Researcher · Writer · Lecturer · Reviewer
Our Data Bodies / LSE Department of Media & Communications · Jan 2026 – Ongoing
Freelance Researcher — Workplace Surveillance in South Africa
Plan International · March 2025 – Ongoing
Reference Group Technical Reviewer — She Leads End Term Evaluation
LSE International Inequalities Institute · 2023
Freelance Researcher — What lies beyond participatory methodology: reflections on power, resources, and knowledge-making among practitioners, researchers, and funders. AcPrac Case Study (4)
ActionAid International · December 2022 (unpublished)
Freelance Researcher — From Pink-Washing to Gender Transformation: An In-Depth Assessment of the Gender-Responsiveness of the Economic Stimulus Package in the Aftermath of COVID-19 in South Africa. With Crystal Dicks.
Isandla Institute / UK Foreign & Commonwealth Development Office · 2022
Freelance Researcher — Gender-Equality and Social Inclusion Review of Local Economic Development in Intermediate Cities in South Africa
NYU Center on International Cooperation · 2021
Freelance Researcher — Racism, Xenophobia and Misogyny: Policy Lessons from South Africa. How to Tackle Prejudice Series, Case Study 1
Nelson Mandela School for Public Governance · 2021
Freelance Researcher — Fund, Respond, Protect, Collect: A Desktop Review of the legal and policy frameworks that address gender-based violence in Africa
Pathfinders · May – June 2021
Freelance Researcher — Racism, Xenophobia and Misogynist Prejudice in South Africa: A Case Study of Policy Interventions since 1994
Tekano Fellowship for Health Equity · February 2021
Module Lecturer — Feminist Economics Response to Neoliberalism: Imagining a social justice informed curriculum
Advocacy Accelerator · 2020
Freelance Writer — We are tired, So We Must Take Turns To Rest: Women's advocacy during crisis
Arts, Culture & Creative Work

Creative
& Cultural
Work.

Masana Mulaudzi in animated conversation at a conference event
Masana Mulaudzi leaning against a red mural in Cape Town
Masana Mulaudzi posing in a doorway in a blue outfit
Wikimania Singapore London rooftop gathering
Creative Disciplines
Spoken Word & Slam Poetry
A stage presence built on truth-telling — Masana's poetry is visceral, political, and deeply personal. Performed across South Africa and internationally.
Writing & Essays
Letters to My Daughter — an ongoing blog series of open letters navigating womanhood, politics, and the ancestral.
Read the Letters →
Film — Triple Jeopardy Documentary
A documentary tracing the intersecting oppressions of race, gender, and class — and the women who refuse to be defined by them.
Watch the Documentary →
Sangoma — Ancestral Healing Practice
Initiated sangoma working at the intersection of the ancestral and the analytical. Masana integrates traditional healing into her broader practice of care, justice, and community.
Artist Management & Creative Development
Supporting African artists to build sustainable creative careers — strategy, positioning, and network development for the next generation.
Network Development
Weaving coalitions across movements, institutions, and communities — connecting people, ideas, and resources across the African continent and beyond.
Award moment Winchester Walk, London
Research & Publications

Published
Research.

Masana Mulaudzi laughing in front of a colourful rainbow balloon arch
Academic & Peer-Reviewed Literature
2023
What Lies Beyond Participatory Methodology: Reflections on Power, Research and the Experiences of Young Black Female Researchers
Case Study. International Inequalities Institute, London School of Economics
2020
Forging a Resilient Social Contract in South Africa: States and Societies Sustaining Peace in the Post-Apartheid Era
Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding, 14(4), pp. 1–20. With Hugo van der Merwe & Daniel Hartford. Taylor & Francis
2020
What is Africanness? Contesting Nativism in Race, Culture and Sexualities by Charles Ngwena (Book Review)
South African Journal on Human Rights, 36(1), pp. 127–130. Taylor & Francis
2020
The Necessity of Rage and the Politics of Feminist Parenting
In: Feminist Parenting: Perspectives from Africa and Beyond. Demeter Press (Eds. Dieng & O'Reilly)
2019
Human Rights in South Africa's Identity: The Interplay of International and Domestic Mechanisms
In: Cannon, B.J. & Hornsby, D.J. (eds.) Diplomacy and Borderlands. London: Routledge
2019
Triple Jeopardy: Race, Class and Gender among the Black Middle Class in South Africa
Independent mixed-method research report
Policy Reports & Strategic Briefs
2022
Racism, Xenophobia, and Misogynistic Prejudice in South Africa
NYU Center on International Cooperation, New York
2020
Sonke Gender Justice Strategic Plan: 2020–2024
Cape Town: Sonke Gender Justice
2015
Putting Social Cohesion on the Development Agenda: A Workshop Report
Cape Town: University of Cape Town
Journalism & Thought Leadership
2019
Towards an Understanding of ‘Black Tax’ and the Black Missing Middle
Daily Maverick
2019
Out in the Cold: The Plight of the UWC 143
Daily Maverick (with Lundi Mazizi)
2016
Mabel Jansen’s Comments Pathologise an Entire People
Thought Leader, Mail & Guardian, 12 May 2016
2015
Of Maids and Madams: The Case for Domestic Workers
Thought Leader, Mail & Guardian, 13 October 2015
2015
Poo-Pooing the Rhodes Historical Narrative
Thought Leader, Mail & Guardian, 11 March 2015
2012
South Africa’s Post-Apartheid Identity Crisis
Africa at LSE Blog, London School of Economics
—
Opinion & Analysis — Full Archive
Al Jazeera English
—
Opinion & Analysis — Full Archive
HuffPost UK
—
Human Rights & Civic Liberties Coverage — Full Archive
Inter Press Service (IPS News)
Digital Advocacy & Personal Blogs
2025
Building a Future of Female Leaders: She Leads Bootcamp 2025
Wikimedia Diff, 31 January 2025 (acknowledged contributor & curriculum architect)
2024
#SheSaid 5th Edition Interviews: Masana Mulaudzi
Wikimedia Diff, 2 November 2024
2021
We are Tired: Women’s Advocacy During COVID-19
LSE Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity (AFSEE), 12 May 2021
2021
Khashoggi Paid the Price for Being a “Different Saudi”
LSE Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity (AFSEE), 2 March 2021 (with H. Elsayed & A. Vengal)
Creative Works & Performances
2025
The Coven
Poetry Performance. Mawethu Nkosana’s The Occasional Institute. Available via Instagram
2010
Verbalized: South African & UK Poets Tour
Slam Poetry. British Council. Resident Poet/Artist
Awards & Affiliations

Honours, Awards
& Affiliations.

Ongoing
Top 100 Women in Gender Policy for Feminist Movements & Leadership
aPolitical — Global recognition for work advancing gender equity in policy
Ongoing
Senior Atlantic Fellow — Social and Economic Equity
London School of Economics
Ongoing
Board Member (Treasurer)
FRIDA Young Feminist Fund
2012–2013
David and Elaine Potter Research Fellowship
Prestigious research fellowship
2012–2013
Chevening Scholarship Award
UK Government's global scholarship for future leaders
2007–2010
Anglo-American Open Scholarship Award
University of Cape Town
2010
Claude Leon Foundation Hons Merit Scholarship
University of Cape Town
2010
NRF Research Foundation Scholarship
National Research Foundation, South Africa
2008
UCT Commerce Scholarship
University of Cape Town
Education & Certifications

Education &
Certifications.

London School of Economics
MSc Political Economy of Late Development
2011–2012
University of Cape Town
B.A. Honours — African Studies
2009 · concurrent with B.Com
University of Cape Town
B.Com. — Economics, Politics & Philosophy
2007–2010
Additional Certifications
Media, Video & Social

Media &
Social
Channels.

Catch Masana in action across different platforms below.

Wikimedia Foundation · YouTube
Wikipedia Needs More Women — IWD Campaign 2024
IWD Campaign
▶
Watch on YouTube
British Council · UK Verbalized
Cotton Mouth
Cotton Mouth
▶
Watch on YouTube
Podcast · YouTube
Dumiso Gatsha and Masana Ndinga-Kanga: A podcast on Gender, Racism and Social Injustice
Spoken Word
▶
Watch on YouTube
Wikimania 2023 · YouTube
Modelling, mapping and bridging knowledge gaps in gender and diversity | #Wikimania2023
Spoken Word
▶
Watch on YouTube
X · Twitter
@MasanaTweets
Thoughts on AI, labour, feminist economics, and the state of the world.
Follow →
Instagram
@SistHerSiren
Behind-the-scenes, feminist reflections, dlozi things, and life in Johannesburg.
Follow →
TikTok
@SisterSiren
Economix, Liberation, Tech & Dlozi Things. Unfiltered, joyful, political.
Follow →

Get in
Touch.

"I'm a queer-centric, feminist thinker working at the intersection of too many things. If you feel we need to talk, then please. Do the right thing."

✦ Message sent — Masana will be in touch.
📍 Johannesburg, South Africa LinkedIn ↗
© 2025 Masana Mulaudzi · All rights reserved To be happy. To be bold. To be courageous.