Thulani Derrick Ndlovu became involved in the criminal world at the age of 16, which shaped much of his early life. During his incarceration in Johannesburg, Thulani played a pivotal role in founding the Siyanakekela Support Group (SSG), a peer educator program focused on HIV and TB awareness in prison. SSG collaborated with organizations such as MoAfrica iThlokomele and Footballers 4 Life to train inmate peer educators. In 2013, in response to antiretroviral treatment shortages, the group successfully engaged with Boksburg Management Area to secure ART for incarcerated people living with HIV.
Thulani has represented ZOD and formerly incarcerated people in the Human Rights Advocacy and Communications Working Group on the National Task Team on TB and HIV in Prisons, as well as with the South African National AIDS Council. In 2018, he co-founded support groups for parolees to assist with reintegration into families and communities.
Currently, Thulani works as a Research Assistant at The Aurum Institute, a leading African health organization, while pursuing a BA in Sociology with a major in Psychology at the University of Witwatersrand. He hopes to contribute to the well-being of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals by reimagining a world without prisons and fostering sustainable formerly incarcerated economies.