Unravelling power dynamics: Dr Thobeka Ntini-Makununika's groundbreaking PhD research on domestic work in South Africa

For Dr Thobeka Ntini-Makununika, her PhD journey began not in a library or seminar room, but in the homes where she, her late mother, aunt, and late grandmother toiled as domestic workers. 

Her lauded PhD study unpacks the hidden power dynamics in South African households, in her thesis “Unravelling the Dynamics of Power in the Employer-Domestic Worker Relations in Contemporary South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal: Praxis-Oriented Research”.

‘Education, for me, is resistance. I carry the sacrifices of generations of women in my family into every chapter I wrote,’ Ntini-Makununika said.

‘I was raised by Black African women who survived through domestic work. For seven years, from 13 years old, I worked part-time for White families and in holiday resorts. I experienced first-hand the quiet suffering, the layered dignity and the complex dependencies in those relationships,’ Ntini-Makununika said.

Her lived experience would later shape an innovative, praxis-oriented PhD that an examiner described as showing ‘exceptional empirical work in scope and originality,’ offering ‘rare access to a field important to social policy and many professions working with human rights.’

Ntini-Makununika’s study offers a layered, inside-out look at power relations between employers and domestic workers in South Africa, a dynamic still deeply shaped by colonial, patriarchal and racialised histories.

‘I wanted to humanise domestic work, redefine its societal value, and inspire reflection and action. It’s a call to reconsider whose labour we honour, whose voices we centre, and what justice truly looks like,’ said Ntini-Makununika.

Rather than a distant academic study, Ntini-Makununika’s research was a participatory process grounded in dialogue, as she approached the research not as an outsider but from lived experience. 

Ntini-Makununika shared that unexpected insights emerged in these spaces. ‘Domestic workers often branded themselves as powerless, internalising marginalisation. But through dialogue, many began recognising their agency - from subtle boundary-setting to overt acts of defiance. Employers, too, revealed moments of vulnerability and moved toward mutual understanding. The binary of “powerful employer” versus “powerless worker” started to unravel.’

One of her most striking findings was how exploitation transcended race. ‘Several domestic workers said their worst experiences were with Black employers. This shows that power in domestic work isn’t only about race - it’s about social status, class, and internalised oppression.’

She offers a telling example: ‘Some employers clearly stated for themselves ‘I start work at 07h30 and finish at 16h00’, but were vague or dismissive when asked about their workers’ hours. It signalled a devaluation of their employees’ time.’

Ntini-Makununika observed that working at the University of Zululand, a historically disadvantaged institution, shaped her thinking and made her more attuned to systemic inequality.

‘I wasn’t writing just for academic study - I was writing for the daughters of domestic workers who may one day read my work.’ Fieldwork took an emotional toll on her. Listening to stories of unpaid dismissals and racial microaggressions was hard. ‘Sometimes I had to pause and process my own memories. But witnessing moments of awakening - for both workers and employers - was powerful.’

Ntini-Makununika believes that her study underscores the urgent need for systemic change, arguing that the institution of domestic work is still deeply entangled in colonial and capitalist legacies. She contends that legal compliance alone is not enough.

‘We need a shift in values. Grounding policy and practice in Ubuntu can help affirm the humanity and dignity of domestic workers.’

She adds that balancing work and research was not without challenges and took discipline and support. She credits her manager Professor John Rautenbach and the UNIZULU research office for being supportive, her community of PhD peers for keeping her grounded and her supervisor, Professor Vishanthie Sewpaul for challenging her thinking, steady guidance and compassionate support.

Ntini-Makununika believes her doctoral journey was both a personal act of healing and a powerful scholarly contribution.

‘Until we value the hands that clean our homes and raise our children as much as those that govern boardrooms, we will never dismantle the inequality woven into the fabric of our daily lives. Domestic work is work. Let us ensure it is decent work.’

SUNDAY TRIBUNE