Palesa Kadi was born in Red Location, which is her current area of research, in the city of Port Elizabeth in South Africa. In her family, she was the second generation born in Red Location’s corrugated iron houses after the Group Areas Act loss of land of her maternal grandfather in the Sundays River Valley area known as Nqweba, the IsiXhosa name for Kirkwood, Eastern Cape’s prime land for citrus farms. Her enquiry into space and inequality was further triggered by the youth resistance which burnt down her primary school in the 1980s, the long-distance travels to school from township to affluent suburbs, the experiences of being a technocrat and a historian.

Palesa is a doctoral candidate in the Research Chair, Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Pretoria. Her research is titled: ‘The promise of planning in post-apartheid South Africa: Relooking at Red Location’s urban planning and heritage discourse from 1994 to 2020’.

She is a former researcher for the Project of Public Past, Robben Island Heritage Training Program Coordinator Museum, 2010 FIFA World Cup Director for Eastern Cape, former Rural Tourism Director, former Shared Services Executive of the Film and Publication Board (FPB) a former Censor board. In 2017, Palesa was recommended by the National Assembly of the Parliament of South Africa to serve as a full-time executive board member of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa – ICASA. During this tenure she is currently responsible for National and Provincial Elections broadcasting regulations, Sports broadcasting services regulations, Community broadcasting services, Cybersecurity regulations and 5G standards and regulations for South Africa.

Palesa obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Studies and History, BA Honours in Political Studies and Comparative Economic Systems, MA in Visual History and Heritage Studies. In 2006 she was the first cohort of 20 young leaders in Africa under the African Leadership Institute convened at Mount Fleur, Stellenbosch and continued with Scenario Planning at Oxford University’s Edward Said Business School and now an Archbishop Tutu Fellow under the African Leadership Institute. With an in-depth interest in governance and regulation she pursued further training in Monitoring and Evaluation at the University of Witwatersrand’s School of Governance. She is part of Foresight for Development which utilizes forecasting by business leaders and organizations to develop long term business strategies and insights in areas of technology, innovation, and other fields to shape Africa’s Development for vision 2050.

She has served as a non-executive director in various boards at Calabash Trust Board Member, a Community Tourism Initiative in Nelson Mandela Bay, Eastern Province Cricket Board, Alliance Francei Management Board Committee member, A French Embassy project, Commonwealth Youth Program Regional Advisory Board member, Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) Board member, National Heritage Council (NHC) Board Member, member of National Council of Libraries and Information Services (NCLIS), South African Geographic Names Council, Tshwane North College. She is currently the Chairperson of the African Union Commission’s Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa Monitoring and Evaluation Working Group.

I am former researcher for the Project of Public Past, Robben Island Heritage Training Program Coordinator Museum, 2010 FIFA World Cup Director for Eastern Cape, former Rural Tourism Director, former Shared Services Executive of the Film and Publication Board (FPB) a former Censor board. In 2017, I was recommended by the National Assembly of the Parliament of South Africa to serve as a full-time executive board member of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa – ICASA. During this tenure I am currently responsible for National and Provincial Elections broadcasting regulations, Sports broadcasting services regulations, Community broadcasting services, Cybersecurity regulations and 5G standards and regulations for South Africa. I was a fellow of the Wits City Institute and currently a PhD candidate under the Chair of Critical Architecture and Urban Design at the University of Pretoria. 

Ms Kadi obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Studies, BA Honours in Political Studies and Comparative Economic Systems, MA in Visual History and Heritage Studies. In 2006 I was the first cohort of 20 young leaders in Africa under the African Leadership Institute convened at Mount Fleur, Stellenbosch and continued with Scenario Planning at Oxford University’s Edward Said Business School and now an Archbishop Tutu Fellow under the African Leadership Institute. With an in-depth interest in governance and regulation she pursued further training in Monitoring and Evaluation at the University of Witwatersrand’s School of Governance. She is part of Foresight for Development which utilizes forecasting by business leaders and organizations to develop long term business strategies and insights in areas of technology, innovation and other fields to shape Africa’s Development for vision 2050. 

I have served as a non - executive director in various boards at Calabash Trust Board Member (2005 - 2007) A Community Tourism Initiative in Nelson Mandela Bay, Eastern Province Cricket Board, Alliance Francei Management Board Committee member, A French Embassy project, Commonwealth Youth Program Regional Advisory Board member, Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) Board member, National Heritage Council (NHC) Board Member, member of National Council of Libraries and Information Services (NCLIS), South African Geographic Names Council, Tshwane North College. I am currently the Chairperson of  the African Union Commission’s Policy and Regulation Initiative for Digital Africa Monitoring and Evaluation Working Group.