Nandisile is Regional Stakeholder Engagement Manager at AVAC where she provides technical, content-focused support to AVAC’s research engagement activities, with a focus on activities in East and Southern Africa. In this role, Nandisile implements community, civil society and stakeholder engagement efforts in various AVAC led and supported projects as well as works with different global, regional and country-based advisory mechanisms and structures to provide guidance and advance the biomedical HIV prevention research field, including actively working and supporting AGYW and women-focused advocacy projects and structures in the East and Southern Africa.
Since joining AVAC, Nandisile has developed, led and supported advisory structures and mechanisms that are instrumental in amplifying the voices of AGYW and women in Africa and has vastly contributed in the implementation of various HIV prevention and product introduction projects that are being implemented in the sub-Saharan region.
Prior to joining AVAC, Nandisile was the lead Community Engagement Project Manager for sub-Saharan sites at the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN) where she led the HVTN’s community and stakeholder engagement programs and efforts of 3 large efficacy vaccine and bNAb trials conducted in the sub-Saharan region, including HVTN 702, HVTN 703 and HVTN 705 amongst others.
Nandisile joined AVAC in 2019, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge and experience managing community and stakeholder engagement programs in the biomedical HIV prevention research field. In 2016, Nandi was one of the recipients of the Omololu Falobi Award for Excellence in HIV Prevention Research Community Advocacy. Nandisile currently resides in Klerksdorp, South Africa and enjoys travelling.