Research Director at Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa.
Dr. Alude Mahali 🇿🇦 is a leading South African social scientist and arts practitioner whose work bridges research, education, and the creative arts. 🎭📚 She currently serves as the Research Director at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) in Durban, South Africa 🌍, focusing on equitable education and inclusive economic development. With over a decade of academic and leadership experience, she has led and collaborated on national and international projects centered around youth, mental health, education, and civic participation. ✊👩🎓 An acclaimed speaker, editor, and filmmaker 🎥, she is committed to amplifying marginalised voices and promoting intersectional justice. A passionate educator and mentor 👩🏫, Dr. Mahali also holds honorary teaching roles and is widely published in top-tier journals. Her diverse, grounded, and transformative research has had a profound impact in both academic and community contexts. 🌱✨
Professional Profile:
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Suitability For Best Researcher Award – Dr. Alude Mahali:
Dr. Alude Mahali is an outstanding candidate for the Women Researcher Award, exemplifying excellence across academia, social research, and arts-based public scholarship. Her career spans high-impact leadership roles, notably as Research Director at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), and her commitment to inclusive, community-driven research sets her apart. She integrates intersectional feminist perspectives, creative methodologies, and policy-engaged research to champion social justice, especially for youth and marginalized communities in South Africa and beyond.
🎓 Education
Dr. Alude Mahali began her academic journey at Rhodes University 🇿🇦, where she earned her BA (Hons) between 2004–2007 🎓. She proceeded to the University of Cape Town, completing a Master’s in 2009 and her PhD in 2014 🧠📘. During her doctoral studies, she also gained international exposure as a Reese Miller International Scholar at the University of Michigan, USA 🇺🇸. Dr. Mahali has continuously expanded her knowledge, including completing the prestigious HarvardX online course on leadership in 2020 🌐👩💼. Her education reflects a deep commitment to critical thinking, cultural studies, and leadership in higher education. 🎓✍️🌍
💼 Professional Development
Dr. Mahali’s professional journey is marked by growth, impact, and dedication 🌟. She began her academic career as a lecturer at Edna Manley College in Jamaica 🇯🇲 before returning to South Africa to join the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), where she has progressed from Research Specialist (2015) to Chief Research Specialist (2020) and now Research Director (2025–present) 🏢📈. She has also served as an honorary lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and taken leadership roles in conferences, symposia, and research networks 🌐. Her diverse professional development includes editorial roles, board memberships (e.g., Wellcome Trust, Uyinene Foundation), and teaching across institutions, further cementing her as a thought leader in youth development and intersectional justice 📚👥. Her cross-disciplinary experience and global engagement demonstrate her commitment to social impact, inclusive policy, and innovative pedagogy 💡🌍.
🔍 Research Focus
Dr. Mahali’s research sits at the intersection of youth social justice, education, mental health, gender equity, and civic participation ✊👩🏽🎓🧠. Her work primarily explores intersectional youth issues in post-apartheid South Africa, including language rights, climate justice, and migration 🌿🗳️🌍. Through participatory and narrative-driven methodologies, she examines how structural inequalities affect the lives of young people, particularly Black womxn in educational and leadership spaces 🖤♀️. She leads research projects on first-time voting youth, COVID-19’s impact on mental health, and the long-term impact of education on African alumni 📊. Her interdisciplinary lens, drawing from sociology, performance theory, and critical race studies, positions her as a pioneering voice in youth-focused, socially engaged scholarship 👩🏽🏫📝. Her work is consistently anchored in community transformation and systemic redress 🧩⚖️.
🛠️ Research Skills
Dr. Mahali is a highly skilled qualitative researcher known for using participatory, visual, and creative methodologies 🎥🖌️📋. Her methodological expertise includes performance ethnography, social network interviewing (SNI), and intersectional feminist research tools, allowing her to center marginalized experiences in powerful and authentic ways 🗣️📸. She excels at designing and leading large-scale, multi-year projects involving youth cohorts, policy evaluation, and longitudinal studies 🧠📈. Her skills extend to research supervision, curriculum development, documentary filmmaking, and journal peer reviewing, demonstrating her versatility across both academic and public scholarship 📽️📘. A strong communicator and collaborative leader, she consistently bridges the gap between academia and community-based action 🤝📚. Her ability to fuse theory, practice, and advocacy positions her as a researcher committed to impact, transformation, and excellence 🌱🔬💬.
🏅 Awards and Honours
Dr. Alude Mahali has received numerous accolades in recognition of her academic excellence and social impact 🏆📚. These include prestigious fellowships such as the Reese Miller International Scholar Award at the University of Michigan 🇺🇸, the Harry Crossley Fellowship, and the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust Scholarship 🎓. She was a finalist for the HSRC-USAf CEOs Award in 2023 and has been the recipient of the University of Cape Town’s Research Associateship Award 🎖️. Her academic journey has also been supported by the Andrew Mellon Scholarship, National Arts Council Bursary, and Rosalind van der Gucht Scholarship 🎼📖. Through these honours, Dr. Mahali has consistently demonstrated leadership, creativity, and a profound commitment to transformative research and education 🌟🧑🏫.
Publication Top Notes
1. Disentangled, Decentred and Democratised: Youth Studies for the Global South
Authors: A. Cooper, S. Swartz, A. Mahali
Journal: Journal of Youth Studies, Vol. 22(1), pp. 29–45
Citations: 102
Year: 2019
Summary: This paper critiques dominant Western perspectives in youth studies, advocating for approaches rooted in the experiences of young people in the global South. It calls for youth studies that are disentangled from colonial knowledge systems, decentered from the global North, and democratized through inclusive and participatory methods.
2. Studying While Black: Race, Education and Emancipation in South African Universities
Authors: S. Swartz, A. Mahali, R. Moletsane, E. Arogundade, N.E. Khalema, A. Cooper, et al.
Publisher: HSRC Press
Citations: 84
Year: 2018
Summary: A comprehensive exploration of the lived experiences of Black students in South African higher education institutions. The book highlights structural racism, student resistance, and aspirations for educational transformation and social justice.
3. Networks of Well-being in the Global South: A Critical Review of Current Scholarship
Authors: A. Mahali, I. Lynch, A.W. Fadiji, T. Tolla, S. Khumalo, S. Naicker
Journal: Journal of Developing Societies, Vol. 34(4), pp. 373–400
Citations: 67
Year: 2018
Summary: The article reviews literature on well-being in the global South, emphasizing the need to move beyond individualistic and Western-centric models. It advocates for contextualized, networked understandings of well-being.
4. ‘Without Community, There is No Liberation’: On #BlackGirlMagic and the Rise of Black Woman-Centred Collectives in South Africa
Author: A. Mahali
Journal: Agenda, Vol. 31(1), pp. 28–41
Citations: 15
Year: 2017
Summary: This paper explores how Black South African women are using digital platforms and grassroots organizing to form supportive collectives. It analyzes the #BlackGirlMagic movement in local contexts as a form of resistance and identity formation.
5. “The Power of the Poem”: Using Poetic Inquiry to Explore Trans-Identities in Namibia
Authors: H. Van Rooyen, Z. Essack, A. Mahali, C. Groenewald, A. Solomons
Journal: Arts & Health, Vol. 13(3), pp. 315–328
Citations: 14
Year: 2021
Summary: This paper employs poetic inquiry to explore the lived experiences of transgender individuals in Namibia. It highlights the therapeutic and narrative potential of poetry in marginalized communities.
6. Using Qualitative Tools as Interventionist Research Strategies for Emancipation
Authors: A. Mahali, S. Swartz
Journal: International Journal of Qualitative Methods, Vol. 17(1), Article: 1609406918799573
Citations: 11
Year: 2018
Summary: The paper argues for the use of qualitative research not just as a method of understanding but also as a tool for social intervention, particularly in empowering disadvantaged groups.
7. Maid to Serve: ‘Self-Fashioning’ and the Domestic Worker Trope in Contemporary South Africa
Author: A. Mahali
Journal: Journal of African Media Studies, Vol. 8(2), pp. 127–143
Citations: 9
Year: 2016
Summary: This article critiques how domestic workers are portrayed in South African media and literature. It examines how these portrayals shape public perceptions and the identities of the women themselves.
Conclusion:
Dr. Alude Mahali embodies the core ideals of the Women Researcher Award: innovation, leadership, inclusion, and societal relevance. Her integrative research approach, dedication to youth empowerment, and advocacy for intersectional justice have significantly enriched both academic scholarship and grassroots transformation. She stands as a model of visionary and inclusive research leadership, making her exceptionally well-suited for this honor.