Dr Mabhida was born and bred in Pinetown in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He studied at the University of Zululand, where he completed a Biochemistry and Microbiology undergraduate degree, followed by Honours and Master’s degrees in Biochemistry. He completed his PhD at the University of the Western Cape in 2021. His academic training provided him with a strong foundation in biomedical sciences, genetics, cardiometabolic health, public health and evidence-based research.

While completing his PhD, he joined the South African Medical Research Council’s Biomedical Research and Innovation Platform. After completing his PhD, he moved to the Non-Communicable Diseases Research Unit (NCDRU), where he continued his postdoctoral research before joining the Health Systems Research Unit (HSRU) in the year 2026. His research experience spans biomedical research, cardiometabolic and kidney-related disorders, non-communicable diseases, public health, evidence synthesis and knowledge translation.

He is the project co-ordinator for Cochrane Africa and will also be involved in other evidence-synthesis projects within HSRU. He has authored and co-authored 42 peer-reviewed publications, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses, and brings experience in postgraduate supervision, research coordination, protocol development, data analysis and capacity development. His current role enables him to integrate his biomedical background with public-health primary research and health-systems research to support evidence synthesis that can inform policy, practice and decision-making.