Discover how Chevening alumna Buhle Phiwe Hlatshwayo is advancing Africa's voice in AI governance, diplomacy, and leadership while giving back to the Chevening community.
When Buhle Phiwe Hlatshwayo arrived at SOAS University London as a Chevening scholar in 2013, she knew she would gain a world-class education, but she wasn’t prepared for the way the people around her would have just as much impact as her classes.
‘The most influential part was finding myself in a room full of people from every corner of the world who were just as driven and just as committed to going home to do something that mattered… it wasn’t the lectures that changed me, extraordinary as they were. It was realising that a network isn’t just who you know, it’s the quality of what you’re willing to build together.’
Today, she is helping shape some of Africa’s most important conversations on diplomacy, governance, and emerging technologies, while giving back to the global Chevening community that helped launch her journey.
Throughout her career, Buhle has spent more than 15 years working across African Union institutions, governments, and multilateral organisations to strengthen governance, regional integration and technology policy. One of her proudest achievements has been helping develop the African Union’s Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy, Africa’s first continent-wide framework for AI governance.
Leading government engagement across all 55 African Union Member States, she worked with governments and civil society to build a shared vision for how artificial intelligence should be governed across the continent.
‘AI governance is being written now. Africa cannot afford to be a passive recipient of rules made elsewhere.’
Buhle’s work has also contributed to the African Continental Free Trade Area Digital Trade Protocol and development programmes delivered alongside partners including the World Bank, UNDP, USAID, and the Gates Foundation.
For Buhle, the common thread is ensuring that the people most affected by international decisions have a seat at the table.
‘It’s about making sure the rooms where futures are decided actually reflect the people affected by those decisions.’
In May 2026, Buhle was elected President of the Chevening Alumni Association of South Africa (CAASA), bringing her commitment to collaboration back to the Chevening community.
Her vision is to grow a more inclusive alumni network by reaching scholars across every province of South Africa, strengthening partnerships with the British High Commission, and creating opportunities for alumni to connect in meaningful ways.
‘Alumni associations matter because a scholarship is a single moment, but a network is what sustains impact over decades… Keeping South African alumni active and connected is what keeps the UK-South Africa relationship living and working, long after any individual scholar’s year abroad ends.’
As part of Chevening’s global network spanning more than 140 countries and territories, Buhle believes alumni have a unique opportunity to continue learning from one another while building lasting international partnerships.
Looking ahead, Buhle plans to continue working at the intersection of diplomacy, artificial intelligence, and global governance while pursuing doctoral research on AI, conflict, and international security.
Alongside her professional abitions, she is equally committed to creating opportunities for others. Through her role as CAASA President, she hopes to mentor future scholars and encourage more young South Africans, particularly those from small towns and underrepresented communities, to apply for Chevening.
‘Never underestimate the power of a single opportunity. One scholarship, one mentor, one person who believes in you can alter the entire course of your life. I know because Chevening altered mine.’
This belief continues to shape both her work and vision for the future.
‘My hope is simple: that I leave the door wider than I found it. Representation doesn’t happen on its own — someone must choose it deliberately. Chevening chose me. My responsibility is to make sure more young South Africans get the same chance to walk through.’
Through diplomacy, technology policy, and the Chevening community, Buhle is helping ensure that Africa has a stronger voice in global conversations, and that the next generation of leaders has an even stronger foundation to build on.
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