Bio

Dr. Sanelisiwe Sayi holds a PhD in Languages, Linguistics, and Literature from the University of South Africa. Her doctoral thesis, entitled Female Stereotypes in Selected Zimbabwean Ndebele Novels (1975–2016), explored gender representations in Zimbabwean Ndebele literature. She is currently a lecturer in the Department of Languages, Literature, and Culture at the University of Zimbabwe. Dr. Sayi has published in the areas of gender studies, Indigenous Knowledge Systems, Oral literature, and Lexicography. Her scholarly work has appeared in journals such as the South African Journal of African Languages, Lexikos, and the South African Journal for Folklore Studies. She co-edited the book Power, Politics and Production: Essays on Ndebele Cultural Production in Zimbabwe (2020). Her research is grounded in African-centred theoretical frameworks. Her research work, focusing on gender dynamics in African contexts, advocates for frameworks that promote peace and gender harmony in African communities by placing value on culturally grounded understandings of gender and gendered relations.