The appointment of new members to MISTRA’s Board of Governors and Council of Advisors has been a key highlight. These changes form part of our regular governance rotation and are essential to keeping MISTRA’s output dynamic and forward-looking. The Institute is proud to welcome to the Board a force of transformative executives, eminent academics, public intellectuals and policy leaders. MISTRA would like to express everlasting gratitude to the departing Members; Jean-Marie Jullienne and Kgabelo Solomon Mapaila from the Board of Governors, and Dr Reuel Khoza, Ambassador Abdul Minty, and Jenny Cargill from the Council of Advisors for their immense contributions. Their insights and principled leadership have been instrumental in shaping the MISTRA we know today
Looking back, we are pleased to reflect on the significant role the Institute has played in important dialogues during this period. These include the China-Africa Think Tanks Forum in Kunming, where our Senior Researcher: Humanity, Na’eem Jeenah, joined thought leaders from across the continent and China to explore development paths and governance models; F20 Climate Solutions Forum in Cape Town where Executive Director, Mr Joel Netshitenzhe delivered the closing remarks at one of the sessions; and the On Think Tanks (OTT) Conference 2025, co-hosted in South Africa, where Director Research, Dr Sandy Africa, shared insights on how policy research organisations can measure and sustain their impact.
In addition to these international engagements, we have made a noteworthy impact locally. Our Directors and Researchers contributed to critical policy conversations, including the National Planning Commission’s Gender Mainstreaming Workshop, and the “State, Democracy and the Promise of Development” symposium co-hosted by PARI and Brown University.
MISTRA is also pleased to have expanded its diplomatic engagement efforts this quarter. Members from the Institute met with representatives from the Arab League and embassies of Iran, the Netherlands, Japan, Thailand, India and Pakistan, identifying shared research priorities and opportunities for collaboration.
Closer to home, key strategies and plans developed by MISTRA in partnership with the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) and Mintek have recently been approved by cabinet. These documents were developed in consultation with various government departments, industry experts, and diverse stakeholder groups.
Read more about our work and the events MISTRA members have attended and contributed to over the past three months below.
