PsySSA Annual Psychology Congress 2025 – Congress Call

PsySSA Annual Psychology Congress 2025 – Congress Call

2025 CONGRESS CALL

“Psychology in Society and Society in Psychology”

Considering psychology’s focus on human behaviour, cognition and emotion, it has a fundamental duty to enhance the mental wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities. This encompasses assessments, diagnosis and treatment of psychological problems that impact on the emotions, behaviours and cognitions of individuals as they function and relate to others in society. At the heart of psychology is the promotion of psychological wellbeing, social responsibility, social justice, and community empowerment. Inevitably, this means that psychology must make a positive impact on society since what happens in society must be relevant for teaching, practice and research in psychology. The Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) is committed to the societal impact of psychology and titled the Annual South African Psychology Congress 2025: “Psychology in Society and Society in Psychology”.

Psychology in society involves the scientific study of how citizens’ thoughts, feelings and behaviours are influenced by fellow citizens as well as society’s leadership. Among the societal responsibilities are mutual respect and empathy and the celebration of all forms of diversity. Challenging discrimination and oppression should be a priority for psychology, considering the social justice and mental health imperatives. Additionally, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence presents unique opportunities and challenges for psychology, particularly in understanding human-technology interaction and its implications for mental health and societal dynamics.

Society in psychology is understood as a network of social relationships, customs, and traditions that contribute to how people interact with each other and how they live their lives. This is reflective across disciplines such as education, politics, anthropology, economics, the healthcare disciplines, and others. The many social ills that exist in society, such as crime, gender and community-based violence, poverty, and the abuse and neglect of children are just some of the problems affecting the nation. Psychology must be geared to meet these social challenges if it intends to be socially and contextually relevant in promoting psychological wellbeing.

Against this background, the PsySSA Annual South African Psychology Congress 2025 will be hosted at the Durban ICC from 14 to 16 October 2025. The Congress Committee welcomes presentations that focus on the congress theme and general areas of relevance to psychology. Submissions of scholarly and practice-oriented presentations, research posters and symposia are invited. The congress will showcase how the discipline can make a positive societal impact in promoting individual and collective mental health and wellbeing.

PsySSA looks forward to receiving your submissions and to your participation in this important annual event.

PsySSA Intern, Ms Indira Pillay, wins AOSIS Award

PsySSA Intern, Ms Indira Pillay, wins AOSIS Award

Congratulations to PsySSA Intern Member, Ms Indira Pillay, whose article, “The impact of inequality and COVID-19 on education and career planning for South African children of rural and low-socioeconomic backgrounds,” has been awarded the prestigious AOSIS Award for achieving the most citations in the four-year period (2020–2023)

Click the button below to view the insights into the ‘African Journal of Career Development’ Editor’s Choice article:

Message from the PsySSA President

Message from the PsySSA President

“I am deeply honoured that you have entrusted me to be the president of the Psychological Society of South Africa during our 30th anniversary year. Past presidents have provided sterling leadership, and my role is made so much easier because I stand on the shoulders of strong predecessors who have worked tirelessly to advance South African Psychology as a science and profession that is locally and globally relevant. There can be no doubt that when we consider the vibrancy and excellence of scholarly work embodied in and through Psyssa and our recent October conference, that (South) African Psychology is strong and responsive to societal needs. We can reimagine different ways of seeing Psychology without always completely throwing out that which is globally considered to be Psychology. I look forward to this term and working with all of you, especially the PsySSA divisions and local and global collaborators who so ably, help us to enact our vision for Psychology in South Africa and beyond.”

Prof Ronelle Carolissen
PsySSA President

Meet the 2025 Executive Committee

Prof Ronelle Carolissen

President

Prof Ronelle Carolissen is a clinical psychologist and full professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology at Stellenbosch University. She is an NRF rated researcher and the current president of PsySSA (Psychological Society of South Africa) Her predominantly qualitative research expertise and publications explore transformation in higher education. Her research focuses on decolonial feminist pedagogies and critical, decolonial community psychologies in higher education contexts, highlighting experiences of marginalised university students and academic staff. She serves on South African and international journal editorial boards that intersect in the fields of education and community psychology and serves on managing boards, most notably the SAMRC (South African Medical Research Council 2019-present). She holds the 2016 Psychological Association of South Africa award for excellence in teaching psychology in higher education. She was a visiting professor at Stanford University’s Bing overseas community engagement programme in Cape Town (2015-2019) and is a Fulbright research scholar (2021-2022) alumni and a member of ASSAF (Academy of Science of South Africa). She is the Chief Editor of PINS (Psychology in Society).

Prof Jace Pillay

President-Elect

Prof Jace Pillay is a registered educational and counselling psychologist and the South African Research Chair in Education and Care in Childhood in the Faculty of Education at the University of Johannesburg. In February 2024 he was appointed a UNESCO Chair in Mental Health and Psychological Support for Teachers and Learners in SA. His previous positions at UJ were the Head of the Department of Educational Psychology and Vice Dean in the Faculty of Education. Currently, he heads a research team focusing on the mental health of learners and teachers as well as psychosocial support in schools.

Prof Mercy Tshilidzi Mulaudzi

Past President

Prof Mercy Tshilidzi Mulaudzi is a Professor of Psychology, and Executive Dean in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Venda. She has supervised Masters and doctoral students, and has served as external assessor for students in national and international universities. Her interests are in Mental Health, HIV and AIDS, Gender-Based Violence, and epidemiology. She has presented her research work in local, national and international conferences and some of those papers are published in national and international journals. 

Ashley van Heerden

Treasurer

Ashley van Heerden is an HPCSA registered Clinical Psychologist practicing in the Western Cape. She holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Research Psychology. Ashley’s professional focus is on child development, and she has had extensive experience working with children, adolescents, parents and families across both public and private sectors. Beyond her clinical practice, Ashley has developed and implemented cost-effective human rights programmes within the South African context, under the auspices of the United Nations. She further holds a certification in Programme Management from the University of Geneva.  

Daniel den Hollander

Additional Member

Daniel Hilbrand den Hollander is a clinical psychologist with extensive experience in both public and private specialised mental health settings in South Africa. He currently is a community psychologist in private practise in Athlone specialising in trauma: interpersonal, complex and structural violence. He is currently the current chair of the South African Society of Clinical Psychologists Division of PsySSA. He is specifically interested in the effects of structural violence and developing South African Psychology.  He is passionate about cultivating and promoting empowerment and change: may it be in the therapy room, on radio, or at conferences.

Dr Pakeezah Rajab

Additional Member

Dr Pakeezah Rajab is a Research Psychologist and Psychometrist interested in executive functioning across the lifespan, academic and employee performance, and psychometric assessment development and evaluation. She joined the JVR Africa Group in 2016 and is currently the Senior Researcher in the Product and Research team. She is also a 2024 International Test Commission (ITC) Early Career Scholar.

Dr Kemoneilwe Momi Metsing

Additional Member

Dr. Kemoneilwe Momi Metsing is a registered psychologist and Senior Lecturer at UNISA, She is a Clinical Supervisor for Masters in Educational Psychologist Students and Interns, and an external examiner for Masters in Education Psychology.  She guides Master’s students in Educational Psychology, nurturing their growth as professionals. Dr. Metsing is committed to excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement. 

Dr Avivit Cherrington

Additional Member

Dr Avivit Cherrington is an educational psychologist with expertise in community development and system-level programmes for mental health and well-being. She is currently an independent consultant and a Research Associate with Nelson Mandela University, supervising postgraduate students aligned to the Chair for Critical Studies in Higher Education Transformation (CriSHET). Her research has focused on understanding and fostering well-being and hope from an Afrocentric lens, as well as promoting critical thinking and engaged humanising pedagogy in teacher education programmes to foster future teachers who are agents of transformative social change.

Prof Angelina Maphula

Additional Member

Angelina Maphula is a Clinical Psychologist and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Health Science at the University of Venda. As an academic, her role involves teaching, research and supervision of post graduate students in the field of psychology. She has published more than 20 journal articles both nationally and internationally and is known for her impactful community engagement. Her research interest areas include Trauma, HIV/AIDS and mental health. A founder of Prof Angie Foundation – focusing on young people to bring practical solutions. She is currently doing her post-doctoral studies with UCLA in Los Angeles where her focus is on Trauma. She has served previously as vice chair in the DRM division. 

Dr Nick Malherbe

Additional Member

Nick Malherbe is a Senior Researcher at the University of South Africa’s Institute for Social and Health Sciences and the South African Medical Research Council–University of South Africa Violence, Injury and Social Asymmetry Research Unit. His research interests include violence, visual methods, and discourse.

In Memoriam: Professor Noel Chabani Manganyi

In Memoriam: Professor Noel Chabani Manganyi

The Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) joins the nation in mourning the loss of Professor Noel Chabani Manganyi, a pioneering psychologist, esteemed academic, and influential public servant whose contributions have shaped the discipline of psychology and the landscape of higher education in South Africa. Prof Manganyi, a PsySSA Fellow since 2012, was an intellectual visionary whose work illuminated the psychological impact of apartheid, race, and identity, offering profound insights into the resilience and struggles of Black South Africans.

Prof Manganyi’s legacy is rich and multifaceted. Prof Manganyi was the first Director-General of the Department of Education after the establishment of democracy, where he worked tirelessly to transform an unjust, segregated system into one built on principles of equity and accessibility. His scholarly works, including seminal texts such as Being Black in the World, opened critical dialogues on Black consciousness and mental liberation, which remain vital in understanding the complexities of South Africa’s past and present. His academic journey led him to prestigious roles, from his groundbreaking work at the University of Transkei to his tenure at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he contributed to pioneering research in psychology and African studies.

A prolific author, Prof. Manganyi’s works—biographies, memoirs, and analyses—stand as pillars in South African literature and psychology, remaining as relevant as ever.

Prof Manganyi’s intellectual courage, humility, and dedication to societal transformation have left an indelible impact on South Africa. PsySSA extends heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all whose lives he touched. May his legacy of resilience and scholarship continue to inspire.

Join us as we honour his life and celebrate the remarkable impact he made on the field and beyond.

This video is a collaborative effort between the Institute for Social and Health Sciences, University of South Africa; Stellenbosch Centre for Critical and Creative Thought, University of Stellenbosch; and The Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA).

Rest in peace, Professor Noel Chabani Manganyi.