Sibongile Muthwa is the Vice-Chancellor of Nelson Mandela University, South Africa. She has a distinguished career in South Africa and internationally working in development, public-sector institutions, and in academia. A former Director of the University of Fort Hare Institute of Governance and former Director-General of the Eastern Cape Provincial Government, she is deeply committed to gender justice, social inclusion and active democratic participation.

She has also served as a Commissioner and Deputy Chair of the Finance and Fiscal Commission of South Africa; Chair of Universities South Africa (USAf - an organisation representing 26 SA public universities); chaired a Ministerial Task Team on Sexual Harassment and Gender Based Violence and Harm in South African universities; and as a member of Human Resource Development Council of South Africa. She is a Trustee of the Brigalia Bam Foundation.

She also represents South Africa on the BRICS+ University Network International Governing Board; and is a Council member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). Her research interests focus especially on the purpose of the public university, gender studies, and the theoretical and operational aspects of transformative engagement in higher education.