Vhumani Magezi returns to the Institute as a Non-stipendiary Research Fellow. Prior to this he was an Academic Visitor at the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing from 4 February 2019 to 30 March 2019.

Vhumani is an Associate Professor at North-West University (NWU), South Africa. He holds a PhD from Stellenbosch University, South Africa (2005). His research themes are: spiritual (pastoral) care, social responses to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and adolescent & youth sexual reproductive health (AYSRH). His research focuses on daily existential realities of people within their communities and possible psycho-social and spiritual interventions that are deployed using faith community spaces as subsystems of society for coping. He is currently undertaking a research project Overturning religion and health ambivalence gridlock as adolescent and youth sexual reproductive health (AYSRH) investment: towards optimisation and leveraging of church (faith) spaces as assets in AYSRH. The research aims to understand  and develop a possible quantification of the potential contribution of  faith groupings to AYSRH interventions in selected communities in South Africa. Prior to taking up a fulltime academic position at NWU, he worked in international development on health as a senior manager and leader in programme management (HIV, SRH and community development programmes). 

He is a member of several international and South African national academic and research bodies including: International AIDS Society (IAS), South African Sociological Association (SASA), International Academy of Practical Theology (IAPT), Practical Theology of Southern Africa (PTSA), Association of Practical Theology (APT) (USA), International Council of Pastoral Care and Counselling (ICPCC) and South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA).  

He has published over 42 academic articles, 35 research reports and 4 books on his areas of research.