
Dr. Siphamandla
Zondi
Political Scientist & Global South Policy Strategist
Professor & Head of Department of Political Sciences at University of Pretoria.

Biography
ProfessionalBiography
“Peace and dialogue in continental affairs require decolonising diplomatic theory and translating decolonial theory into policy agency.”
Siphamandla Zondi is a professor and the head of the Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria, and coordinates the Department’s Institute for Strategic and Political Affairs. Siphamandla Zondi is a professor and the head of the Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria, and coordinates the Department’s Institute for Strategic and Political Affairs, which analyses strategic dynamics in national, continental and international affairs including decision-making, leadership, norms, values, and agency. He also overseas the Centre for the Study of Governance Innovation and the Centre for Mediation in Africa. Between 2004 and 2016, he worked first as the head of the Africa programme of the Institute for Global Dialogue associated with Unisa and later as the head of the Institute itself. He was previously employed to lead research on regional integration at the Africa Institute between 2000 and 2003.
His intellectual interests lie in the area of Africa’s international relations as well as theory building in relation to decolonization and transformation of the modern world and its systems. His recent published work focused on the diplomacy of common positions at the African Union, decolonising diplomatic theory and practice, south-south agency in global affairs, African voices in international relations and the paradigm of peace and dialogue. Zondi is the co-editor (with Sabelo Ndlovu-Gatsheni) of the recently published book entitled Decolonising the University, its Knowledge and Disciplines (Carolina Press) – available on Amazon.
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Media Coverage
MediaCoverage

PROF ZONDI: Despite early controversy, Ramaphosa’s National Dialogue signals a path forward
Eyewitness News (EWN) · 2025-08-21
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UJ appoints Prof Siphamandla Zondi as the Director of the Institute for Pan African Thought and Conversation
UJ News · 2022-09-02
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Africa’s Strategic Partnerships with BRICS and Other Emerging Countries
Polity.org.za · 2025-08-20
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