Colleen Gwazani is a Zimbabwean development practitioner, peacebuilding expert, and strategist with over seven years of experience advancing civic leadership, democratic governance, and community engagement across Southern Africa. As Advisor on Learning and Strategy at the Civic Leadership Institute (CLI), she leads the work of the Strategy Accompaniment Team (SAT), a select group of 6 civic leadership experts who provide accompaniment to CLI in strategic learning processes. In this critical CLI process, Colleen supports the development of tools, methods, and frameworks that shape CLI’s long-term vision. Her role ensures that civic leadership accompaniment is grounded in the lived experiences of leaders and geared toward sustainable, measurable impact.

Before joining CLI, Colleen worked with the Institute for Integrated Transitions (IFIT), where she coordinated a group of Zimbabwean experts focused on strengthening the rule of law and democratic institutions. She also contributed to a global initiative to develop guiding principles for appointing apex court judges, supporting efforts to enhance judicial governance nationally and internationally.

A Mandela Rhodes Scholar, Colleen holds an MPhil in Development Studies from the University of Cape Town. She is committed to building inclusive, collaborative, and context-responsive leadership systems and has a passion for strengthening civic leadership across the African continent.