Meet our team
Tess Peacock
Director
Tess Peacock believes that to move South Africa to be a more equal country, powerful organising rooted in community struggles against racial and economic exclusion must be galvanised and supported. The recent founder of the Equality Collective, Tess aims to work with community groups across the poorest municipalities in the Eastern Cape to build a rural justice network fighting for ukulingana nokulingana ngoku (‘Real Equality Now!’). Having worked as a passionate lawyer and advocate of education and early childhood development rights and services, Tess is committed to challenging power in the pursuit of greater equity and justice. 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 is the former Treasurer of Equal Education and an advisory board member for the Bulungula College. She is a 2019/20 Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity and a Salzburg Global Fellow.
Alana Potter
Head of Research and Advocacy
Alana Potter is an activist, researcher, and advocate. She comes to us from Human Rights Watch where she led research training globally, and she is excited to work in her home country again. She brings many years’ experience leading research and advocacy strategies built on local evidence, combining community-based social research with legal socio-economic rights analyses. Her work leading research and advocacy at SERI; a global civil society coalition called End Water Poverty; IRC’s Africa regional programme and role in Mvula Trust’s policy unit has helped her develop skills in strategy design, evidence for policy influence, and coalition-building for collective action at international, Africa regional and country levels. Her content expertise is in water justice, governance and systems, informal and precarious work, protest, and civic space. She has worked in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Outside of work, Alana is an avid reader, an enthusiastic hiker and will rise to a backgammon challenge at any opportunity. Alana is passionate about amplifying the innovative rights claiming strategies employed by community groups and organisations, and excited to work with us to build Equality Collective’s vision and impact.
Sibonelo Nongcula
Head of Programmes
For over 10 years Sibonelo Nongcula has been dedicated to creating fun, inclusive and high-impact classrooms. As the CEO of Numeric, she completed research and developed
programmes to train the next generation of passionate and well-equipped math teachers for South African public schools. These were completed in partnership with several of South
Africa’s teacher training institutions; the University of Johannesburg, the University of
KwaZulu Natal and Walter Sisulu University. Sibonelo found her passion for education and serving underserved communities during her student days at Walter Sisulu University, where she completed her BSc in Chemistry. Her desire to bring her expertise in programme delivery, fundraising and leadership, home drew her to the Equality Collective, whose commitment to empowering rural communities to hold government accountable and
influencing systemic change aligns with Sibonelo’s desired future contributions towards
community development. Outside of work, Sibonelo enjoys board games, swimming in the
ocean and hiking.
Zoë Postman
Head of Communications for Social Change
Zoë Postman is an activist and writer. As a journalist, she is best known for her work at GroundUp News - a social justice online publication. She worked at GroundUp News for three years where she covered stories about land occupations and evictions, refugees, informal labour, correctional centres and protests in South Africa, amongst others. Her articles have been republished in various media platforms including the Mail & Guardian, News24, Daily Maverick, The Citizen, New Frame and others. As an activist, she works with the African Reclaimers Organisation (ARO) Solidarity Group which aims to assist reclaimers - workers who informally collect and sell recyclable materials - to organise, mobilise and gain recognition for the work they do. Zoë is a Canon Collins Trust Alum, and was nominated as the fellow-fellow of the cohort in 2021, and is currently a fellow on the DGMT Innovation Fellowship for young leaders in the civil society sector. Apart from her work, Zoë is passionate about nature, vegetable gardening, healing, learning, writing and music. She strongly believes that the freedom of all is essential to her freedom. She is excited to join the Equality Collective team as the Head of Communications to support communities in her home province of the Eastern Cape.
Tshepo Mantje
Right to ECD Coordinator
Tshepo Mantje is currently the Right to Early Childhood Development Coordinator at The Equality Collective. He is also an education and children's right 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 in 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 Mantje, 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 her children.
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. This makes her a fitting candidate to be the Right to Water Coordinator at the Equality Collective. She is interested in working at the Equality Collective because she wants to help people know and understand their rights. She is excited for the new work challenge.
Tinotenda Muringani
Research & Advocacy Officer
Tinotenda holds a LLB and LLM from Walter Sisulu University and an Interdisciplinary Masters in Human Rights(LLM) from the University of the Free State. He is currently reading towards a Doctor of Laws with the University of Free State. Tino has served as the President of Students For Law and Social Justice in 2016. He is passionate about the right to education with specific focus on disabled learners and has endeavoured to campaign for more access to education for vulnerable groups. This growing passion is what attracted him to the Equality Collective's work with early childhood development. His other interests include transitional mechanisms and how they can best be utilised to move communities from spaces of conflict. Outside of his work and academic endeavours, Tino enjoys soccer, tennis, cricket and formula 1 and has a passion for agriculture.
Sinovuyo Hlahla
Admin and Finance Clerk
Sinovuyo 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.
Mbali Obose
ECD Advocacy Intern
Mbali is an Early Childhood Development (ECD) Advocacy Intern at the Equality Collective, supporting the Real Reform for ECD movement through engagement with ECD Forums and municipal officials. She holds an Honours degree in Psychology from Nelson Mandela University and has a particular interest in Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in children. Aspiring to become an Educational Psychologist, Mbali hopes to help bridge gaps in mental health support for young children, particularly in underserved communities. Beyond her professional interests, Mbali has a big heart for children and feels grateful to work in a field that puts them at the centre. In her free time, she enjoys church, relaxing with Netflix, donating blood, baking, doing her hair, knitting, and getting lost in a good book.