Dr Ayabulela Dlakavu is a Senior Lecturer at the Wits School of Governance. He is the former Programme Manager of Twende Mbele, a multilateral partnership on mutual development of public sector performance monitoring and evaluation systems between the governments of South Africa, Benin, Uganda, Kenya, Niger and Ghana. He is also a former Programme Manager in the National Evaluation Systems unit at CLEAR-Anglophone Africa, and has lectured international political economy and international conflict, peace and security at the University of Johannesburg. He a researcher and analyst of public policy (including monitoring and evaluation thereof); foreign policy; international organisation; global and regional peace and security; political economy; and international development. 

He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science; a Master’s degree in Political Science; a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in International Relations (cum laude); and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (cum laude), all from the University of Johannesburg, Republic of South Africa. He also holds a certificate in Chinese Politics and Diplomacy, BRICS Cooperation and Global Governance from Fudan University in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Ayabulela is also the Managing Editor of the Digital Policy Studies Journal, based at the University of Johannesburg Press. 

He has also previously worked at the Africa Relations desk of the then Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. He has published multiple journal articles, book chapters, policy briefs and learning notes on areas such as public policy evaluation, South African politics and elections, and nativism and xenophobia.