Join our team - Ndifuna Ukwazi

Our work relies on the powerful synergy of law, research, popular education, storytelling, and community organising to advocate for urban land justice. We believe that a diverse and dynamic team strengthens our ability to meaningfully support the families, communities and movements most affected by urban inequality.

Are you committed to social justice and promoting access to well-located land and affordable housing? Would you like to contribute to building a better city? Then we want to hear from you!

Have a look at the job opportunities below (job opportunities will be posted as and when they become available).

Volunteer

We offer internships and volunteer opportunities at our Cape Town office on a rolling basis. We welcome students, graduate students or volunteers from South Africa and the Global South who want to contribute to our community organising, research, advocacy or legal work by assisting our staff. We want to bring talented young people into social justice work and to offer an opportunity to be employed, gain experience, and ultimately find decent work.

If you are interested in volunteering, please let us know what period of time you would like to spend with us, and which areas of work you are interested in working on, along with your most recent CV. It will be valuable to let us know which specific projects of ours you would like to work on (if any), and what kind of work you would like to do or contribute. While we can’t always accommodate volunteers, providing these details will help us better match you with available opportunities.

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Vacancies: April 2026

Executive Director

Job Title: Executive Director
Location: Cape Town
Employment Type: Full-Time
Reports to: Board of Directors

About the Role:

Ndifuna Ukwazi (NU) is an activist organization and law center that promotes the realisation of constitutional rights and social justice through providing organising, research and legal support and representation to poor and working class people, communities and social movements. We work to advance urban land justice in Cape Town through the protection and expansion of access to affordable housing; supporting tenants’ rights and security of tenure in both private and public housing; towards building a more just and equal city.

Ndifuna Ukwazi is seeking a committed Executive Director (ED) to provide strategic, political, and organisational leadership to the organisation. The ED will be responsible for advancing Ndifuna Ukwazi’s mission, strengthening its impact, ensuring financial sustainability, and representing the organisation publicly.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic leadership – Leading the development and implementation of NU’s strategy in line with NU’s vision and mission, and guiding the development of the organisational culture and ethos of NU to reflect the values of justice and equity for which we advocate;
People – supporting, leading and building a diverse and competent team who demonstrate a commitment to NU’s mission, vision and ethos;
Fundraising and donors – Maintaining the healthy financial management of the organisation, including fundraising, reporting and building strong donor relationships;
Partners – Building and maintain relationships with NU’s strategic partners including community partners, social movements, civil society partners and funders;
Key stakeholders – Maintaining and strengthening NU’s profile and reputation with key stakeholders (media, government, civil society, and private sector stakeholders), and representing NU in various forums;
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning – Ensuring consistent monitoring, evaluation and learning in relation to NU’s work, strategies and impact;
Governance – Ensuring effective engagement with Ndifuna Ukwazi’s Board of Trustees; and
Risk management – Ensuring that financial and capital resources are efficiently managed and that the organisation is financially sustainable.

The Executive Director should possess the following:

Degree-level education (with a substantial understanding of the political, economic and socio-legal context of NU’s work);
At least five to seven years’ experience with experience in senior management
A demonstrated commitment to advancing social justice.
A record of leadership abilities, including:
- Experience relating to financial and funder management;
- Experience in managing projects from conceptualisation through to implementation and completion;
- Strong human resource management skills; and
- The ability to build the internal capacity of the team and provide support in a collegial environment.
Excellent oral and written communication skills in English (fluency in other South African languages will be an advantage).
Excellent interpersonal skills, including an ability to easily relate to, and work with people across race, class, gender and age
Residing in or willing to relocate to Cape Town.

Preference will be given to candidates with:

Experience in, or familiarity with, land and housing rights; and
Experience in a social justice, activist or similar civil society organisation.

Benefits & Remuneration

Salary: R936,000.00 per annum (Cost to Company), inclusive of Retirement Annuity and Medical Aid contributions

Ndifuna Ukwazi conducts its recruitment processes with a commitment to transformation and equity and offers a salary commensurate to experience and qualification.

How to apply

Interested applicants must email their application to employment@nu.org.za with the subject “NU Vacancy: Executive Director 2026”.
Please include the following in your application:
- A motivational letter detailing your interest for the position and;
- Updated CV reflecting your most recent experience
Only complete applications will be considered, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.
Please note that Ndifuna Ukwazi is committed to transformation and equity in its recruitment processes.
Ndifuna Ukwazi reserves the right not appoint.

6. Closing Date for Applications: Monday, 17 August 2026, 23:59

Date Posted: 09 July 2026