National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences
2nd Floor, 24 St Andrews
Parktown, 2193
South Africa
Ordinary Academicians
Professor Mpilo Pearl Sithole is a social anthropologist whose interests lie on issues of: governance; gender and development; as well as social inequality. She is the CEO of the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Her undergraduate studies were completed at the University of Durban-Westville in South Africa. Her MPhil and Doctoral studies were completed at the University of Cambridge in the UK.
Prof Sithole’s major contribution to scholarship has been in knowledge reflexivity. She has contributed to the theory and practice of transformative scholarship through bold reflections of what she sees as ‘intellectual choreography’ in a power-ridden terrain of science within the capitalist diaspora. Her writings include a book titled Unequal Peers: The Politics of Discourse Management in the Social Sciences (2009), and a number of journal articles on governance (including traditional leadership), development, and knowledge production. Her analysis on the impact of a pandemic on developmentalism shows how scholarship and lived reality should relate. She has spent a significant amount of time in her career reflecting on the place of the Social Sciences within science as a whole (Sithole MP 2001 and 2006). Recently (2024) she articulated the concept of ‘the menial ditch’ to explain how women end up occupying secondary status in professional spaces despite their capabilities.
A versatile scholar, Prof Sithole has worked in various academic and research institutions in South Africa. Recent positions in her career include being Campus Vice-Principal: Academic and Research at the University of the Free State, QwaQwa Campus; and being a Public Service Commissioner for the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
In 2011 she was recognised by the South African Department of Science and Technology with a Women in Science award – for her work as a social scientist. In 2021 she was appointed as an academician of the Pontifical Academy of the Social Sciences a science academy based at the Vatican City. Between 2022-2025 she has been also part of the Scientific Advisory Committee for UNESCO’s Management of Social Transformation (MOST) Programme. This appointment has recently been extended to a second term.
Most important awards, prizes and academies
2011 Winner of the Distinguished Young Woman in Science Award: Social Science – Awarded by the Department of Science and Technology; 2020-21 Panel member for the Council of Higher Education’s National Review of Doctoral Degree; 2017 to 2020 Member of the Ministerial Transformation Oversight Committee for Higher Education; 2015-17 Council Member – Msunduzi-Ncome Museum, Pietermaritzburg; 2014-15 Associate Editor for South African Journal of Science (Humanities) for the ASSAf; 2011-17 Project Committee member on ‘An investigation on the Practice of Ukuthwala’ for the South African Law Reform Commission; 2010-13 Council Member – Iziko Museums of South Africa; 2009-14 Member of The Independent Commission for the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers, appointed by the President in July 2009 – Chairperson of Committee for Local Government and Traditional Leadership matters; 2009-10 Research Associate, School of Anthropology, Gender and Historical Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal; 2008-12 Panel on the Status of Humanities in South Africa – Organised by the Academy of Science in South Africa (ASSAf); 2008-10 Panel on Establishment of an academic institute to deal with diversity issues at the University of the Free State; 2007-09 Part of the Panel of Experts advising on the formulation of Intangible Heritage Policy in South Africa, Hosted and Chaired by Department of Arts and Culture; 2007-09 Member of Council for the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) – Part of EXCO and ad hoc committees and task teams as part of fulfilling the mandate of the National Heritage Resources Agency (NHRA) and other related legislation; 2007-08 Chairperson of Research Advisory Group of the Learning, Monitoring and Research Facility (LMRF) – supporting LED initiatives in KwaZulu-Natal; 2006-07 Chairperson of Board – Centre for Public Participation (CPP), Durban – oversight role to an NGO looking at community participation issues and examination of forms of accountability in development; 2005-08 Member of the External Reference Group (ERG) for the Ethekwini Municipality’s Area Based Management Programme – forum to which projects of Area-Based Management were presented to outside stakeholders for comment; 2004-10 Deputy Chairperson – KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Planning and Development Commission (PPDC), Department of Local Government, Housing and Traditional Affairs - Part of responsibilities include steering research projects on: IKS (indigenous knowledge and land use systems); Capacity issues in Local Government; Examination of integrated in planning; Women in Development with specific focus on rural areas; 2003-05 Research Board Member – Centre for Civil Society, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College – assessment of research proposal for funding; 2001-03 Member of Scientific Committee for Global Change (National Research Foundation); 2000-01 Research Advisory Board, Africa Institute of South Africa, Pretoria; 1999-2006 Serving on the Committee of the Association for Anthropology in Southern Africa, now known as Anthropology Southern Africa (ASA). Secretary of ASA Council since 2004-06; 1994 onwards Member, Association for Anthropology in Southern Africa; 1989 Secretary, Church Youth Society; 1988-89 Chairperson, Folweni School Debating Society.
Main publications
Sithole, M.P. (2020) ‘Land in South Africa: A Permanent Question; thanks to History, Law and Economics’ in Kariuki, P.; Reddy, P.S.; Wissink, H. (eds) The Covid-19 Pandemic in South Africa: A Review of selected Local Governance and Policy Responses, Vol 2, pp. 256-268; Sithole, M.P. (2020) ‘Is Decoloniality Possible: A Noble Mission, A Frustrated Strategy’ Msunduzi Journal: A Journal of the Msunduzi and Ncome Museums Vol 9, 2020 pp. 16-21; Sithole, M.P. (2016) ‘Engendered Spaces of Power: Women in Political Parties, Traditional Leadership and Government’ in Plaatjies, D., Chitiga-Mabugu, M., Hongoro, C., Meyiwa, T., Nkondo, M. & Nyamnjoh, F. (eds) State of the Nation: Who is in Charge? HSRC Press, Cape Town; Sithole, M.P. (2014) ‘Care and Social Cohesion in South Africa: Political Engineering versus Dealing with Social Discordance’ in Reddy, V., Meyer, S., Shefer, T. & Meyiwa, T. Care in Context: Transnational Gender Perspectives, South Africa, HSRC Press; Sithole, M.P. 2013 ‘Gender, Research and Knowledge Production: The Struggle Ahead’ in Alternation – Engaging New Analytical Perspectives on Gender in the African Context, Vol 20. No. 2, pp. 10-26; Sithole, M.P. (2009) Unequal Peers: The Politics of Discourse Management in the Social Sciences, South Africa, Africa Institute.
Professor Mpilo Pearl Sithole is Campus Vice-Principal: Academic and Research at the University of the Free State, QwaQwa Campus in South Africa
A social anthropologist by training, Sithole has interests on issues of: governance; gender and development; as well as social inequality. Her undergraduate studies were completed in South Africa at the University of Durban-Westville. Her Masters and Doctoral studies were completed at the University of Cambridge in the UK.
She has worked with various academic and research institutions in South Africa; and she has delved into public service, consulting, and civil society as well. Her writings include a book titled Unequal Peers: The Politics of Discourse Management in the Social Sciences (2009), and a number of journal articles on governance, development, and knowledge production – including recently, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on developmentalism.
In 2011 she was recognised by the South African Department of Science and Technology with a Women in Science Award for her stellar work as a social scientist. She was appointed as an Academician in the Pontifical Academy of the Social Sciences in 2021. She is also part of the Scientific Advisory Committee for UNESCO’s Management of Social Transformation (MOST) Programme since 2022.