Mandla Simelane

Mandla Simelane is a globally engaged thought leader and storyteller in human flourishing, peacebuilding, educational rights and inclusive education, his National and International experience is rooted in profit and non-profit sectors, academic, and policy-driven ecosystems. His scholarly and practitioner journey spans engagements with leading institutions in Australia, the United States of America, New Zealand, and India, where he has built deep expertise in the science of wellbeing.

Mandla’s work in South Africa has been marked by the facilitation of high-impact learning experiences at several universities, where he bridges the gap between theory and lived practice. At the core of his mission lies a dedication to asset-based initiatives focusing on character strengths, healing justice, and the advancement of human dignity through humanizing pedagogies. Currently, Mandla serves on the United Nations Peace Leadership Program and leads a community-based Forgiveness Project, fostering restorative dialogue and healing in communities affected by systemic injustice and social harm. A gifted storyteller and writer. He is the author of a short story collection on wellbeing, published with the South African Writers College, draws from lived experiences to explore themes of resilience, hope, and human flourishing. Mandla is a proud member of the National Writers Association of South Africa.


His global influence extends to his role as Deputy Chairperson of the Board of the African Left Handers Association (ALFHSA) and as a Continental Trustee and Spokesperson for the African Left Handers Confederation Initiative (ALHCI). In these capacities, he drives inclusive education policy, advocates for neurodiversity, and engages directly with governments, diplomatic missions, academic institutions, and multilateral organizations to advance the wellbeing of left-handed learners and professionals across the African continent. Mandla is also a certified and accredited Positive Psychology and Wellbeing Coach (ICF), known for his dynamic keynote presentations, thought leadership sessions, and coaching engagements within organizational development and higher education contexts.


His multidisciplinary academic background encompasses education, organizational psychology, human resources, training and development, theology, and gender studies. He holds professional affiliations with: 

The Educational Psychology Association of South Africa (EPASSA)
The Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA)
The Institute for Stakeholder Relations South Africa (ISRSA)

A recent Wellbeing Fellow at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center and an active member of its Global Educators Community of Practice, Mandla champions collaborative partnerships across academia, community, and industry to foster transformative and inclusive learning environments

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful, to better understand how they are used and to tailor advertising. You can read more and make your cookie choices here. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept