Meet the new SA Cultural Observatory Executive Director

MEET the new SA Cultural Observatory Executive Director Unathi Lutshaba. Miss Lutshaba is a passionate economist and sociologist. She was recently appointed into the role of Executive Director of the South African Cultural Observatory, after two years as its Research Manager. Here she plays a central role in the overall project management of the Department of Arts and Culture’s national research arm.

Miss Lutshaba has an MA in Development Studies from the Nelson Mandela University, and is currently working toward her PhD, also from the Nelson Mandela University, where she is focussing on traditional values and the current economic systems in Dikidikana. Previously she lectured in the Economics and Sociology Departments, respectively at Nelson Mandela University.  She is an Erasmus Mundus Scholarship recipient and Alumni.

Unathi Lutshaba’s research interests includes rural development; commerce and industry; the nature of work in the creative economy; cultural policy; cultural leadership and development; development theory; and development history. She has contributed broadly to research and commentary in these areas.

Miss Lutshaba has leveraged her academic and entrepreneurial skills to secure and run a range of small to medium-scale multidisciplinary research projects in the Nelson Mandela Bay over her career. In addition she has worked for the public and private sectors.

A ‘rural girl’ at heart, she is fanatical about the development of young people, issues of transformation, development of young researchers in the arts and culture industry, development history. She is also unduly fond of reading about the African history and the current emerging trends in society.