Philile is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town and Deputy Director of One Ocean Hub.

She has over 10 years’ experience conducting transdisciplinary research focusing on broader coastal and ocean governance issues spanning conservation, blue economy, sustainable livelihoods, sustainable development and social justice. Her work focuses on bridging the gap between policy and praxis in the global North and South – especially where the resilience of Indigenous or customary communities in the global South is impacted.

She is a member of the UN Ocean Decade Advisory Board, the South African National Coastal Committee, as well as a member of a member of the Hybrid Working Group for the IPOS South African Action Request. She has collaborated with various United Nations agencies in science-to-policy processes, including  FAO, UNESCO, UNITAR, ILO and OHCHR.