Overview
Our work aims to foster the development of Africa for Africans and is anchored in
Indigenous African Knowledge and seeks to arrive at relevant solutions to African challenges.
Our motto is: Unleashing Africa’s Potential – Honouring Indigenous Wisdom,
Empowering African Solutions.
SAPDN’s Strategic Thrust
This year, SAPDN officially became a Think Tank and moved beyond the realm of consultancy. To this end, SAPDN operates as an intellectual hub that bridges the gap between academic research and policy-making processes. Its primary activities include conducting research and egaging in policy analyses; providing research, policy and strategic advice to Governments, State Owned Entities (SOEs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), research entities and academic institutions; facilitating debate and advocacy in regard to wide-ranginfg development-related matters such as the development and liberation of Africa. Hence, SADC conducts interdisciplinary research and advocacy on a diverse range of policy issues, such as social development, social policy, development economics, politics, the environment and technology. It is composed of experts and researchers whose aim is to inform and influence public policy and public debate.
Introduction
As we are about to close the year 2025, we would like to thank all our partners in South Africa, on the African continent and other parts of the world for having walked this amazing journey with us. On behalf of the SAPDN Heads of Chapter, our Advisory Board, the team at the Cape Town office, we would like to convey our heartfelt thanks to everyone who worked with us this year, 2025. This year has been a momentous one as it has seen SAPDN spearheading and facilitating international research as well as academic engagements, while also executing several projects at home. SAPDN members have also been productive on the research and publications front and published various peer reviewed journal articles, book chapters and books. The international engagements that SAPDN members were involved in could not have transpired without the support of our partners. We would like to specifically thank our partners for their unwavering support throughout 2025 and previous years. These are: One Child One Family – Hope and Homes for Children South Africa (OCOF- HHCSA) CoLABOR – Lisbon, Portugal National Taiwan University, Department of Social Work – Taipei, Taiwan Erfurt University of Applied Sciences – Germany Farafina Institute – Bamberg, Germany RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, Department of Social Work – Wiesbaden, Germany.
The SAPDN Team
SAPDN’s work is transboundary and is thus dependent on the dedication and innovative efforts of its members who are located in different parts of the world. We would like to introduce them to you. Please refer to our website for more information and detailed biodata of the SAPDN Team at: www.sapdnafrica.co.za
I. Cape Town Office
The Cape Town Office serves as the Headquarters of SAPDN with the following office bearers running it:
Professor Ndangwa Noyoo
Ms Minenhle Matela Professor Ndangwa Noyoo is the Director of SAPDN.
Ms Minenhle Matela is the Chief Operations Officer (COO) of SAPDN.
Dr Chance Chagunda
Dr Chance Chagunda is a Senior Research Associate at SAPDN.
II. Heads of Chapter
Mr Alain Maboko is the Head of Chapter for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
Dr Sakhile Masuku is the Head of Chapter for Eswatini
Mr Shaafie Ntalika is the Head of Chapter for Malawi
Ms Cheila Mutombene is the Head of Chapter for Mozambique
Associate Professor Gabriel Botchwey is the Head of Chapter for Ghana and the West Africa Region
Dr Temitope Yetunde Bello is the Head of Chapter for Nigeria and the West African Region
Dr Deborah Atwine is the Head of Chapter for Uganda and the East Africa Region.
Ms Beatrice Mutale is the Head of Chapter for Zambia
Dr David Kaulem is the Head of Chapter for Zimbabwe
III. Associate Researchers
Dr Lungile Mabundza is a Research Associate at SAPDN based in Eswatini.
Dr Laura Weidmann is a Senior Research Associate at SAPDN based in Switzerland.
Dr Josephine Wouango is a Senior Research Associate at SAPDN based in Belgium
Professor Badar Iqbal is a Senior Research Associate at SAPDN based in South Africa
Associate Professor Mziwandile Sobantu is a Senior Research Associate at SAPDN based in South Africa.
IV. Advisory Board Members
Ms Claudia Koehler is a Member of the SAPDN Advisory Board based in Germany.
Dr Khadija Darmame is a Member of the SAPDN Advisory Board based in Morocco.
Ms Kim Christodoulou is a Member of the SAPDN Advisory Board based in the United
Kingdom (UK).
SAPDN Outputs
In 2025, SAPDN members were very productive in the areas of research and publications. The following publications were churned out by SAPDN members.
A. PUBLICATIONS
1. Monographs
Noyoo, N. (2025). Social Development in South Africa: In Pursuit of a Developmental State. Springer.
2. Books
Maboko, A., & Luanda, F. (2025). Power Beyond Disability: Entrepreneurs without Borders. Pan-African Editions.
3. Edited Books
Noyoo, N., & Ncube, M. (Eds.) (2025). The Protest Culture in South Africa: What Role for the Social Sciences? Paulo Freire Verlag.
Iqbal, B. A. (Ed.) (2025). Sustainable Development Goals: Emerging Trends and Issues Volume I. Network for Theoretical and Empirical Research in Multidisciplinary Studies Pvt, Ltd.
4. Journal Articles
Bello, T. Y., & Daisi, K. (2025). Farmer–herder conflict management: towards a collaborative environmental governance in Nigeria. Global Social Challenges Journal, 20(20), 1-25.
Botchwey, G., & Crawford, G. (2025). Small-scale mining, environmental destruction and democracy capture: the Government of Ghana’s failed “war on galamsey”. Democratization, 32(3), 1-23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13510347.2025.2489018
Botchwey, G., & Noyoo, N. (2025). The Politics of Social Cash Transfers Implementation: Insights from the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty Programme in Ghana. African Journal of Social Sciences
Education, 3(2), 1-22.
Rahman, M. N., Iqbal, B.A., & Xiaolin, P. (2025). Legal and Strategic Cooperation between China and Afghanistan: Challenges and Opportunities through the Wakhan Corridor. Journal East Asia & International Law, 18(1), 179-19.
Coope, S. Mabundza, L., & Sihlongonyane, N. (2025). A Gender Assessment of Social Assistance in the Kingdom of Eswatini. The Social Protection Technical Assistance, Advice and Resources (STAAR) Facility, DAI Global UK Ltd, United Kingdom.
Fielding-Miller, R., Vo1, A., Omaleki1, V., Mahlangu, P., Sikweyiya, Y., Shabalala, F., Masuku, S., Menelisi, T., Dlamini, T., & Machisa, M. (2025). Case study guided development of an implementation science framework and checklist for campus sexual violence intervention. BMC Global and Public Health, 3(106), 1-16.
Dlamini, S. V., Gugu, D., & Masuku S. K. S. (2025). Spatial Distribution and Risk Mapping of Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica Infections in Cattle Slaughtered in Eswatini, July 2023 to January 2024–The Case of Eswatini Meat Wholesalers. Int J Family Med Healthcare, 4(3), 1-8.
Pell, C., Dlamini, B., Masilela, N., Molemans, M., Hlatshwayo, P., Nxumalo, N., Dlamini, P., Ria Reis, d. R., Shabalala, F. (2025). Decentralizing care for hypertension and diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from mixed-methods implementation research in Eswatini. SSM – Health Systems, 4: 1-10.
Masuku, S. KS., Tsoka-Gwegweni, J., Sartorius, B., Shabalala, F. S., & Maseko, T. S. (2025). Burden of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and associated factors among HIV negative and positive patients in two regional referral hospitals in the Manzini Region, Eswatini. Medical Research Archives, (3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v13i3.6387
Sobantu, M., Mwedzi, T., & Noyoo, N. (2025). The housing-education nexus in South Africa beyond COVID-19: Implications for social work and policy. Journal of Social Development in Africa, 40(1), 1-26. https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jsda.v40i1.2
Sobantu, M., Muleya, E., & Mmola, L. (2025). Female-Headed Households and Their Nuanced Meanings of Housing in Kathrada Park, Johannesburg. Southern African Journal of Social Work and Social Development, 37(2), 1-19.
Muleya, E., & Sobantu, M. (2025). A provincial strategy to empower adult persons experiencing street homelessness from vulnerability: The case of Gauteng Province in South Africa. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 61(4), 918-939.
Sukulao, T., Nonsikelelo Tshugulu, A., Muridzo, N. G., & Sobantu, M. (2025). Community strategies for navigating food insecurity in ward 10, Mudzi District, North Eastern Zimbabwe. Discover Food, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44187-025-00726-7
Wouango, J., Delvaux, T., Michielsen, K. et al. (2025). Parent-child communication on sexual and reproductive health: a qualitative study exploring the perspectives of parents, adolescents and young adults in the region of Kaolack, Senegal. BMC Public Health 25, 3888. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-25251-1
Camara1, C. M.., Wouango, J., Diallo, R., Dieng, T., Diawara, K., Michielsen, K., Abbeddou, S., Cisse, A., Sarramagnan, F., Papa, E., & Delvaux, T. (2025). Exploring youth information seeking on sexual and reproductive health and rights in Senegal. African Journal of Reproductive Health April, 29(4), 150-158.
5. Edited Chapters
Chagunda, C. (2025). Western and Indigenous knowledge systems attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Umunthu developmental approach. In Cajete, G. Ditlhake, K. J., Goncalves, M. S., Kiewitt, K., & Lutz, R. (Eds.), Decolonizing Western–Indigenous dialogues (pp. 69–79). Bloomsbury Academic.
Chagunda, C. (2025). Social Grants as a Liberating Tool from Violence. In N. Noyoo & M. E. Ncube (Eds.) The Protest Culture in South Africa: What Role for the Social Sciences (pp. 151-172). Paulo Freire Verlag.
Matela, M. (2025). Political Intolerance as a Driver of Ongoing Violent Protests: A South African Exploration. In N. Noyoo & M. E. Ncube (Eds.), Social Work of the South Volume 11: The Protest Culture in South Africa, What Role for the Social Sciences (pp. 79-106). Paulo Freire Verlag Oldenburg.
Yadav, A., & Iqbal, B.A. (2025). Beyond the Belt and Road: Evaluating
China’s Vision for Global South Partnerships. In Yazdani, E. (2025). Implications, Prospects, and Challenges in China’s Global South Strategy (pp.283-304). IGI Global.
Noyoo, N. (2025). Building Communities through Basic Needs and Self Reliance: Changing South Africa’s Protest Culture. In N. Noyoo & M. Ncube (Eds.), The Protest Culture in South Africa: What Role for the Social Sciences? (pp. 35-58). Paulo Freire Verlag.
Noyoo, N. (2025). Indigenous Social Security Systems for Endogenous Social Development in Southern Africa. In Cajete, G. Ditlhake, K. J., Goncalves, M. S., Kiewitt, K., & Lutz, R. (Eds.), Decolonizing Western– Indigenous dialogues (pp. 139-150). Bloomsbury Academic.
Sobantu, M. (2025). Housing, Protests, Violence and Social Exclusion in South Africa. In N. Noyoo & M. Ncube (Eds.), The Protest Culture in South Africa: What Role for the Social Sciences? (pp. 129-150). Paulo Freire Verlag.
B. INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIA
In June 2025, our Chief Operations Officer, Minenhle Matela, took the global stage at the European Conference on African Studies (ECAS) in Prague, where she convened and facilitated a powerful panel discussion on dismantling the resource curse in Sub-Saharan Africa.
On 8 September 2025, our Director Professor Ndangwa Noyoo presented a Lecture titled: Transformative Social Policies for Comprehensive and Sustainable Social Development in the Southern African Development Community (SADC)at the Professor Rodreck Mupedziswa Annual Lecture, Midlands State University, School of Social Work, Harare, Zimbabwe.
13C. LOCAL SYMPOSIA
On 9 October 2025, Professor Ndangwa Noyoo, presented a Keynote Speech titled: Re-engineering the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) for Post- Apartheid National Development Imperatives, at 6th Humanities and Social Sciences International Conference, University of Zululand,
D.
From 12–13 November 2025 One Child One Family – Hope and Homes for Children South Africa (OCOF-HHCSA) in conjunction with South Africa’s National Department of Social Development and SAPDN successfully convened the National Summit on Care Reform, under the theme “One Child, One Family.” The summit explored the bold transition from institutional care to family- and community-based nurturing, while ensuring that every child in South Africa grows up in a safe, loving, and supportive environment.
14E. TEACHING ASSIGNMENTS
In July 2025, SAPDN’s Chief Operations Officer, Minenhle Matela, presented several lectures to a Master’s cohort at the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, Department of Social Work, in Wiesbaden, Germany. RheinMain University of Applied Sciences is one of SAPDN’s partners.
15New Appointements
We would like to welcome Mr Simon Mukwaya our new Fundraising and Institutional Strengthening Associate (FISA). He comes with a wealth of experience after working in the civil society sector for several deades. He is currently based in London, United Kingdom. In this new role, the FISA will provide essential support to the achievement of SAPDN’s strategic objectives through effective resource mobilisation initiatives.
Promotions
Dr. Temitope Yetunde Bello was promoted to the position of Acting Director of Research and Development at her university – KolaDaisi University Ibadan
– in Nigeria. This promotion came barely three months after she was appointed the Head of Department of Political Science and International Relations.
Dr. Sakhile Masuku was appointed the Head of Department of Community Health Nursing Science in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of
Eswatini.
16SAPDN is extremely proud of its poweful female leaders!
Politics and civic duties
On 16 September 2025, our very own Head of Chapter for Malawi, Mr Shaafie Ntalika, participated in his country’s General elections which were held to elect the president, members of parliament and local government councillors. Even though he did not make it this time, we salute him for taking the bull by the horns by entering the political arena in order to make meaningful and impactful change in the lives of millions of Malawians who are extremely poor and vulnerable. In a continent that is extremely youthful but is unfortunately ruled by septuagenarians, octogenarian and nonagenarians, Shaafie made a bold statement that young Malawians and Africans will not stand idly by as their future is wasted and wilted away by the old men who occupy political power office just to benefit themselves and their families.
Conclusion
SAPDN continues to grow from strength to strength and will not stop seeking after excellence and innovation in all its endeavours. Since our mission is to build social research capacity and development-based knowledge in Africa, underwritten by the value of social justice, to help raise the quality of life of ordinary Africans, we are more than willing to go an extra mile in whatever we are doing or spearheading. As we enter 2026, we wish all SAPDN members a Happy New Year and thank all of you for your commitment to SAPDN’s vision and mission. Please take time off and enjoy the holiday season with your loved ones. We hope to scale new heights in 2026!