Dynamic modal content

Okuhle Dekeda is an emerging South African researcher whose work focuses on social protection, inequality, and the political economy of development. She is currently completing Honours studies in Political Studies, where her research examines the 2018 and 2025 transitions from SASSA Gold Cards to Postbank Black Cards, with a particular focus on how rural infrastructure, state capacity, and systemic exclusion shape the everyday experiences of social grant recipients. Her academic work draws on Critical Political Economy, Nancy Fraser’s theory of recognition and redistribution, Social Contract Theory, and the Capability Approach to explore how policy decisions affect vulnerable communities.

Okuhle’s broader research interests include public finance transparency, digital payment systems, youth unemployment, and the governance of social welfare in South Africa. She has produced analytical work on government accountability tools such as Vulekamali, investigated the political economy of multinational corporations and global supply chains, and contributed to seminar papers on economic policy in post-apartheid South Africa.

Beyond her coursework, she is passionate about community-centered research that amplifies the voices of marginalized groups. Growing up in a township shaped her commitment to producing knowledge that is accessible, socially grounded, and aimed at improving real-life conditions for vulnerable populations. She hopes to expand her work into public scholarship, using blogs, youth platforms, and other media to make research more inclusive.

Okuhle balances her academic life with a strong dedication to personal growth, fitness, and creative content production. She enjoys building routines that support productivity and wellness, and she expresses herself through lifestyle and academic storytelling across digital platforms.

She aims to build a career in research, policy analysis, and social development—driven by a belief that rigorous, honest, community-informed scholarship can contribute to a more just South Africa.