Athinangamso Esther Nkopo

South Africa

MSc African Studies, 2016
St Anne's College
Funding: Louis Dreyfus

Athinangamso holds an honours degree in International Relations from the University of the Witwatersrand and a Master’s in Political Studies. At Witwatersrand, Athinangamso founded the ‘Wit’s Women’s Forum’ to address issues of concern to female students and workers, as well as organising the annual ‘In Remembrance of Biko’ talks and debates. She was Chief Adjudicator for the South Africa Nationals Debating Championships in 2017. She also worked as a volunteer delivering training to underprivileged schools in the townships of Soweto and Alexandra in Johannesburg.

African development and governance have always been Athinangamso’s areas of particular interest within the field of international relations. In 2014, she undertook an internship at Action Support Centre, an NGO focusing on conflict transformation in communities in the developing world. In 2015, she worked as an intern at the South Africa Department of Science and Technology within the International Co-operations section, looking specifically at innovation for development. After that, she worked on an exchange voluntary basis at the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association. She is part of a number of grassroots social justice movements in South Africa.

Athinangamso has just received her PhD degree from the University of Cape Town in 2023. She is currently based in Johannesburg, South Africa.