Rachel is a highly accomplished community engagement and development specialist with over two decades of experience driving social impact across South Africa’s public, academic, and non-profit sectors. She leverages her expertise in stakeholder relations, project management, gender advocacy, and strategic planning to foster deep partnerships and empower communities for sustainable change.

Rachel’s academic background includes a BA Honours in Sociology from the University of Pretoria and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of the North, with coursework spanning globalisation, gender studies, advanced research methods, and political science. She is currently advancing her research toward a Master of Social Sciences (Sociology) at the University of Pretoria, focusing on gender mainstreaming and development.

Her career highlights include serving as a Board Member of the Central Drug Authority (CDA), where she oversees the monitoring and evaluation of national and provincial government implementation of the National Drug Masterplan. As a Senior Community Development Worker for SANCA: City of Tshwane Drug & Substance Abuse Programme, Rachel managed a regional team, developed multi-stakeholder partnerships, and ensured program compliance and success in harm reduction and prevention initiatives. She has also contributed as a facilitator at Community Media Trust, promoting healthy lifestyle choices and social development in schools and communities.

Rachel’s extensive tenure at the University of Johannesburg as Community Engagement Liaison Specialist saw her design, implement, monitor, and evaluate a wide range of outreach projects, volunteer programs, and skills development initiatives. Her experience includes training and managing volunteer pools, coordinating with NPOs, and ensuring policy alignment and sustainability in community-driven programming.

She is known for her strong group facilitation, training and development, youth advocacy, monitoring and evaluation, and event management skills. Her fluency in six South African languages (Tswana, English, Zulu, Sotho, Afrikaans, Pedi, and Tsonga) enhances her ability to connect and build trust across diverse communities.

Rachel’s contributions to social change have been recognized with numerous awards, including the UJ Community Engagement Champion Award, a MACE award for social responsibility campaigns, and an Honorary Rotary Club Membership for setting a global recruitment record for Rotaractors.

At Project Yananai, Rachel leads the national community engagement agenda—promoting participation, nurturing partnerships, and ensuring that the voices and needs of communities are central to sustainable development.