Lesego Sebetlapelelo Daphney Tshuwa
Professional Town Planner (Pr. Pln.) (SACPLAN)
Alberton
Summary
Lesego Tshuwa is an urban planner with over 13 years of professional experience in the built environment. She is currently a City Data Advisor (since 2023) in the African Mayoral Leadership Initiative (AMALI) Data Programme under the African Centre for Cities at the University of Cape Town. Her areas of responsibility include technical advisory to Mayors/ Governors and City teams in the AMALI Data Programme (ADP). The AMALI Data Programme team has supported 26 Mayors and Governors, across 9 Countries and engaged with teams across 4 languages. Support provided by Lesego has been in 7 of these countries, where she has worked with the Executive leads and city staff across the respective Cities. Lesego is a Lead Coach (2025) for the Africa and Middle East Region under the Youth Climate Action Fund (YCAF) Programme by United Cities of Local Governments and Bloomberg Philanthropies. Lesego is a Coach for 8 Cities in this work based across 7 countries. The Youth Climate Action Fund Programme went live in 2024, with 98 cities from around the world selected to join the Programme in Round 1 of this work; cities were awarded US$50000 during this phase. Round 2 has had over 90 cities across five continents receive an additional US$100,000. In fulfilling some of her passions, Lesego is a Sessional Lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in the Theories and Practices of Urban Management Masters Course (2024 and 2025). She joined the World Bank as a Short-term Consultant (2021-2023); areas of support have been technical advisory to the Cities Support Program of the South African Urban Program, assistance has also been in township economic development. Lesego has also been involved in the Smart Cities Program in South Africa, implemented in 3 Metropolitan Municipalities, in partnership with the Development Bank of Southern Africa. Lesego has contributed to research conducted by the School of Architecture and Planning, where the focus has been on youth in Ekangala, Bronkhorstspruit and how their work and housing dynamics compare to those of youth in Hawassa, Ethiopia. Lesego holds a Master’s degree in Town and Regional Planning (Urban Studies) from the University of the Witwatersrand.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
9
9
years of post-secondary education
Work History
Africa and Middle East Regional Coach (lead in 2025)
Youth Climate Action Fund
04.2024 - Current
- Facilitation of bi-weekly (2024) and monthly (2025) coaching calls with Cities.
- Organizing with City teams for Webinar or Peer Learning Engagements; working with the YCAF team through dry runs for these high-level online events where City teams are featured.
- Areas of focus include but are not limited to: Youth Engagement, Civic Engagement.
- Working through project templates with city teams to ensure that youth participants are well capacitated to implement projects on the ground.
City Data Advisor
AMALI Data Programme
07.2023 - Current
- Company Overview: UCT, African Centre for Cities
- City Data Advisor for Nansana Municipality and Masaka City- Uganda, Quelimane Municipality, Mozambique and technical support for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- City Data Advisor for the City of Bulawayo- Zimbabwe, Mansa Municipal Council- Zambia and the City of Windhoek- Namibia
- City Data Advisor for Kasama City- Zambia, Wolaita Sodo- Ethiopia and Mombasa County- Kenya
- Engaging with Executive Mayors and Governors and their executive and technical teams on the identified legacy goal within the Mayor or Governor’s term of office.
- The legacy goal is framed from the Mayor/Governor’s perspective where a timeline and targets are applied for the realization of the goal.
- As a City Data Advisor I work through unpacking these complex challenges within each City with the designated team and build capacities of data leads and senior leadership in understanding how to apply data driven methods to improve decision making for the particular area of focus.
- I lead and facilitate weekly coaching calls with Cities and Counties.
- These deliberations drive impact for City Mayors/Governors and their teams and enhance the City/ County’s ability to deliver and sustain desired results as the coaching assists teams to improve in their current work approaches and develop a different culture of operation.
- Sessions are critical for journeying with City leadership and teams to unpack on activities linked to a Mayor/Governor’s legacy goal.
- I support teams to develop action plans and facilitate problem-solving deliberations where teams collaborate better, learn together and minimize silo working as department players and key stakeholders grow to understand their respective roles within this work.
- Setting the tone and required foundations with City teams for improved data and performance management practices within Cities.
- Working with team to create and validate Key Performance Indicators for monitoring and evaluation of these key areas over time.
- Report writing/ development of high-quality presentations and engagement pieces linked to this work; information gathered through the work with teams support in building/developing story-maps or dashboards to align curriculum outcomes with visual elements for City/ County teams.
- Site Visits to Cities/ Counties- component is covered twice a year (over two or three days); this area of work aligns with the facilitation/ coaching online.
- Support in the facilitation of the team/business development and working to identify key players that can join the team with broader management.
- UCT, African Centre for Cities
Short-term Consultant
World Bank Group
09.2021 - Current
- Projects in which I have been involved: National Treasury Cities Support Programme- Township Economic Development (TED) Component.
- DBSA Smart Cities Programme involving three Metropolitan Municipalities in South Africa; City of Johannesburg, City of Tshwane, and eThekwini Municipality.
- Research work and report writing to contribute towards the analysis of urban dynamics for recommendations to be constructed and developed for City teams; areas of focus: Green/Circular economy work, Digital Development and Safer Cities.
- A fun and stimulating aspect of the work had been the contribution towards a blog for greater awareness of the TED based work.
- Planning and participation in peer learning engagements.
- Cities and officials supported with other practitioners in strategy development and creative solution gathering for effective change to be realized in the coming years within these cities.
Project Coordinator/Researcher
Wits Youth Futures Project
11.2020 - 09.2022
- Company Overview: Research project: Youth and the work/ housing nexus in Ethiopia and South Africa
- This research project was based in EKangala, City of Tshwane and the surrounding townships.
- Unemployment is affecting South African youth in a negative manner, a review at the lives of young people in our country therefore becomes important as it pertains to their living and working situations.
- This research was aimed at unpacking this work/housing nexus in the townships of Ekangala.
- Project coordination and recruitment of participants in the study (13 Youth Representatives).
- Training of youth representatives for surveys to be conducted within the youth representative’s neighbourhoods and surrounding townships.
- Life history interviews of the youth representatives, transcription of life history interviews.
- Project team workshop attendance for data analysis.
- Report writing with the project team.
- Contributing author to the work published in a paper.
- Research project: Youth and the work/ housing nexus in Ethiopia and South Africa
Assistant Researcher
School of Architecture and Planning VREF project
08.2020 - 02.2021
- Research focus was on transport and mobility in Gauteng areas (Denver, Westbury and Tembisa- were my focus) and how participants from these areas navigate in their environments based on the options they may or may not have and how this influences some of their family decisions.
- My role was that of assistant researcher in this regard.
- I conducted the interviews and transcription in this context.
- Some of the work that I had been busy with simultaneously was for the Gauteng City Region Observatory as an assistant researcher on the families in the city study- herein I drafted annotated bibliographies.
Town Planner
Excellerate Managed Services
08.2019 - 03.2020
- Company Overview: Precinct Management
- I was tasked with performing the town planning function within the precinct management team.
- My role was to assist precinct managers to have efficiency in their projects where town planning is concerned.
- Provide property owners with land use information and assist with enquiries by working with different stakeholders.
- Precinct Management
Town and Regional Planner
Investec
12.2016 - 05.2019
- Company Overview: Property
- Acquiring zoning information, discussing development controls with colleagues applicable to enquiries made then assessing the feasibility of projects.
- Compilation of due diligence reports.
- Engagement with consulting professionals and municipal officials to have project progress and meet development deadlines.
- Property
Junior Associate
Raven Town Planners
03.2016 - 11.2016
- Company Overview: Professional Planning Consultants
- To be a team player in managing applications that the company receives in the utmost professional sense.
- The requirement was to conduct site visits, frequent the different municipalities and liaise with government offices around Gauteng, draft maps that would be submitted with the application(s) and aim to achieve Council approvals.
- Professional Planning Consultants
Assistant Researcher
Wits University
05.2015 - 02.2016
- Company Overview: Architecture and Planning Department and Gauteng City Region Observatory
- This research was aimed at understanding how mothers from different parts of the city of Johannesburg experience parenting.
- My role was to have discussions with these moms from the north of Johannesburg and Soweto and compile transcripts to document these stories.
- Architecture and Planning Department and Gauteng City Region Observatory
Assistant Researcher
Wits School Of Architecture and Planning
02.2012 - 08.2012
- Company Overview: Centre for Urbanism & Built Environment Studies (Cubes) and Social Economic Rights Institute (Seri)
- CUBES and SERI housing project (crafting housing booklets for tenants, landlords and sectional title owners).
- I interviewed people around different areas of Johannesburg to discuss their living experiences.
- Housing experts in the field were also interviewed to gain their insight(s) about issues related to tenure and the law around housing issues.
- Centre for Urbanism & Built Environment Studies (Cubes) and Social Economic Rights Institute (Seri)
Education
MSC - Town and Regional Planning
Wits University
02.2013 - 12.2016
BSC (Honours) - Urban and Regional Planning
Wits University
02.2012 - 12.2012
BSC - Urban and Regional Planning
Wits University
02.2008 - 12.2011
Skills
Research
Investigative skills
Problem analysis
Situational analysis
Mapping of areas and issues
Knowledge of urban related matters
Stakeholder mapping
Desktop data gathering
In-person data gathering
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft PowerPoint
Professional Writing
Reporting
Editing
Communication
Respect for diversity
Understanding of different sites
Interviewing
Research framing
Participant interaction
Ethical understanding
Participant positioning
Creating safe spaces
Fieldwork navigation
Stakeholder Liaison
Management
Interpersonal skills
Negotiation skills
Networking
Effective engagements
Personal Information
Driving License: Code B (own transport)
Timeline
Africa and Middle East Regional Coach (lead in 2025)
Youth Climate Action Fund
04.2024 - Current
City Data Advisor
AMALI Data Programme
07.2023 - Current
Short-term Consultant
World Bank Group
09.2021 - Current
Project Coordinator/Researcher
Wits Youth Futures Project
11.2020 - 09.2022
Assistant Researcher
School of Architecture and Planning VREF project
08.2020 - 02.2021
Town Planner
Excellerate Managed Services
08.2019 - 03.2020
Town and Regional Planner
Investec
12.2016 - 05.2019
Junior Associate
Raven Town Planners
03.2016 - 11.2016
Assistant Researcher
Wits University
05.2015 - 02.2016
MSC - Town and Regional Planning
Wits University
02.2013 - 12.2016
Assistant Researcher
Wits School Of Architecture and Planning
02.2012 - 08.2012
BSC (Honours) - Urban and Regional Planning
Wits University
02.2012 - 12.2012
BSC - Urban and Regional Planning
Wits University
02.2008 - 12.2011