Dr Jackson Sebola-Samanyanga is an academic and practitioner with expertise in both urban and rural planning, encompassing experiences in the private sector, public institutions, and academia. He holds a Master’s Degree in Town and Regional Planning (MTRP), a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Development Studies from the University of Pretoria, and a Master’s degree in Governance and Management (MM) from the University of the Witwatersrand.
As a Registered Professional Planner with the South African Council for Planners (SACPLAN), Dr Sebola-Samanyanga is also an active member of the South African Association of Public Administration and Management (SAAPAM) and the South African Planning Institute (SAPI). His multidisciplinary expertise allows him to bridge the planning, governance, and policy implementation domains across various spatial contexts.
Dr Sebola-Samanyanga's research interests lie at the intersection of (S)place, Land Reform, Rural Planning and Development, Decolonial Thought, and Local Governance and Management. His scholarly work critically examines the lasting legacies of colonial spatial planning and the influence of both formal and traditional governance structures in fostering transformative rural development. Through his research, he contributes to the reimagining of land and (s)place as not only physical landscapes but also as lived, spiritual, and political. And he will be doing research during his stay at the Centre of Excellence in Notions of Identities in Africa.