WATCH: Meet Jabulisile Shabalala, a WSG graduate who shares her research on inclusive housing

Meet Jabulisile Shabalala, a WSG graduate who shares her research on inclusive housing. 

Shabalala is a Petitions Analyst and a member of ForbesBLK, a global network of Black leaders driving systematic change across business, culture, and society. Recognised by the Mail & Guardian as one of 200 Young South Africans in 2024, she has been influencing public discourse since the age 22.  

She played a pivotal role in developing the Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s e-Petitions portal, enabling citizens to submit service delivery complaints for legislative intervention. As a subject expert, Shabalala contributed to the review of the Gauteng Petitions Act 5 of 2002, advocating for legislative mechanisms to uphold the separation of powers and enforce accountability of Members of the Executive Council (MECs). 

She also contributed to drafting the Gauteng Petitions Regulations of 2016, strengthening legislative oversight. Her expertise in governance and policy design led her to pursue a Master’s in Public and Development Management at Wits University, where her research focused on “Not in my backyard responses to Inclusive Housing”, a critical lens on spatial transformation post-Apartheid. She graduated in 2023 and is currently serving on the Policy Committee of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature where she is dedicated to refining regulatory frameworks. In 2025, she was named as one of Inside Education’s 100 South African Shining Stars.