The AJOL Team
Susan Murray, Executive Director
From an academic background of Development Economics and previous Non Profit training organisation work experience, Susan Murray has been the Executive Director of African Journals OnLine (AJOL) since 2010, and its Manager for 3 years before that. She has grown AJOL from a short online list of some African peer-reviewed journals to a large full text online platform (using Free and Open Source software) of rigorously assessed and supported African research journals. AJOL now provides various services to millions of people within the continent and around the world. Murray is and has been an Advisory Committee Member and Board Director of several regional and global scholarly initiatives, is an experienced workshop facilitator, and a frequent conference speaker. She considers herself extremely fortunate to work with a wonderful group of dedicated, expert, and light-hearted colleagues who consistently strive to bring important African research outputs and African scholarly voices to global prominence. When she's not working on AJOL’s never-ending “to do” list, she has a tendency to rescue (and adopt) stray puppies and to feed feral cats.
Ivy Mutambanengwe, Operations Director
Based in Zimbabwe, Ivy joined AJOL as the new Operations Director in 2022 after amassing 19 years' experience in the development aid sector in Zimbabwe, Uganda and South Sudan. Ivy is systems and process driven and has a passion for organisational effectiveness, good corporate governance and development of the African continent. She has a Masters in Development Studies and a Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance and Strategic Leadership. Ivy is a Member of the Project Management Institute (PMI), and is a member of the Institute of Directors of Zimbabwe (IoDZ). Ivy is also a Volunteer Mentor and Projects Coordinator at Tugwi Trust and Board Member at Footprints Community Trust. In her spare time Ivy enjoys reading, cooking, hosting, travelling, events management and spending time in solitude.
Ve'da McLellan, Content and Communications Manager
After starting with AJOL as an uploading contractor in 2020 and then moving on to become a part-time JPPS Assessment Officer in 2021, Ve’da officially started her full-time role with AJOL as a JPPS Assessment Officer in April 2023. After working in various fields, she considers it a privilege to have been given the opportunity to work within an organisation that strives to not only put African research on the map, but also to make it more accessible — globally or locally — as she believes that this will foster connection, understanding and respect for African research and researchers alike in today’s global community. In her spare time she enjoys gardening, horse riding and (very) amateur astronomy.
Kylie van Zyl, Journal Assessment Manager
Kylie has worked variously as an administrator, university archivist, and freelance editor before completing her PhD in 2019, joining AJOL in December 2020 and finally finding her niche. A health historian by training, Kylie is passionate about African development, African knowledge, and promoting African research both on the continent and in the Global North. In her spare time she enjoys gardening, videogames, and trying to cook new cuisines with varying degrees of success.
Siziwe Khalatha, Content Administrator
After finishing her Diploma in IT, Siziwe started working as a Technical Assistant for AJOL helping to scan and digitize hardcopies and sending document deliveries via post and email. She started working for AJOL in 2006. In her current role as a Content Administrator, she is uploading journal content online. She has learnt to work and communicate with people at different levels.
Angel Chiloane, Finance and Administration Officer
Angel joined AJOL in 2024, bringing over 16 years’ experience in finance, accounting, administration, and governance across the corporate and non-profit sectors. She holds academic qualifications in Accounting & Tax , a Postgraduate Diploma in Leadership Development for NPOs from Stellenbosch University, and executive certificate in Management and Strategic Leadership from Wits Business School. She serves on various NPO boards. Passionate about accountability, transparency, and sustainability, she ensures AJOL’s financial and administrative systems effectively support its mission. Outside of work, Angel enjoys family time, village life, and contributing to local community initiatives.
Dudziro Nhengu, Journal Assessment Officer
Dudziro brings a wealth of expertise in gender research and academic writing to her role at AJOL, where she leverages her passion for women, peace, and security. As a sought-after expert, she's been appointed to the prestigious FemWise Africa women-led mediation panel by the African Union Commission, utilizing her skills as an accredited woman mediator to drive change. Dudziro's collaborative spirit extends to her voluntary editorial roles with various peer-reviewed Journals globally. She's also an active member of the Ubuntu Virtual community of practice, engaging with experts from Zimbabwe, the UK, and the US on cutting-edge research topics, including AI, Ubuntu, and transhumanism. Currently, Dudziro is nurturing two community-based research projects that highlight women's roles in indigenous knowledge practices and explore emerging Community iNetworks in Africa.
Philani Ndebele, Communications and Reports Officer
Philani is a strategic communication management professional with more than twelve years of non-profit experience helping organisations turn policy and programme evidence into accessible, audience-appropriate content. His work spans research-driven storytelling, editorial planning, and rigorous quality control to promote visibility, learning, and accountability across diverse stakeholders. Philani holds a Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies, a Postgraduate Diploma in Strategic Communication Management (cum laude), and a Master of Philosophy in Strategic Management. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Strategic Communication Management, focusing on evidence-based communication and governance. Outside the office, Philani tends a thriving vegetable garden, an ongoing lesson in care, iteration, and harvesting results over time.
Trudie Erasmus, Journal Support and Training Officer
Trudie currently serves as the Journal Support and Training Officer at African Journals Online (AJOL). She is an accomplished academic support and publishing professional with extensive experience in higher education, journal management, and non-profit administration. Over a distinguished 30-year career, she has combined her strengths in technical systems, scholarly publishing, and training to make a lasting impact in the academic and research sectors. During her 21 years at the University of Pretoria, Trudie helped develop and manage the IT and audio-visual infrastructure of the Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, along with a wide range of other technical and administrative functions. Her work provided vital support to hundreds of students and staff, enhancing academic efficiency and research quality across the department. Outside of work, Trudie serves as Technical Editor and Journal Manager of the Journal of Consumer Sciences, hosted on the AJOL platform. In this capacity, she oversees all aspects of the editorial process from submissions and peer review to copyediting, production, and online publication, ensuring high standards of quality, accessibility, and scholarly integrity. When not working, Trudie enjoys spending time with her children and exploring her creative side through formulating natural skincare products.
Independent Contractors
Jannie van Tonder
Jannie van Tonder has an unfortunate weakness for running large unprofitable indigenous jazz bands. To fund this habit he writes PHP code and dabbles in Open Journal Systems (OJS) software. He lives in the sticks, somewhere near a golf course, with a wordle wife, a moody teenager, a 1959 Ford Prefect, 2 naughty Boxers and 250 Afrocarpus falcata seedlings.
