SAIIA
At SAIIA, I serve as a Junior Researcher exploring governance, diplomacy, and Africa’s evolving role on the global stage.
For me, SAIIA Youth Committee was where it all began. It gave me the space to learn, to understand policy, and to see what meaningful engagement really looks like. It was my day-one organisation — the foundation of everything I’ve gone on to do. You never forget your day ones, and I’ll always owe a great deal to SAIIA for opening that first door.
In 2025, I had the privilege of contributing to initiatives such as the UN Women South Africa Policy, the Youth Unemployment Action Plan, and the Youth Financial Inclusion Action Plan. These opportunities reinforced my belief that youth are not passive observers in policymaking — we are key actors shaping the frameworks that guide our collective futures.
My time at SAIIA is more than a line on a CV. It’s a testament to the power of institutional mentorship, intellectual community, and the potential unlocked when young thinkers are given space to lead.
UNHRC Headquarters for Southern Africa in Pretoria with SAIIA emerging policy analysts.
At work in the boardroom at the UNHRC.
International Youth Roundtable at SAIIA. Policy review of different nations and negotiations of the future of globalisation.
The Importance of Policy Writing and Engagement
Policy writing and engagement are not just technical exercises — they are at the very core of shaping societies, addressing inequalities, and steering nations toward sustainable futures. To write and engage with policy is to stand at the nexus of knowledge and power: it requires understanding history, anticipating the future, and crafting solutions that touch people’s lives in tangible ways.
Policy creation and review sit at the greatest nexus of understanding power — who holds it, how it is exercised, and how it can be reshaped for justice, inclusion, and progress. My time at SAIIA and my contributions in 2025 are not endpoints but milestones. They will remain embedded in my career and life as reminders that real change begins with the courage to write, to engage, and to act.