Che Yang

Che Yang is an MSc student in African Studies at the University of Oxford. Having spent a decade living and studying in Johannesburg, she brings a grounded, lived understanding of South Africa’s social, political, and legal landscapes to her academic work. Che holds a First-Class LL.B. from the University of Manchester and an LL.M. from the University of Cambridge, where she specialised in law, technology, race, and digital governance. Her research interests sit at the intersection of technology, law, politics, and society in contemporary Africa. Her LL.M. dissertation examined South Africa’s hate speech legislation in the digital age, situating online racist expression within the country’s constitutional and socio-historical context. At Oxford, her current research explores how legal regimes interact with politics and history in South Africa, with a focus on transformative justice, foreign policy, and the evolving relationship between state institutions and society. Beyond her academic work, Che has extensive editorial and organisational experience, having previously served as General Editor of the Cambridge International Law Journal and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Manchester Review of Law, Crime & Ethics. She has also held legal advisory roles and internships across South Africa, China, and the UK. Che serves as Editorial Lead for the Oxford Africa Conference 2026.