Author: Namhla Thando Matshanda

Namhla Thando Matshanda is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria, and was previously at the University of the Western Cape (2014-2025). She is an interdisciplinary scholar with an interest in the political history of the Horn of Africa. She holds a PhD in African Studies from the University of Edinburgh, an MA in International Relations from the University of the Witwatersrand, and a BA Honours degree from the University of the Western Cape. Prof Matshanda is a C2 NRF-rated researcher (2025-2030). Her research is primarily concerned with the late colonial period, specifically in how the legacies of this period influence present-day processes of state and nation building in the Horn of Africa.