Charisma Nozuko Mdunyelwa is an aspiring South African researcher with a passion for understanding African urbanism and gendered economies in vibrant, gendered, and trans-African township economies. She holds a BA degree in Social Work from Stellenbosch University, as well as an Honours degree in Social Anthropology. Her research has focused on a range of topics related to social justice and equality, including issues related to disability and accessibility, African hair, gendered trade, storytelling, and trans-African networks. In addition to her academic work, Charisma has served on numerous university committees and leadership positions, where she has had to balance administrative management with interpersonal relations. She is a confident individual with a friendly demeanor and a cooperative style of interpersonal engagement Charisma currently serves on the board of Her Voice, an organization in Kayamandi and is involved in various community projects in Kayamandi.

Current Research

Charisma is currently pursuing a MA in Social Anthropology. Her research is focused on understanding how black women’s identities are formed and how violence impacts their daily lives in South African communities, with a particular interest on the concept of black pain.

Charisma plans to investigate the connection between black pain and structural violence. Specifically, she wants to investigate how black women living in/from townships experience structures in town. Whether and how these structures can act as triggers for their pain. She also plans to explore how black women process trauma and pain, including the strategies they use to cope with the challenges they face. Charisma’s research is driven by a desire to better understand the experiences of black women in South Africa and to use this understanding to advocate for social justice and equality. She believes that by shedding light on the challenges faced by black women in South African communities, she can contribute to broader discussions of social change, building healthy communities and promote greater awareness of the ongoing struggles faced by marginalized communities.

Supervisor: Dr. Shaheed Tayob

Email: 20315589@sun.ac.za | Tel: +27 (21) 808 4047