Ms Ayanda Tshazi
Ayanda is the Qualitative Research Manager at the HSRC's Centre for Community Based Research (CCBR) in Sweetwaters. She holds a Masters in Development Studies, and is passionate about inclusivity in research. Therefore, Ayanda specializes in qualitative research that uses Participatory Visual and Arts-based Methods to engage participants who may otherwise be challenged due to illiteracy, disability or subject sensitivity.
Prior to joining the HSRC, she worked as a researcher at the UKZN's Centre for Participatory Visual Methods for Social Change, and lectured in the Department of Human Geography. Ayanda has held various positions in local government, NGO and private sectors, including in business support, capacity building, brand and project management portfolios. Currently completing her PhD in Education and Development, Ayanda was awarded UKZNâ??s emerging scholarsâ?? Talent Excellence and Equity Acceleration Scholarship and is an Andrew Mellon Fellow of Critical Food Studies since 2020. Her research is in cultural food practices, gender and socialization, and womanhood studies. She recently coordinated the Sweetwaters leg of the Democracy@30 Project, which epitomizes the community engagement through participatory methods principle she is passionate about.
