Ella Mangisa is currently serving as the Director of Ilitha Labantu, an organization that advocates for the rights of women and children in townships and rural areas of South Africa. Ella holds a Masters in Business Administration from The Management College of Southern Africa (MANCOSA), She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Western Cape, she also holds the following qualification a National Diploma in Human Resource Management and Training, a Certificate in Basic Principles of Public Relations both from Varsity College and a Certificate in Labour Law from UCT Getsmart

She is also serves as the Chairperson of the African Women’s Independent Forum whose core mission is to rebuild women’s activism by advancing economic liberty, personal responsibility and political freedom in the continent. She has more than fifteen years of work experience in the human rights field, community development as well as in training and capacity building. Ella is very passionate about issues which social justice, youth and women, as a result, she strives to bring relevant information within townships, peri-urban and rural communities as a means of community development and empowerment.