Meet our Volunteers

Chinwendu Deborah Otei is a Marketing/Public Relations academic and research consultant. She holds Bachelors (with first-class honours) and Doctorate degrees in Marketing from the University of Nigeria. She is passionate about driving change in society with a focus on creating sustainable impact within and outside the academia.

Her eleven+ year university career extends beyond teaching into practically improving people’s welfare within society, especially women, youths and the under-represented categories of people. In addition to her academic career, she is interested in utilizing her social marketing experience in championing social causes on gender advocacy and capacity development.

Chinwendu has successfully attracted grants for social development and executed media campaigns for different brands, resulting into a massive customer attraction and brand visibility. She is an award-winning content writer and young peoples’ mentor.

I am a passionate marketing professional with over five years of experience in brand management, digital marketing, and relationship building. Holding a BA (Hons) in International Finance and Banking, I excel at combining data-driven insights with creative strategies to craft impactful campaigns that enhance brand visibility and drive engagement.

I believe in the transformative power of social and relationship marketing, advocating for their use in creating deeper connections between businesses and their audiences. By adopting intentional strategies, I help organizations position themselves at the heart of their communities, addressing socioeconomic and environmental challenges while fostering trust and loyalty.

My expertise spans strategic planning, campaign management, and cross-functional collaboration, and I thrive on creating marketing solutions that align corporate goals with community needs. For me, marketing is not just about growth; it’s a powerful tool to create meaningful impact and lasting value for businesses and society alike.

I am Mmapula Sedie, a program manager for “SKY Girls BW,” a social behavioral initiative empowering teenage girls that started in Botswana ten years ago and now operates in five other African countries. I oversee the program in Botswana and Zambia. With a background in client services and strategy at a local advertising agency, I have gained valuable insights into various industries. My degree in finance and certificates in social marketing enable me to strategically use funding for the greater good and positive impact. I contribute to this program through impactful school talks, reports, and stakeholder engagement. With six years of professional experience, my commitment to financial empowerment and youth engagement is evident in all my endeavors.

I am Yves Jacket Nsavyimana, a Medical Doctor from Burundi and Global Health enthusiast. I have experience both in clinical and public health research & management. I used to work as medical officer in underserved rural areas hospitals. I am currently a junior consultant of local NGOs and researcher at a private research institution CHePaR (Centre for Health Policy Analysis and Research), currently on leave because I start soon my MSc in Applied Health Social Science with focus on Implementation Research at University of Ghana. I am a WHO/TDR scholar for this program and double Swiss Plexus scholar for the Lugano Summer School in 2025 & 2024. My research area of interest is the social and behavioural change in public health.

Evans Ijakaa is a communications practitioner, digital journalist and development advocate with over four years of experience. He currently serves as Communications Officer at Strathmore Law School, where he leads the School’s communication strategies and public engagement. He also serves as the patron for the Strathmore Communications and Consultancy Clinic.

His work lie at the intersection of journalism, strategic communication, international development, multilateral cooperation and advocacy, with a focus on amplifying the voices of marginalized and underrepresented communities. Evans is passionate about using journalism and communications to advance narratives that inspire action, influence policy and drive social change.

Beyond Strathmore, he contributes to The Commonwealth as a correspondent, is a CNN Academy Fellow, serves as Strategic Communications and Partnerships Lead at the Young World Federalists and contributes to TV47 Kenya as a digital journalist. His reporting focuses on development, global affairs, social justice and human-interest stories.

Evans holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Strathmore University and is an accredited journalist with the Media Council of Kenya.

Claire is a social development professional, working across a range of sectors including, Early Childhood Development, parenting, nutrition, general education, and public health. She has a proven track record in in the strategic development and implementation of campaigns and projects, with teams of all sizes, in South Africa, and a number of African and other countries.  On projects, Claire has acted both as Project Manager and/or as Subject Matter Expert/Technical Advisor. She is currently consulting to UNICEF and is a doctoral student in social marketing at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Mr B. Ramkelawon is a lecturer in the field of Marketing and Management at Open University of Mauritius: He has accumulated more than 10 years working experience in the field of Marketing & Entrepreneurship at various public and private institutions.

His research interests are mainly in the field of Societal Marketing, Consumer Behaviour, Brand Management and Artificial Intelligence.

Simangaliso Bayabonga Zulu is a lecturer and research academic in Marketing Management at STADIO Higher Education’s School of Administration and Management in Durbanville Campus, Cape Town, South Africa. He holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences, a Postgraduate Certificate in Education, a BCom Honours degree, and a Master of Commerce, and is currently a PhD candidate, with thesis currently under examination. His academic and professional work sits at the intersection of social marketing, behavioural branding, ecology branding, and social and behaviour change (SBC), with a strong focus on addressing public interest and developmental challenges within African contexts.

His research interests include social marketing, city branding, public sector communication, governance, higher education, and social impact. Methodologically, he employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative and qualitative techniques to generate contextually grounded and policy-relevant insights. Simangaliso is particularly interested in how marketing principles can be ethically applied to influence positive behaviour change, strengthen public and community engagement, and support evidence-based decision-making in the public and social sectors.

He is passionate about advancing African-led scholarship, interdisciplinary collaboration, and practice-oriented research that contributes to meaningful, sustainable social change across the continent.

I’m Nelson NKUNDA — just call me Nels!
I’m a PhD Candidate in Marketing at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, with extensive experience in teaching, assessment, and curriculum development in higher education institutions. My academic work focuses on Marketing 5.0, technological transformation, and the evolution of marketing competencies in developing economies. I have nearly a decade of experience teaching marketing, research methodology, and consumer behaviour, both in-person and online, and I currently serve as a Research Assistant at UKZN’s Graduate School of Business and Leadership.
My scholarly contributions include co-authoring two forthcoming book chapters with IGI Global and winning the UKZN 3MT Competition (2025) and the E-Learning Essay Competition (2021). I am passionate about strengthening marketing education, advancing digital and data-driven capabilities, and contributing to Africa’s knowledge-building initiatives. Volunteering with AfSMA aligns perfectly with my commitment to elevating marketing practice and teaching across the continent.

I hold a PhD in Marketing with experiences spanning over 30 years in the field of Sales… my earlier life I spent closer to 10 years in Social Marketing with Society for Family Health. Having reached a position of Regional Manager. Later I moved into intentional market as Sales , as a country Manager Malawi with Alere Health Care, the Abbott rapid Dx point of Care-as country Manager for Zambia, moved to WONDFO of China as Regional Sales Director Southern Africa now am with Trinity Biotech as Government Relations officer for Southern and West African Countries.

Dr. Relebohiseng Matubatuba is a marketing academic, researcher, and educator with expertise in social marketing, digital marketing, consumer behaviour, and sustainability. Her work focuses on using marketing principles to address social and developmental challenges, with particular interest in behaviour change, public engagement, and applied research that creates meaningful impact. She has experience in academic research, scholarly writing, curriculum development, stakeholder engagement, and conference and committee support. Relebohiseng is especially passionate about advancing knowledge exchange across academia, industry, and society, and contributing to initiatives that promote wellbeing, inclusion, and sustainable development. Through her teaching, research, and professional service, she brings strong skills in communication, collaboration, and project contribution. As a volunteer on the African Social Marketing Conference Organizing Committee, she contributes her subject knowledge, academic experience, and commitment to building platforms that strengthen dialogue, learning, and collaboration in social marketing across the African continent and beyond.

I am a marketing expert and academic with a PhD, dedicated to applying my field for social good across Africa. My primary research interest lies in exploring how authentic branding and social marketing drive prosocial consumer behavior, sustainable consumer behavior, etc. I am particularly passionate about bridging the gap between theory and practice. At Mzumbe University in Tanzania, I have designed and delivered short courses for professionals on Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) and social marketing. This work allows me to equip practitioners with the skills to design impactful, evidence-based interventions that resonate with local communities. I am eager to contribute to AfSMA’s mission by strengthening regional capacity and fostering the use of social marketing to tackle pressing health and social challenges in the African context.