Meet our team
Noluvo Mandukwini
Local Government & Paralegal Services Coordinator
Noluvo Mandukwini was born in Tshezi village (in the Xora-Mouth Administrative Area where the Equality Collective is based). She completed school at Ganizulu SSS. After completing school she started working at the iiTablet Tshomiz programme at the Bulungula Incubator, an online e-learning programme at one of the local primary schools. She quickly moved up the ranks and became a Site Manager showing leadership, patience and commitment to her work and to children's education in her community. While in this job, she began studying for a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) at the University of South Africa so she can better understand the general principles of the South African legal system, which she now applies to her work as the Local Government and Paralegal Coordinator at the Equality Collective. She works at the Equality Collective because she wants to help people know and understand their rights.
Kudrat Virk
Head of Strategy, Learning & Operations
Kudrat is a problem solver who is always looking for ways to make things work better and support people and organisations in striving for excellence. She started as a researcher in International Relations but has since shifted gear to grow as a transition management specialist with over a decade of experience at the coalface in the non-profit sector. Before taking on her current role, Kudrat provided needs-based strategic, operational, and project support to the Equality Collective, having briefly provided sabbatical cover as Acting Director. She also served as Acting Director of My Vote Counts and, prior to that, the Centre for Conflict Resolution, where she had been Senior Researcher. Kudrat has a PhD in International Relations from the University of Oxford and is a published author and editor. She serves on the Board of My Vote Counts and is a co-opted advisor to the Board of Amnesty International South Africa. Outside of work, Kudrat enjoys books and puzzles, good food, morning runs, and road trips; attempting to bake, occasionally with success; and spending time with friends.
Tshepo Mantjé
Senior ECD Coordinator
Tshepo Mantjé is an education and children's rights activist. He is passionate about working with children and youth to create spaces where their expression is valued. Tshepo is a Rhodes University alum. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honours in Psychology. His focus was on childhood disabilities, developmental psychology, and community psychology. Following this, Tshepo completed an LLB degree focusing on human rights. He wrote his LLB dissertation proposing a minimum core model for realising the right to basic education in South Africa. Tshepo also finds expression in podcasting. He is the producer and host of Daring Greatly Podcast with Tshepo Mantjé, a mental health and personal development podcast. His other interests include gardening, yoga and crocheting. Words that ring true to Tshepo are those shared by Nelson Mandela: “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” Through his work at the Equality Collective, Tshepo intends to contribute to the collective effort to reimagine and bring to light the expression of Africa by investing in her children.
Tinotenda Muringani
Research & Advocacy Officer
Tinotenda is a dedicated human rights lawyer and researcher passionate about advancing social justice and accountability through evidence-based advocacy. With extensive experience in the non-profit sector, his work has focused on promoting essential rights and services in rural communities—particularly the right to water, access to justice, gender based violence and local government accountability. His efforts aim to empower marginalised groups to participate meaningfully in governance and hold institutions to account. Tinotenda is currently completing his Doctor of Laws (LLD) at the University of Pretoria, where his research examines the international legal characterisation of the Gukurahundi massacre and its implications for transitional justice in Zimbabwe. He also holds an Interdisciplinary Master of Human Rights from the University of the Free State and a Master of Laws from Walter Sisulu University. A published commentator on municipal accountability and rural development, with work featured in the Daily Maverick, Tinotenda balances his professional pursuits with a love for reading, soccer, Formula 1, cricket, and rugby
Asisipho Cata
Communications for Social Change Intern
Asispho holds an Honours degree in English Literary Studies from the University of Cape Town and is currently completing her MA in the same field.
Asisipho supports the Communications team by developing content that communicates the Equality Collective's work across its campaigns and programmes. She contributes to writing impact stories, research communications, and other content that helps share the organisation's work and the experiences of the communities it works alongside.
Outside of work, Asisipho enjoys listening to jazz and is grounded in spirituality and Indigenous knowledge systems, which continue to shape how she thinks, writes, and engages with the world.
Sinovuyo Hlahla
Admin and Finance Clerk
Sinovuyo Hlahla was born in kwaTshezi village in the Xhorha Mouth Administrative Area where the Equality Collective is based. She completed her schooling at Groendal Secondary school and thereafter, studied a National Diploma in Policing at Walter Sisulu University. Sinovuyo has previously worked as a Community Liaison Officer in a construction company and in 2023, got an opportunity to join a job skills programme where she completed a handyman course. She started at the Equality Collective in March 2024 as an Intern Office Administrator, and as a result of her eagerness to learn and hard working nature, she joined the team as an Admin and Finance Clerk in June 2024. Sinovuyo loves working with her hands, working with people and learning new things.
Tess Peacock
Founder and Director
Tess Peacock believes that meaningful solutions require proximity to the very challenges we’re trying to overcome. This led to the creation of the Equality Collective. Outside of this work, you can find Tess attempting various DIY projects or walking on the beach. Tess has a B.Soc.Sci in Politics, Philosophy and Economics as well as an LLB from UCT and an LLM from Harvard University. She sits on the Board of Madwaleni Hospital and is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at Walter Sisulu University, she is also the former Treasurer of Equal Education. She is a 2019/20 Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity and a Salzburg Global Fellow.
Nozi Samela-Cewu
Communications for Social Change Lead
Nozi is a strategic communications professional with over a decade of experience translating complex development initiatives into clear, compelling stories that resonate. Her work spans more than 12 African countries, where she has helped organisations bring community voices to the forefront — amplifying their impact and building trust with stakeholders, donors, and the public.
Her passion for storytelling moved her from holding a National Diploma in Internal Auditing to pursuing a Degree in Communication Science. Currently serving as Communications for Social Change Lead at The Equality Collective, she is also working towards an Honours Degree in Integrated Organisational Communication.
Nozi is inspired by communities that organise themselves to be part of the solution to the challenges they face. These are the stories she likes to tell — the ones that bring statistics to life, showing the human impact that numbers alone can't capture.
Tembisa Ntlali
Local Government and Paralegal Services Intern
Tembisa Ntlali holds a Bachelor and Honours degree in Administration in Public Administration from the University of Fort Hare. Growing up in the rural Eastern Cape, Tembisa has witnessed firsthand the challenges communities face in accessing basic services such as water, roads, electricity, and legal support. These experiences fuel her passion for public service and grassroots development. In her role, Tembisa is committed to supporting communities to understand and exercise their rights, while strengthening accountability in local governance. She has a particular interest in rural development, service delivery, and community-driven solutions that promote dignity and equality for all. Outside of her work, Tembisa enjoys creative expression through content creation, exploring self-care practices, watching sunsets, and pursuing entrepreneurial projects that respond to community needs.
Tatiana Kazim
Research and Advocacy Lead
Tatiana is committed to using research, advocacy, and law to build a more just world. Alongside her role as Research and Advocacy Lead at Equality Collective, Tatiana is a Research Associate at the Centre for Law and Society, University of Cape Town, and she is studying for a doctorate with Professor Sandra Liebenberg at Stellenbosch University, focusing on the obligations of private actors in relation to socio-economic rights. Previously, Tatiana worked as a Legal Advisor at SmartStart South Africa, where she was seconded to the national Department of Basic Education to assist with reforming the law on early childhood development. She has also been a senior legal researcher at the Equal Education Law Centre; a research fellow at Public Law Project in London; a judicial assistant to Lady Justice Nicola Davies in the Court of Appeal of England and Wales; a legal assistant on the Law Commission of England and Wales' abusive and offensive online communications project; and a school governance services officer at Hackney Learning Trust. Tatiana holds a BCL degree (LLM-equivalent) from the University Oxford; a BA in Jurisprudence from the University Oxford; and a BSc in Politics and Philosophy from the London School of Economics. Tatiana is happiest when outdoors, and she loves hiking, yoga, swimming, and a good novel.
