Leveraging the Fourth Industrial Revolution for governance and urban development in Johannesburg.
Dr Mmabatho Mongae
Dr Mmabatho Mongae is a Lead Data Analyst at Good Governance Africa (GGA), where she plays a key role in developing innovative, data-driven tools to improve governance and urban management across the continent. Her work includes the Governance Performance Index (GPI), a first-of-its-kind assessment of local municipal performance, and the African Cities Profiling Project, an initiative aimed at building a comprehensive information bank to assist cities in enhancing service delivery for both citizens and enterprises.
With a PhD in International Relations from the University of the Witwatersrand and as a research fellow at the Centre for Africa China Studies, Mmabatho’s work bridges rigorous academic research with real-world policy challenges. Her research has been published in respected platforms such as The Thinker, Journal of Public Administration, Routledge, and EISA Occasional Papers. She has also contributed thought leadership on democratic governance, energy transitions, and urban development in media outlets and policy forums.
Before joining GGA, Mmabatho lectured International Relations at Wits University for six years teaching courses on East Asia, South African foreign policy, International Political Economy, transnational Issues, and diplomacy.
At the core of her work is a commitment to ensuring that data and research translate into meaningful policy decisions, shaping more effective governance and development outcomes across Africa.
SA’s balancing act with the US: Diplomacy and strategy
South Africa is presented with opportunities and problems created by the Trump-Musk regime The USA is a preponderant power—it essentially dominates almost every aspect of international affairs. It is also South Africa’s second-biggest trading partner; this trade...
SADC’s role and limitations in ensuring democratic integrity
Almost a third of African countries have already held, or will still hold, general or presidential elections in 2024. A significant concentration of these are in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, including South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique,...
e-Services in South Africa exacerbate inequality through digital barriers
Like many countries, South Africa has adopted e-government systems to deliver information and municipal services. While the government has embraced digital tools to provide citizens with modern, seamless services, several barriers persist. These include digital...
2024 Mozambique Election Tracker
30 years: Democracy isn’t a once-off achievement
Democracy is an ongoing experiment. The will to defend it is largely influenced by how it is experienced and valued by citizens. Given this, it is critical to identify both how democracy works in different contexts in Africa, and the type of group attitudes towards it...
Private sector can help decentralise just energy transition
With nearly 86% of its carbon dioxide (CO2) coming from coal, SA is one of the world’s most coal-dependent countries. It also produces nearly a quarter of the continent’s total carbon emissions. Importantly, the country is subject to climate variability and change,...
Decentralising the Just Energy Transition
With nearly 86% of its carbon dioxide (CO2) coming from coal, South Africa is one of the world’s most coal-dependent countries. Additionally, it produces nearly a quarter of the continent’s total carbon emissions. Its economy is highly dependent on agriculture and...
How will South Africans vote in 2024?
The 2024 national and provincial South African elections will likely prove the most important elections since the seminal 1994 elections. The country faces mounting socio-economic challenges including high unemployment, an energy crisis, water scarcity, high crime...
Energy poverty and its implications for load-shedding in South Africa
December 2023 will mark 16 years since loadshedding became prominent in 2007. What was initially conceived as a temporary measure has become a persistent feature in South Africa – a feature that continues to worsen. One of the biggest consequences of load-shedding is...
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Dr Mmabatho Mongae
Dr Mmabatho Mongae is a Lead Data Analyst at Good Governance Africa (GGA), where she plays a key role in developing innovative, data-driven tools to improve governance and urban management across the continent. Her work includes the Governance Performance Index (GPI), a first-of-its-kind assessment of local municipal performance, and the African Cities Profiling Project, an initiative aimed at building a comprehensive information bank to assist cities in enhancing service delivery for both citizens and enterprises.
With a PhD in International Relations from the University of the Witwatersrand and as a research fellow at the Centre for Africa China Studies, Mmabatho’s work bridges rigorous academic research with real-world policy challenges. Her research has been published in respected platforms such as The Thinker, Journal of Public Administration, Routledge, and EISA Occasional Papers. She has also contributed thought leadership on democratic governance, energy transitions, and urban development in media outlets and policy forums.
Before joining GGA, Mmabatho lectured International Relations at Wits University for six years teaching courses on East Asia, South African foreign policy, International Political Economy, transnational Issues, and diplomacy.
At the core of her work is a commitment to ensuring that data and research translate into meaningful policy decisions, shaping more effective governance and development outcomes across Africa.
Leveraging 4IR for Governance and Urban Development in Johannesburg
Leveraging the Fourth Industrial Revolution for governance and urban development in Johannesburg.
SA’s balancing act with the US: Diplomacy and strategy
South Africa is presented with opportunities and problems created by the Trump-Musk regime The USA is a preponderant power—it essentially dominates almost every aspect of international affairs. It is also South Africa’s second-biggest trading partner; this trade...
SADC’s role and limitations in ensuring democratic integrity
Almost a third of African countries have already held, or will still hold, general or presidential elections in 2024. A significant concentration of these are in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, including South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique,...
e-Services in South Africa exacerbate inequality through digital barriers
Like many countries, South Africa has adopted e-government systems to deliver information and municipal services. While the government has embraced digital tools to provide citizens with modern, seamless services, several barriers persist. These include digital...
2024 Mozambique Election Tracker
30 years: Democracy isn’t a once-off achievement
Democracy is an ongoing experiment. The will to defend it is largely influenced by how it is experienced and valued by citizens. Given this, it is critical to identify both how democracy works in different contexts in Africa, and the type of group attitudes towards it...
Private sector can help decentralise just energy transition
With nearly 86% of its carbon dioxide (CO2) coming from coal, SA is one of the world’s most coal-dependent countries. It also produces nearly a quarter of the continent’s total carbon emissions. Importantly, the country is subject to climate variability and change,...
Decentralising the Just Energy Transition
With nearly 86% of its carbon dioxide (CO2) coming from coal, South Africa is one of the world’s most coal-dependent countries. Additionally, it produces nearly a quarter of the continent’s total carbon emissions. Its economy is highly dependent on agriculture and...
How will South Africans vote in 2024?
The 2024 national and provincial South African elections will likely prove the most important elections since the seminal 1994 elections. The country faces mounting socio-economic challenges including high unemployment, an energy crisis, water scarcity, high crime...
Energy poverty and its implications for load-shedding in South Africa
December 2023 will mark 16 years since loadshedding became prominent in 2007. What was initially conceived as a temporary measure has become a persistent feature in South Africa – a feature that continues to worsen. One of the biggest consequences of load-shedding is...