Zethu Matebeni a Sociologist, activist, writer, documentary film maker and senior researcher at the Institute for Humanities in Africa (HUMA) at UCT.
Matebeni studied Sociology at the University of Port Elizabeth (now NMMU), the University of Pretoria, and completed an interdisciplinary PhD at WISER, Wits University. Her wide research interests and publications cover queer issues, sexuality, gender, race, HIV and AIDS, African film and cinema and popular culture. She has been a Visiting Assistant Researcher at Yale University and has received research fellowships from Ford Foundation, the Fogarty International Centre and the National Research Foundation. She has been involved with the #RhodesMustFall movement as well as the Black Academics Caucus. Zethu is a contributor to the developing field of African Queer Studies, and has edited two books, Reclaiming Afrikan and Queer in Africa.
Matebeni has curated exhibitions including TRACKS: Sexuality in the City, permanently housed at MuseumAfrica in Johannesburg, and continues to make documentary films. Her first co-production, Breaking Out of the Box: Stories of black lesbians, (40mins, 2011) has screened locally and internationally.
