Professor, Chair of Policy Innovation and Policy Innovation Lab Lead

Willem works at the intersection of building practical AI capabilities for the public sector and ensuring AI remains safe and aligned. As the Chair of Policy Innovation at Stellenbosch University and the founder of the Policy Innovation Lab, he leads the multidisciplinary team that ships AI tools, designs AI training, supports policy reform and drives social impact. The Lab’s work includes the development of an AI for Policy platform and support for digital public infrastructure policy reform initiatives.

Willem is an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow with a PhD in social ethics and has advised the UN, AU, EU, and the South African government. He also has hands-on experience in the tech sector, where he co-founded a legal-tech NLP startup and worked for a global tech company.

Alongside the Lab’s core mandate, he is developing a frontier AI safety and alignment agenda for Africa. This research focuses on instrumental goals and bottom-up value alignment that can be implemented in African contexts.

Researcher in Policy Advice

Dr Itai Makone is a Social Science and Policy Innovation Researcher at the Policy Innovation Lab. She holds a PhD in Political Science from Stellenbosch University in South Africa, funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation. Itai’s PhD focused on political risk analysis in hybrid regimes.

Itai has a wealth of experience in academia as a lecturer at Stellenbosch University and Researcher at HUMA, University of Cape Town, in public service as an Economist for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in Zimbabwe, and as an individual consultant for the Parliament of Zimbabwe and various NGOs like the African Development Bank and the International Rescue Committee.

From these and other experiences, Itai brings vast expertise in policy-relevant projects across various topics and advanced qualitative analysis skills to the team. Her research interests include using AI for evidence-based policymaking, ethics in AI, political risk analysis and security, public policy, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Researcher in Digital Transformation

Dr Gray Manicom is a mathematician with a keen interest in dynamical systems, mathematical modelling, and data science. Fluent in Python and Matlab, Gray holds a PhD in Mathematics from The University of Auckland. His dissertation explored memory effects in heteroclinic networks and their application in cognitive modelling.

He previously worked as a postdoc at the University of Auckland, using models of COVID-19 to advise government COVID-related policies. At the Policy Innovation Lab he leverages the power of data analytics and machine learning to inform government policy decisions. Gray brings quantitative skills and a passion for research with real-world impact.

Policy Dialogue Manager

Monique Bennett is a doctoral researcher at Stellenbosch University, sponsored by the Peace Research Institute of Oslo (PRIO) as part of the DISARM project. Her PhD research focuses on uncovering the effects of disarmament on conflict dynamics in southern Africa. Monique has regularly published opinion pieces in the Daily Maverick and Business Day, discussing conflict, elections, international relations, and environmental issues. Previously, Monique worked as a researcher for Good Governance Africa in the analytics programme, where she utilised her skills in data manipulation and visualisation using R to inform research on Africa-focused policy and current affairs. Passionate about improving the use of data in policy and research, she has mentored and tutored postgraduate students at various levels, teaching them to apply R and statistical methods in their work.

DPI Policy Manager

Thando supports legal and policy work related to digital public infrastructure reform in South Africa. She is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa who previously practised in strategic litigation, with experience in constitutional, administrative, human rights, and refugee law matters, including litigation before South Africa’s Constitutional Court. She holds an LL.M. in Public International Law from Utrecht University and is also a human rights researcher with a Hague-based NGO. She previously contributed to open-source investigations with a monitoring group focused on documenting civilian harm in war zones.

AI Platform Manager

Karabo has a background in data science and business intelligence, with an interest in using technology to help South solve its problems. An entrepreneur with passion to achieve impact that reduces poverty in South Africa, he has developed data-driven solutions across the education, events, insurance, construction and government sectors.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in AI for Policy

Tinashe is completing her Master’s in industrial engineering and engineering management. She thrives on complex challenges and has a passion for applying her knowledge and skills to contribute to developing and improving sustainable solutions.

Operations, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager

Lebogang has a wealth of experience working for civil society organisations in South Africa. He support the Lab in shaping its M&E strategy, guiding performance tracking and insights generation.

Digital Transformation Regulation and Policy Analyst

James Haw is an Allan Gray Fellow and an LLM (Research) candidate at Stellenbosch University, specialising in AI & Law with a focus on ethical AI governance.

Co-ordinator: Goalkeepers South Africa Network

Corina is the inaugural Programme Manager for the SDG/2063 Impact Hub at Stellenbosch University and the Co-ordinator of the Goalkeepers South Africa network. She promotes and advocates for the uptake of the Sustainable Development Goals in teaching, outreach, stewardship and research.

Data Science and Policy Innovation Analyst

Following her initial career as a professional ballet dancer, Isabel is now a PhD candidate with the Department of Applied Mathematics at Stellenbosch University. Having experienced the benefits of both creative and scientific pursuits, Isabel gained extensive tacit and technical skills which she uses to research AI with positive social impact and the safe use of AI.

Communications and Operations Assistant

Mihl’emihle Mbandezelo is a Master’s candidate in Philosophy, specialising in Bioethics and Artificial Intelligence. Her research focuses on the ethical challenges that emerge as a result of the implementation of AI systems in different healthcare fields.