Mantate Queeneth Mlotshwa is a strategy consultant, development practitioner, entrepreneur, speaker, and Global African Studies scholar working at the intersection of governance, leadership, and African agency. She is the Founder and Lead of First Today Africa, a nonprofit organization focused on institutional strengthening and leadership capacity-building across the continent. She is also the Founder of U Motle, an African-facing fashion initiative that platforms designers and creatives from the continent in global spaces.

With over nine years of experience in democracy, rights, and governance, Mantate has led initiatives that amplify the voices of women, youth, and marginalized communities. Her work has spanned organizations including Magamba Network, the International Republican Institute, the Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD), and the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network, among others.

She has served on several African and global boards, including Generation Democracy, the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD), the African Women’s Leadership and Youth Network (AWLYN), and SimukaUpenye Integrated Youth Academy.

Mantate is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Relations at The Africa Institute. She holds an MSc in African Studies from the University of Oxford and a BSc in Psychology from the University of Zimbabwe. She is also the producer and host of The Resistance Bureau and The Mantate Show.