Naledi Pandor Biography: Age, Parents, Accent, Husband, Children, Net Worth

Naledi Pandor, formerly known as Naledi Matthews, is a prominent South African politician, educator, and academic.

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She has been serving as the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation since 2019 and has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for the African National Congress (ANC) since 1994.

Naledi Pandor Biography

Born on December 7, 1953, in Durban, Pandor completed her high school education in Botswana. She pursued a career in education, becoming a qualified teacher and teaching at various schools and universities. Throughout her academic journey, she earned multiple degrees from different universities.

Naledi Pandor Age

As of January 2024, she was 70 years old.

Naledi Pandor Parents

Her parents are Joe Matthews and Regina Thelma Philips.

Naledi Pandor Career

Her political career began in 1994 when she took office as a Member of Parliament, quickly ascending to the role of Deputy Chief Whip of the ANC caucus in 1995. She further advanced her political career, becoming Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces in 1998 and later assuming the position of chairperson in 1999.

In 2004, Naledi Pandor joined the national cabinet as Minister of Education, a position she retained under President Kgalema Motlanthe. Subsequently, she served as Minister of Science and Technology in 2009 under President Jacob Zuma and later as Minister of Home Affairs in 2012. Her portfolio returned to science and technology in 2014, and she assumed the role of Minister of Higher Education and Training in 2018 under President Cyril Ramaphosa. Following the 2019 general election, Pandor was initially considered for the position of Deputy President but was ultimately appointed as the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.

Pandor’s educational journey includes obtaining a diploma in higher education, administration, and leadership from the Bryn Mawr Summer Programme in 1992. She also received a diploma in leadership in development from Harvard Kennedy School in 1997. Pandor earned an MA degree in linguistics from the University of Stellenbosch in the same year. Her academic accomplishments culminated in a PhD in education from the University of Pretoria in 2019, with a thesis focusing on “The contested meaning of transformation in higher education in post-apartheid South Africa.”

Beginning her career as a teacher in London in 1980, Pandor subsequently taught in Gaborone from 1981 to 1984 and served as an instructor at the Taung College of Education from 1984 to 1986. She held the position of senior lecturer in English at the University of Bophuthatswana from 1986 to 1989 and later served as a senior fellow in the Academic Support Programme of the University of Cape Town from 1989 to 1994.

Throughout her career, Pandor was actively involved in various leadership roles and committees. She chaired the University of Bophuthatswana’s Union of Democratic Staff Associations and served as the chairperson of the Western Cape National Executive Committee of the National Education Coordinating Committee. Concurrently, she was part of the ANC’s Western Cape Education Committee.

In addition to her political and educational roles, Pandor chaired the ANC Athlone Central branch, headed the Desmond Tutu Education Trust, and was involved with the Western Cape School Building Trust. From 1992 to 1995, she worked as the deputy head of the Tertiary Education Fund of South Africa, later becoming its head. She also served as the deputy chairperson of the Joint Education Trust Board of Trustees from 1993 to 2001.

Pandor’s contributions extended to her role as the chancellor of Cape Technikon from 2002 to 2004 and as a member of the governing council of the University of Fort Hare during the same period.

Naledi Pandor Husband

Her husband is known as Sharif Joseph Pandor.

Naledi Pandor Children

She has four children and three are known as Aisha Pandor, Haroon Pandor, and Fazlur Pandor.

Naledi Pandor Net Worth

Her estimated net worth is said to be around $1 million.