Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Awards Honours
Professional Conferences
References
Timeline
Generic

Vuyolwethu Madyibi

Project Coordinator And Academic Administrator
Johannesburg

Summary

Strategic, policy-oriented professional with proficient experience in project coordination, grant administration, international partnerships, and stakeholder management in the public, academic, and nonprofit sectors. Holds a Master of Arts in Cultural Policy and Management and completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration at Wits Business School. Demonstrated ability to lead cross-border, donor-funded projects in alignment with development goals, service delivery, and public sector accountability.

Overview

13
13
years of professional experience
6086
6086
years of post-secondary education
5
5
Languages

Work History

Finance & Academic Administrator

Wits School of Arts
01.2022 - Current
  • Responsible for the full spectrum of finance administration: processing claims, tracking expenditure, maintaining budget records.
  • Coordinates academic planning: liaising with faculty, managing timetables, booking venues, compiling reports.
  • Drafts and oversees contracts for visiting lecturers and programme collaborators.
  • Drafts competitive research and funding proposals to secure academic, institutional, and donor support for departmental projects, partnerships, and international collaborations.
  • Spearhead fundraising efforts for scholarships and research grants, increasing financial assistance opportunities for deserving students.
  • Manages communications with students and stakeholders across institutional departments and international partners.
  • Supports research project management, academic logistics, and report submission to university structures.
  • Supervises Honours and Master’s research students as part of academic support and mentoring responsibilities.
  • Serves as a part-time lecturer in Critical Thinking for first-year students in Engineering, Accounting, and Architecture.
  • Develop relationships with industry partners to create internship opportunities for students, resulting in increased hands-on experience and job placements upon graduation.
  • Collaborates with department heads to allocate resources effectively, ensuring the smooth operation of academic programs.
  • Liaise with university marketing and communications teams to ensure consistent messaging that aligned with institutional goals and effectively targeted prospective students.
  • Spearheaded fundraising efforts for scholarships and research grants, increasing financial assistance opportunities for deserving students.
  • Managed department funding sources by monitoring revenue and expenditure activity.
  • Improve student satisfaction with academic support services by conducting regular evaluations and implementing necessary improvements.
  • Implemented data-driven decision-making procedures to identify areas for improvement in academic programming and student performance outcomes.
  • Manage department's annual budget by reporting significant variances and trends, recommending corrective actions and providing forecasts.
  • Enhance academic program efficiency by streamlining administrative processes and implementing innovative strategies.
  • Collaborate with school faculty to define and prioritize departmental strategies and direction.
  • Cultivate an inclusive campus culture by promoting diversity initiatives and organizing events centered around multiculturalism and social awareness.
  • Maintain open lines of communication between administration and student government organizations, enabling the collaborative development of initiatives aimed at enhancing the overall campus experience.

Project Coordinator, Wits School of Arts

African Hub for Sustainable Creative Economies
01.2022 - 12.2023
  • Managed full project cycle of UKRI-AHRC-funded cross-continental research and engagement initiative.
  • Coordinated a continent-wide research and development initiative aimed at establishing a virtual knowledge hub for sustainable creative economies in Africa.
  • Contributed to the design and implementation of the hub as a digital repository hosting 16 academic video chapters, 45 entrepreneur interviews, 30 case-based storymaps, and 15 monthly blogs/vlogs.
  • Facilitated inclusive, accessible content development focused on creative careers, entrepreneurship knowledge, and collaborative imagination methodologies.
  • Managed delivery of 10 Creative Collaboration Vouchers supporting pilot projects for 10 creative practitioners.
  • Kept project activities on schedule by managing deadlines and adjusting workflows.
  • Managed budgets effectively, ensuring resource allocation was optimized for maximum project success.
  • Facilitated frequent progress reports and presentations to keep management informed about ongoing activities within their respective domains.
  • Collaborated with stakeholders to define clear project goals, leading to consistent alignment with expectations throughout the process.
  • Led the coordination of Collaborative Imagination Weeks, engaging over 50 creatives and researchers in interdisciplinary innovation workshops.
  • Contributed to drafting the final 50-page project report capturing experimental methodologies, evaluations, and policy reflections for public dissemination.
  • Ensured the project’s alignment with SDGs and long-term legacy through scoping a Centre of Excellence (CoE) under the ARUA framework.
  • Fostered equitable partnerships between UK and African Higher Education Institutions while enabling future collaborative policy, teaching, and research trajectories.
  • Promoted institutional knowledge transfer and policy awareness around the role of HEIs in local development, youth empowerment, and creative industry sustainability.

Project Coordinator, Wits School of Arts

NIHSS, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
01.2022 - Current
  • Managed logistics, budgets, and reporting for a R499,100 research programme.
  • Developed comprehensive project plans, outlining scopes, timelines, deliverables, and milestones.
  • Kept project activities on schedule by managing deadlines and adjusting workflows.
  • Supported the planning and delivery of an International Summer School on Cultural Policy and Management, engaging postgraduate scholars and practitioners in interdisciplinary learning and exchange.
  • Facilitated international research fieldwork logistics in China, liaising with CASS and institutional stakeholders to ensure smooth implementation.
  • Managed cross-functional teams for successful project completion within deadlines and budgets.
  • Accomplished multiple tasks within established timeframes.
  • Provided ongoing administrative and research support for cross-institutional collaboration between South African and Chinese academic teams.
  • Assisted in compiling interim and final project reports, consolidating data, participant feedback, and research milestones for submission to the NIHSS and project steering bodies.
  • Maintained relationships with local and international stakeholders.
  • Coordinated the production and dissemination of research outputs including peer-reviewed articles, policy briefs, an edited book collection, and co-authored publications on cultural policy and management.
  • Developed comprehensive project plans, outlining scopes, timelines, deliverables, and milestones.

Programme Manager: Bard College Civic Engagement

Wits School of Arts
05.2023 - Current
  • Oversaw R500,000 engagement and international development grant.
  • Championed university-wide participation in OSUN Civic Engagement initiatives by cultivating collaboration among Wits students, faculty, and institutional offices.
  • Identified strategic entry points for Wits departments and individuals to engage with OSUN opportunities; distributed relevant calls and built a network of engaged participants.
  • Led a key community-university partnership between the Wits School of Arts and the Mamelodi Arts and Culture Forum, advancing a shared leadership model aligned with the Community Engagement Continuum.
  • Leveraged academic and community experience to strengthen the sustainability of the Cosmopolitan Collective, a voluntary civic network fostering creative engagement.
  • Organized campus-based civic engagement events, including a showcase featuring Wits faculty, postgraduate students, and community collaborators to highlight civic impact.
  • Convened meet-ups with Wits Engaged Research awardees to foster cross-disciplinary learning, collaboration, and institutional support for community-based research.
  • Developed a strategic written action plan to ensure the continuity and institutionalisation of civic engagement programming at Wits post-OSUN funding.
  • Compiled expenditure and narrative reports for international funders and university leadership.
  • Engaged in administrative and content-related support for knowledge dissemination and event delivery.

Project Support, Wits School of Arts

UNESCO/UNITWIN Chair Initiative
02.2023 - Current
  • Supported the design, delivery, and coordination of a multi-country cultural leadership programme aimed at emerging and mid-career leaders in Africa and Flanders.
  • Facilitated the planning and implementation of six intensive Leadership Labs covering key themes: personal leadership, stakeholder engagement, innovation and sustainability, organizational culture, political skills, and public entrepreneurship.
  • Coordinated logistical and operational functions for immersive labs alternating between South Africa and Belgium, ensuring seamless participant mobility, budgeting, and institutional collaboration.
  • Oversaw digital facilitation and materials preparation for one-on-one coaching sessions, reflection cycles, and transnational peer-learning processes.
  • Managed the “Cultural Connections” sessions, assembling diverse public leaders to engage with programme participants on leadership ethics, inclusion, and civic purpose.
  • Supported the delivery of leadership development methodologies including systemic design, change management, stakeholder mapping, value proposition modeling, and collaborative innovation prototyping.
  • Contributed to program monitoring, evaluation, and learning documentation to enhance long-term policy and sectoral impact in cultural leadership development.
  • Worked closely with international teams to align the programme with UNESCO cultural governance priorities and the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Arts Development Officer

National Arts Council (NAC), PESP Programme
06.2020 - 12.2021
  • Contributed to the implementation of PESP arts funding programme across multiple disciplines and provinces.
  • Assessed grant applications, coordinated adjudication panels, and monitored compliance with funding agreements.
  • Provided administrative and reporting support on Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP) projects, ensuring accurate data compilation, beneficiary tracking, and compliance with DSAC reporting requirements.
  • Supported the administration of the Arts Organization Support Funding programme, including documentation management, correspondence with funded entities, and logistical coordination of adjudication processes
  • Liaised with funded entities for progress reporting, site monitoring, and issue resolution.
  • Offered administrative assistance across various project funding streams, contributing to contract preparation, records management, and facilitation of fund disbursement procedures in alignment with public finance guidelines.
  • Completed and submitted monthly reports to support executive decision making.
  • Organized and coordinated online funding webinars to raise awareness on NAC funding to enhance community engagement.
  • Provided feedback for national arts funding frameworks.

Project Manager

Hillbrow Theatre Foundation
01.2012 - 12.2015
  • Directed project design, planning, and implementation of youth theatre and community arts programmes.
  • Developed grant proposals and managed budgets for donor-funded initiatives.
  • Supervised project teams, volunteers, and community partners.
  • Monitored project timelines and deliverables, conducted M&E activities, and wrote narrative and financial reports for funders.
  • Coordinated performances, festivals, and public engagement initiatives targeting inner-city youth.
  • Provided detailed project status updates to stakeholders and executive management.
  • Developed strong relationships with stakeholders through regular communication updates, fostering trust and confidence in the team''s ability to deliver results.
  • Collaborated closely with senior management to align project objectives with strategic company initiatives, ensuring that efforts contributed to overall business growth.
  • Enhanced overall project success by conducting thorough post-project evaluations and incorporating lessons learned into future efforts.
  • Reduced project costs, negotiating contracts with suppliers and optimizing resource allocation.

Education

Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration -

Wits Business School
04.2001 - 10.2024

Master of Arts - Cultural Policy & Management

Wits University

BA Honours - Applied Drama

Wits University
12-2019

Postgraduate Diploma in Arts - Applied Drama

Wits University

Skills

  • Project Planning & Lifecycle Management
  • Public Sector Governance & Service Delivery
  • Financial Oversight & Reporting
  • Monitoring, Evaluation & Impact Analysis
  • Policy Development & Strategic Planning
  • Stakeholder Engagement & Cross-Sector Collaboration
  • Team leadership
  • Decision-making

Awards Honours

  • Ruksana Osman Family Award, 2025, Excellence in Research
  • Wits Postgraduate Merit Award, 2019, Academic Excellence
  • Marshal Kander Award, 2018, Excellence in Research

Professional Conferences

  • 1st South African Investment Conference, South Africa, 2018, Accelerating Economic Growth by Building Partnerships
  • 1st African Philanthropy Conference, South Africa, 2019, The State of Philanthropy in Africa: Setting the Agenda
  • 3rd African Philanthropy Conference, South Africa, 2022, Systems Change and The New Normal in African Philanthropy: Trends, Practices and Policies
  • 4th South African Investment Conference, South Africa, 2022, Unlocking Investment for Growth and Job Creation
  • 4th South African Cultural Observatory International Conference, South Africa, 2022, Creative economy reset: Structuring the creative and cultural industries for a sustainable and inclusive future
  • ARUA 2023 Biennial International Conference, Nigeria, 2023, Reimagining the Future of Higher Education in Africa
  • Afrotellers 2024 Beyond Borders Conference, South Africa, 2024, Mapping the Frontiers of Afrikan Narratives
  • Wits-Senghor Seminar, South Africa, 2024, Cultural Entrepreneurship Across Africa: Exploring Diverse Case Studies
  • NIHSS-CASS Colloquium, South Africa, 2024, China’s Cultural Investment: Implications for Africa?
  • Synapse Launch, South Africa, 2025, Leveraging Creative Funding Opportunities in the Caribbean, Africa and the Diaspora

References

Available upon request

Timeline

Programme Manager: Bard College Civic Engagement

Wits School of Arts
05.2023 - Current

Project Support, Wits School of Arts

UNESCO/UNITWIN Chair Initiative
02.2023 - Current

Project Coordinator, Wits School of Arts

African Hub for Sustainable Creative Economies
01.2022 - 12.2023

Project Coordinator, Wits School of Arts

NIHSS, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
01.2022 - Current

Finance & Academic Administrator

Wits School of Arts
01.2022 - Current

Arts Development Officer

National Arts Council (NAC), PESP Programme
06.2020 - 12.2021

Project Manager

Hillbrow Theatre Foundation
01.2012 - 12.2015

Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration -

Wits Business School
04.2001 - 10.2024

Master of Arts - Cultural Policy & Management

Wits University

BA Honours - Applied Drama

Wits University

Postgraduate Diploma in Arts - Applied Drama

Wits University

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Vuyolwethu MadyibiProject Coordinator And Academic Administrator