Dr Ruth Kolevsohn is Executive Director of Governance Programmes for Sub-Saharan Africa at Good Governance Africa (GGA), a member of the GGA Group Board, and Director of the Southern African Regional Office. She leads the development and delivery of governance programmes across GGA’s African footprint, spanning governance insights and analytics, accountability and anti-corruption, investment and economic development, peace and security, natural resource governance and climate change, and youth development and empowerment.
Ruth also leads GGA’s Africa-wide advocacy and communications programme supporting the proposed International Anti-Corruption Court (IACCourt), working with governments, civil society, academia, youth, the private sector and international partners to strengthen Africa’s contribution to the emerging global anti-corruption architecture. She serves on the Africa Subcommittee for the establishment of the IACCourt and the Interim Executive Council of the African Union Advisory Board Against Corruption (AUABC) Non-State Actors Forum. With more than 30 years of experience spanning the public, private, academic and social sectors, Ruth specialises in translating research and evidence into practical strategies for institutional and social change. Her work encompasses strategic advocacy, stakeholder engagement, coalition building, social and behavioural change communication, programme development and thought leadership across diverse African contexts. She has led multi-award-winning teams and programmes focused on strengthening institutional integrity, public trust, citizen participation and accountable governance. Ruth holds a Doctor of Business Administration in Executive Leadership from the European Institute of Applied Science and Management in Prague, and is completing a PhD in Psychology at the University of Pretoria, where her research examines grassroots social representations of anti-corruption, accountability and trust in sub-Saharan Africa. Her research and professional work are united by a particular interest in how citizen experience, institutional reform and collective action can contribute to more accountable, inclusive and resilient societies.