Professional History: Palesa Kadi is Chairperson of South African Geographical Names Council at the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture. The South African Geographical Names Council (SAGNC) is the body that receives recommendations from provincial names committees and advises the government on new geographical names as well as the changing of existing geographical names.

Previously, Palesa has worked as a media activist, researcher, and a regulator in the broadcasting and telecommunications space. She was inspired to study politics and history when her township junior grade school was burnt down by youths protesting for equal education in South Africa. After attending a multiracial school under intense race conditions, she pursued studies in politics.

Prior to her post at the Names Council, she served as a Councillor at the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa – ICASA, where she was responsible for a range of strategic, regulatory and governance functions that include elections broadcasting; community media broadcasting; sports broadcasting; cybersecurity regulations; alternative dispute resolution for consumers and telecommunications operators; strategy; compliance, and governance.

Her areas of expertise are in corporate governance, media development, communications, content regulation, capacity development, consumer awareness, and advocacy. Palesa's experience and involvement in community-based structures range from national youth organizations, university senate committees, and local government to public sector entities at large. As a Ph.D. candidate in Planning and Architecture at Wits University, she has written peoples' histories in context; perspectives on space and urban planning histories; and about South Africa's readiness for the 4th industrial revolution. She helped draft a national rural tourism strategy; the development of provincial economic and tourism initiatives in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup; and was involved in a number of high-level public-policy projects in media, content regulation, culture, and sports development.

Palesa is an advisory member of the Women in Technology in Africa (WiT) group, an initiative of the UN South to South Corporation office. Palesa continues to champion the development of regulations in the broadcasting and telecommunications sector.

Academic and professional credentials: BA (History) University of the Western Cape (UWC)
BA Honours (Political Studies) (UWC)
MA Public & Visual History (UWC)
Postgraduate Diploma in Development & Public Sector Monitoring & Evaluation, Wits School of Governance
Pursuing her PhD at Wits University

Programs: