Biography

I grew up in Pretoria, South Africa but studied and worked in Johannesburg. Between 2008 and 2011 I was involved in multi-country research on democracy and governance in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2011 I read for a master’s degree in African studies. My dissertation analysed the fall of a dominant political party which had governed for twenty years. I am interested in democratisation in Africa particularly with regard to the efficacy and integrity of elections in dominant party states. My doctorate will examine the relationship between voters and political parties to understand what draws voters to political parties. The influence of government performance, ethnicity, clientelism, leadership and ideology will be considered to determine if voters are making rational choices when they vote or if they are motivated by deeper, intrinsic ties to political parties instead. I hope to write a book on elections in Africa to stimulate debate on how citizens use their right to vote.