Associate Prof Rethabile Possa is the Head of African Languages and Literatures, a Senior Lecturer, member of the Language Policy Committee, and Student Registration Advisor in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Cape Town. She is the chairperson of Sesotho National Language Body under PanSALB. Through her leadership and activism, she has contributed significantly to institutional and societal change, serving as a staff assessor on UCT’s Gender-Based Violence Tribunal and holding leadership roles as the Warden of Fuller Hall and Deputy Warden at Forest Hill.
An accomplished scholar and writer, Associate Prof Possa has published widely on folklore, literature and onomastics in academic journals and is also the author of a Sesotho drama book, children’s story, and poetry. Beyond her academic achievements, Associate Prof Possa is the Sesotho editor for the AVBOB Poetry Competition. She is the founder of Mokgatlo wa Matjhaba wa Sesotho (Sesotho International Association) and is recognized internationally as a keynote speaker. Her influence extends across multiple platforms, including Transnet, SABC 2, SABC 3, ENCA, Rosebank College, as well as schools in the Western Cape, Lesotho, and various women’s forums, where she continues to inspire and empower women both locally and globally.