Biography
Dr Lerato Thakholi is an assistant professor in the Sociology of Development and Change Group, Wageningen University (WU).
Her research investigates the historical development of property rights in land and environmental resources and how this has evolved in tandem with shifts in labour regimes. Empirically, she studies this in southern Africa using ethnographic and archival methods which enable her to critically analyse the impacts of conservation land use in rural landscapes.
Soon after completing her PhD, Lerato joined a successful grant writing team with five colleagues from PLAAS, WU and the University Cape Town. The proposal, titled, Living Landscapes in Action project was funded by the Oak Foundation to create the basis for a systemic redesign the conservation sector in southern Africa. Lerato worked as a senior researcher in the project with a focus on the Mapungubwe landscape.
Lerato continues to teach at WU while also working on her project Conservation real estate: Interrogating the rapid rise of European second homes in southern Africa’s conservation areas. Conservation real estate, was awarded the Veni grant from The Dutch Research Council (NWO).