Zanele Maphosa-Makombe is a social justice activist with a deep commitment to advocating for the rights of women and girls. She has extensive experience in the fields of gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and HIV/Aids. Her career has allowed her to support adolescent and youth programmes that amplify their voices and ensure the participation and leadership of women and girls in social change. She has successfully designed and implemented transformative initiatives with faith-based and non-governmental institutions, funding partners, activists, and marginalised communities, and has always kept the challenge of systemic change at the core of what she does. Zanele has a wealth of knowledge in programme development, knowledge management, and monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL).

Zanele holds a master’s degree in development studies from the University of Western Cape and is currently a PHD Candidate at the Centre of African Philanthropy and Social Investment at Witwatersrand University. She works as Programme Advisor at ACT Ubumbano.