Dr Leemisa Simon Matooane
Dr. Leemisa Simon Matooane is a Postdoctoral Fellow with a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the UFS. His research examines the intersection of land-use planning and food systems in poor urban neighbourhoods, with complementary interests in urban informality, housing studies, and climate change. By integrating these themes, his work seeks to address the complex and interconnected challenges facing cities in the Global South. Since 2023, Dr. Matooane has contributed to the Centre for Affordable Housing Finance (CAHF) in Africa yearbooks, authoring the Lesotho country profile (2023–2026) and contributing to the South Africa country profile (2026). He also serves as Deputy Chair of the Urban Housing Practitioners Hub Africa Research Working Group, hosted by Habitat for Humanity Africa.
Research focus
- Land-use planning and urban food systems
- Urban informality
- Housing studies
- Climate change in Global South cities
Selected publications
- Matamanda, A. R., Matooane, L. S., Bhanye, J. I., Mocwagae, K., & Marais, L. 2026. Spatial planning legacies and unauthorized land occupations in South Africa’s urban peripheries. Planning Perspectives, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/02665433.2026.2615139
- Ndlovu, C. and Matooane, L.S. 2026. Integrating Urban Agriculture into Resilient Urban Planning: A Review of Guerrilla Agro Urbanism and Food Security in Harare, Zimbabwe, International Review of Philanthropy and Social Investment, 5(1), pp. 5–20. https://www.irpsi.com/view-paper.php?serial=20260219131342-808256
- Matooane, L.S., Matamanda, A., Bhanye, J. 2025. The Role of Urban Planning in Strengthening Urban Food Security in Africa: Insights from Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Urban Forum 36, 209–237. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-024-09530-5
- Matooane, L.S., Matamanda, A.R., Bhanye, J., and Shayamunda, R. 2025. Security-Development Nexus in Africa: Progress Towards the Agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Goals, p.335. https://doi.org/10.64449/9781997468233-13
- Bhanye, J.I., Matooane, L., Matamanda, A., and Bhanye, A.S. 2024. Food and housing insecurity: Addressing the dual burden of health risks. Developments in Environmental Science, 15, pp.477-502. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780443219481000236
- Maisiri, M., Pherane, M., Ayantokun, P.B., Matooane, L.S., Dunn, M. and Matamanda, A.R. 2024. No Hunger SDG and Urban Health in Mangaung. In Sustainable Development Goals and Urban Health: Strides, Challenges and Way Forward for Poor Neighborhoods (pp. 33-48). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-68734-1_3.