Haile Matutu is a psychology lecturer at the University of Cape Town. His research focusses on humanising marginalised groups and understanding the psychology of individuals living on the margins of society. His work is influenced by his personal experiences of alienation and his interest in viewing the world through African epistemological perspectives.

Rooted in decolonial feminism, Haile’s research explores how violence between queer men in intimate relationships shapes post-violence masculinities. His work expands debates on gender, sexuality, and violence by emphasising Southern knowledge systems. His teaching covers introductory psychology, social psychology, and critical qualitative methods, with a strong focus on ethical, inclusive, and transformative pedagogy. His academic interests include the intersections of sex, race, culture, and place in shaping identities and subjectivities.

Haile focusses on the politics of knowledge creation in psychology, aiming to promote fair, reflective, and power-aware practices. His work bridges academic research with personal insights to inform more compassionate and context-sensitive approaches in psychological study and education.

Teaching Responsibilities

•    Course Convener: Introduction to Psychology (PSY1004F & PSY1005S)
•    Social Psychology
•    Critical Qualitative Research Methods
•    African Psychology

Supervision Projects
•    2025: “Black Researchers in Black Communities: Exploring ‘Insider-Outsider’ Dynamics” – A qualitative study of Black subjectivity, researcher positionality, and ethics in researching Black life.
•    2024: “The South African Police’s Response to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: The Experience of Survivors”

Selected Publications
•    Andrason, A., & Matutu, H. (In press, 2025). Reflections on (our research on) human-to-animal communication (in Africa): Anthropocentrism, Posthumanism, and White Crisis. Journal of Postcolonial Linguistics.
•    Boonzaier, F., Kessi, S., & Matutu, H. (In press, 2025). Decolonial Feminism in Psychology: The Hub for Decolonial Feminist Psychologies in Africa – Emerging Praxis from the South.
•    Matutu, H., Mpofu, T., & Boonzaier, F. (2024). Reflections on Un-Settling and Producing Knowledge on Gendered and Sexual Violence. Social and Health Sciences, 22(1).
•    Matutu, H. (2020). Expository epistles on African psychology: ‘St. Ratele, ora pro nobis’ or ‘Yiza nebhanti phaya erumini’. PINS, 59, 124–131.
•    Andrason, A., & Matutu, H. (2019). The syntax of interjections in isiXhosa: A corpus-driven study. Stellenbosch Papers in Linguistics PLUS, 58, 1–16.
•    Boonzaier, F., Carr, K., & Matutu, N.H. (2019). Communicating about sexual violence: A university case study. African Safety Promotion.
•    Matutu, H. (2019). “On the Way to Calvary, I Lost My Way”: Navigating Ethical Quagmires in Community Psychology at the Margins. In F. Boonzaier & T. van Niekerk (Eds.), Decolonial Feminist Community Psychology.
•    Matutu, N.H. (2018). Humility and Fear: A Meditation on a Theme. African Safety Promotion, 16(20), 48–52.