Mbalenhle Matandela is a feminist policy analyst, researcher, and leadership development specialist with over nine years of experience working across Africa at the intersection of feminist economic justice, research, and advocacy. Mbalenhle has worked as a consultant with organisations including mothers2mothers, the Human Sciences Research Council, the Soul City Institute, Akina Mama wa Afrika, and the Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition. Her research has informed policy processes at the African Union, the SADC Gender Forum, and the South African Parliament. She has also served as a Lecturer in Gender Studies at the University of Cape Town. She holds a Master of Science in African Studies from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, and degrees in Gender and Transformation, International Relations, and Business French from the University of Cape Town.