Biography
Ntlahla Sikwana is a South African emerging anthropologist, researcher and youth advocate from Kwazakhele, Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape. She is currently pursuing an Honours degree in Anthropology at the University of the Witwatersrand, where her research explores amagwijo as archives of collective memory, cultural knowledge and embodied resistance. She is passionate about understanding Black histories, African knowledge systems and the social and political experiences that shape everyday life.
She is the founder of Hand in Hand for Hope, a youth-led initiative working to expand educational opportunities for young people in under-resourced communities. Her commitment to education, youth development and social justice has also shaped her involvement in leadership and fellowship programmes, including Theirworld's Global Youth Ambassador programme and the Get Engaged Fellowship. Through her academic, leadership and community work, Ntlahla is interested in contributing to more equitable societies and creating opportunities for young people to participate in shaping their own futures and those of their communities. At the University of Oxford, she hopes to further her studies in Anthropology.