Zandile Myeka | Making the Invisible Visible

Zandile Myeka is a passionate and professional archivist at the Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF), where she serves as the Metadata and Photographic Archivist. With nine years of experience in archival and records management, she has developed extensive expertise in digital curation, metadata standards, photographic collections, and the preservation of born-digital and digitised archival materials. Her work contributes to the Foundation’s mandate of preserving and providing access to the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela through ethical, sustainable, and innovative archival practices. Myeka holds a Bachelor of Public Management and Governance and a Tutor Certificate from the University of Johannesburg (UJ), as well as an Honours degree in Information and Knowledge Management. She further obtained a Higher Certificate in Archives and Records Management from the University of South Africa (UNISA). She has currently completed an MPhil in Digital Curation at the University of Cape Town (UCT), focusing on the intersection of archival accessibility, digital preservation, and community-oriented archival methodologies. In recognition of her growing contribution to archival scholarship, Myeka was awarded a Residential Research Fellowship (2023-2024) at the Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) at Loughborough University, United Kingdom. Her fellowship research engaged with questions of memory, archival representation, and archival justice within postcolonial contexts. Professionally, Myeka also plays a leadership role in the archival sector. She is the Chairperson of the Gauteng Branch of the South African Society of Archivists (SASA), where she contributes to capacity building, professional development, and advocacy for improved archival practices and infrastructures in South Africa. In addition, she holds the Universal Declaration on Archives (UDA) Certificate, awarded through the International Council on Archives (ICA) upon completion of its specialised programme on global archival principles and ethical frameworks. Following the success of 100 Black Women Who Have Made A Mark, Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage is delighted to launch a new project for 2026; Making the Invisible Visible: Black Women 365 Days of the Year. Each day will showcase a different woman, whose story has shaped Black British or global Diasporic history; many of whom remain overlooked or under-celebrated in mainstream narratives. This will take the form of a rolling programme of short films, released throughout the year to keep these stories in daily circulation and to create an evolving constellation of leadership, resistance, artistry and enduring impact.