Asafika Mpako

Biography

Asafika Mpako is the Communications coordinator for Southern Africa at Afrobarometer.

Asafika specializes in policy influencing, particularly in sharing research findings through non-academic communications outputs such as press releases, evidence briefs, infographics, data visuals, television, radio and other media, enabling local and international stakeholders to make informed programmatic decisions, and to generate and evaluate policy interventions. She carries a strong publication record, including the ability to present research findings to non-technical audiences and to synthesize evidence for engagement with academic, stakeholder and policy communities.

Her professional and academic experiences span four continents – Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. She launched her career as a Global Education Intern in the Emerging Global Leaders Internship Program at the World Affairs Council, Washington, D.C, and her policy studies have taken her from Cape Town to Beijing to London, and more recently to Oxford and Bridgewater, Massachusetts.

Asafika holds a Bachelors from the University of Cape Town, and Masters degrees from Peking University and the London School of Economics, including certificates from the University of Oxford and Bridgewater State University, respectively.

She has been featured in the UK Financial Times on the global list of 2023 Women of the Future, 50 Rising Stars in ESG. This is an initiative, in association with Tesco, that highlights trailblazing young women working across all industries, geographies and sectors in ESG.

Asafika is also the recipient of the Mandela Washington Fellowship Award, the United States flagship program for investing in the next generation of young, African leaders.