Zinhle Novazi is a lecturer in the Department of Mercantile Law, where she co-lectures the Law and Technology module and lectures International Trade Finance. She joined the department in 2024. 

Ms Novazi is a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Law at the University of Groningen. Her research focuses on the regulation of automated decisionmaking in financial services, examining intersections between data protection, AI, consumer protection, and financial technology regulation. 

She holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree in Political Studies and Law (2016) and an LLB (2018) from the University of Cape Town. She completed an LLM in Technology, Media and Telecommunications Law at Queen Mary University of London in 2022, during which she contributed to the Microsoft Cloud Legal Project. She later obtained a second LLM in Taxation Law from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2023. Ms Novazi is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa and has diverse professional experience across the legal, banking, and technology sectors. She completed her articles, gaining exposure to tax law, data privacy, and corporate commercial practice. She later served as a Tax and Fiduciary Specialist at Investec Bank. Prior to entering legal practice, she worked as a researcher at S-RM, a global intelligence and cybersecurity consulting firm. 

Ms Novazi founded her own strategic legal consultancy, focused on tax, data protection, and commercial advisory services. The firm provided tailored legal support to clients across finance, digital services, and regulatory sectors. She also serves as Director of the Heavy Chef Foundation NPC, the socio-economic and skills development arm of Heavy Chef, one of South Africa’s largest entrepreneurship networks with over 75,000 active participants. The Foundation was established to provide access to learning opportunities for emerging market entrepreneurs and conducts research into the learning habits of South African entrepreneurs to inform impactdriven programme design. 

In addition to her academic and entrepreneurial pursuits, Ms Novazi is an experienced keynote speaker and moderator. She has delivered keynote addresses and facilitated discussions for professional bodies, leading corporate companies, athletic communities, and global sporting brands and organisations. Her speaking engagements reflect her versatility and commitment to driving conversations that matter across legal, business, and socio-economic domains. Her contributions to business and social impact were recognised with the 2023 Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans Award in the Entrepreneurship category.