Deputy Director for Protection Services, Institutional

The pulse of CUT’S responsibility to provide a secure working and learning environment is a 33 year-old daring strategist, Ayanda Nyathi. Born in Mpumalanga, Ayanda identified God’s window of opportunity to break into an industry that’s typically known for being a man cave. With two Master’s degrees in security management and business administration respectively, and a track record in central banking and intelligence, it’s not surprising that Ayanda is the first woman in the history of the university to occupy her current position. “It’s hard to find women within the space, especially in leadership positions,” she says. For her, this means being part of making history. “It’s challenging in a positive way because you understand that you are standing there as a woman, you’re an example as well as you’re creating history for the women that are to come after you,” she explains. Although Ayanda encounters backward mentalities when she engages external stakeholders who don’t expect a woman to be in her position, she states that internally, the CUT community is progressive. For example, during protests, she has found that open communication is a more effective strategy to manage tensions. “I think it’s not even a situation of being tough but of being strategic. You make them realise that your concern is their safety and security. You need to work with the police and crowd control to ensure that everyone is safe during demonstrations,” shares the accomplished security manager who feeds her fashion design passion when she wants to let her guard down.