Philile Ntombela joined Africa Check as a researcher in December 2023. Her previous research and advocacy work centred on national and provincial budget policies. She has presented her findings on the government’s social spending to various Parliamentary Committees on several occasions, and has been involved in the research and drafting of submissions to two commissions of inquiry. Philile has bylines in major South African newspapers and has been interviewed on various radio and TV news stations. She holds a bachelor of arts in English, media, and culture studies from the University of KwaZulu Natal, an honours in political communication from the University of Cape Town, and a masters in political studies from the University of the Witwatersrand.