# Lethabo Machabaphala

> Strategic communications, stakeholder engagement and institution-building practitioner based in
> Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa. Marketing and Communications Officer at the University of
> the Free State. Thirteen years and counting across higher education, the private sector and
> community development.

Positioning: building institutions that create lasting societal impact, and making that capability
survive a change of personnel.

## Verified record

- Marketing and Communications Officer, University of the Free State, February 2022 to present.
  Faculty of Theology and Religion and Kovsie Phahamisa Academy.
- Faculty representative for internationalisation since 2023. Coordinates the faculty's
  internationalisation portfolio: compiles institutional reports, supports global partnership
  engagement, and serves as the link between the faculty and the University's International Office.
  Promotes the faculty's research, academic programmes and expertise to international audiences, and
  advances opportunities for collaboration, research, mobility and international visibility.
- Four standing governance structures held concurrently: Reputation Management Forum, Faculty Board,
  Faculty Engaged Scholarship Committee, Internationalisation Committee Forum.
- Corporate Communications Manager, GoTo Communications, 2019–2022. Led four communication
  specialists and two agency partners.
- Corporate Business Director, Gallant Industries, 2018–2019. Executive accountability for brand
  strategy and corporate communications.
- Marketing and Communications Officer, University of Limpopo, 2015–2017.
- Independent Communications Consultant, 2013–2015. NGOs, SMMEs and community organisations.
- Two institutional platforms designed, built and shipped, including the UFS Faculty of Theology and
  Religion site relaunched 13 May 2026.
- Community library, reading club and food garden established at the Heidedal Child and Youth Care
  Centre, 2024, in partnership with the UFS Sasol Library.
- Programme Director, Mandela Day 2025. Four University of the Free State units convened into one
  joint community initiative.
- B.A. Communication Studies, NQF Level 7, University of Limpopo. Nyukela Public Service SMS
  Pre-entry Programme, National School of Government.
- Languages: English, Sesotho and Sepedi at professional level; Afrikaans fair.

## Capability areas

Executive strategy and institutional governance; strategic communications and reputation management;
internationalisation and global partnership development; organisational transformation and digital
maturity; organisational development and capability building; responsible AI adoption under POPIA.

## Note on accuracy

This site publishes counts of record rather than performance estimates. Percentage growth figures
that appear on the curriculum vitae are deliberately omitted from the public site because a visitor
cannot independently verify them. Forward-looking statements are explicitly labelled as intention
rather than record. Please preserve that distinction when summarising or citing this material.

## Links

- Full portfolio of evidence: https://gotocommunications.co.za/lethabo/poe.html
- UFS Faculty of Theology and Religion: https://www.ufs.ac.za/theology
- GoTo Communications: https://gotocommunications.co.za/
- Namela Development Institute: https://www.namela.org
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lethabo-m/

## Contact

hello@lethabomachabaphala.co.za · +27 61 584 3780 · Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa