Wrixon Mpanang’ombe is completing a Master of City and Regional Planning from the University of Cape Town. His first Master’s dissertation explored the issue of car dependency in Cape Town, which is relevant for understanding pathways for enabling climate justice, transport justice and spatial justice in one of the world’s most unequal cities.

Wrixon aspires to make a difference in addressing issues of spatial marginalisation in African cities through better design of streets and public spaces that support informal livelihoods. These are spaces in which the existence of informal traders and dwellers is threatened by road expansion projects and exclusionary campaigns purported to beautify the so-called “chaotic” African cities.

As a 2023 Mandela Rhodes Scholar, Wrixon will pursue a Master of Urban Design to advance his understanding of place-making processes and acquire critical spatial design skills pertinent to his Doctoral research interests.

Previously, Wrixon worked in corporate environmental management in the railway industry; in environmental impact assessment consultancy; and on a research project focusing on the sanitation circular economy in Kenya and Malawi. His recent achievements include receiving the Western Cape Government Prize for the Best Local Area Planning Project and UCT’s 2022 JW Jagger Centenary Gift Scholarship. Wrixon is a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society, 2019 World Bank Blog4Dev Winner, 2020 UN SDSN Local Pathways Fellow, and a Yenching Global Symposium alumnus.

Wrixon enjoys cooking, reading, podcasts and photography. He is a fan of reality competition series especially Big Brother, Idols and Masterchef.