Nomphumelelo Babeli is a lecturer and PhD candidate in the Department of Political and International Studies at Rhodes University. Her doctoral research focuses on the agency, trajectories, and experiences of retired women ambassadors, and looking at how women have shaped post-apartheid South African foreign policy. Previously, she lectured at the Extended Studies Unit, which is part of the Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching, and Learning (CHERTL). Nomphumelelo holds a Master of Social Science degree with distinction in Political and International Studies from Rhodes University. Her master’s thesis was titled Asazinto Ngaye: Re-centering the Life and Contributions of Nontsikelelo ‘Ntsiki’ Biko (née Mashalaba). In addition, she has co-authored an article titled The Politics of Knowledge in South African Universities: Students' Perspectives. She is currently the recipient of the 2026 African Peacebuilding and Development Dynamics (APDD) Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship.