About
About US
Extensive Professional Experience and a Strong Operational Footprint Across the Continent and Beyond
01. Strategic
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi et leo condimentum Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi et leo condimentum
02. Professional
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi et leo condimentum Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi et leo condimentum
03. Experienced
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi et leo condimentum Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi et leo condimentum
our core focus
Our Core Focus is Human Security
Collective Security Initiative Africa is a Namibia-registered organization that brings together a team with extensive professional experience and a strong operational footprint across the continent and beyond. Our members comprise seasoned academic and operational specialists with longstanding expertise on the continent, supported by a well-established network developed over many years.
The team represents diverse national backgrounds, including Mozambique, Cameroon, South Africa, Namibia, Mauritius, and Togo. For over fifteen years, members have been engaged in programs across West, Central, East, and Southern Africa.
Our core focus is human security. Over time, we have cultivated a broad and reliable network of stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies, public prosecutors, customs and immigration authorities, civil society organizations, private sector entities, security service providers, government officials, and military institutions. These relationships have been forged through formal professional engagements, and we have developed longstanding trust through sustained collaboration and the diligent maintenance of these valuable partnerships.
Through this network, we are well-positioned to facilitate access to a wide range of relevant stakeholders and persons of interest in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Malawi, Namibia, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. These contacts further enable engagement with additional role players aligned with project objectives. Levels of access may vary between countries, reflecting differences in governance structures and political openness. In more restrictive environments, such as Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, and Mauritania, access may be more limited, notwithstanding our existing presence and relationships.
We can offer more detailed information as discussions move forward and believe that further engagement will allow us to secure meaningful access in most target countries, though certain limitations will apply.
Consultants
A Team Of Professionals
Sanet Els
Administrative Manager
Sanet serves as Administrative and Project Manager for Collective Security Initiative Africa, where she oversees organizational operations, project coordination, and stakeholder engagement across the continent. Her role encompasses managing complex multi-country initiatives, coordinating with international partners, and ensuring operational excellence across all CSIAF programs and administrative functions.
Prior to joining CSIAF, Sanet served as Project and Administrative Manager for major commercial and residential developments, where she successfully coordinated multiple high-value projects from inception to completion. During this period, she simultaneously owned and managed a boutique guest house, developing strong skills in client relations, logistics management, and operational oversight. This dual-role experience equipped her with the ability to manage diverse stakeholders, navigate complex regulatory environments, and maintain exceptional standards across multiple concurrent operations.
Sanet brings extensive experience in project management, financial administration, compliance coordination, and strategic planning to the organization. Her comprehensive skill set includes stakeholder engagement, budget management, logistics coordination, and operational systems development. Her background in both corporate project management and entrepreneurial hospitality ventures provides CSIAF with a unique combination of administrative rigor and adaptive problem-solving capabilities essential for operating across Africa’s diverse operational landscapes.
Willem Els
Since April 2013, Willem Els has served as Senior Training Coordinator at the Enact Program at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria, focusing on terrorism and transnational organized crime in Africa. He provides technical assistance to bomb disposal and terrorism investigation units across the continent and delivers specialized training on counter-terrorism, extremism, radicalization, CBRNE, and organized crime to law enforcement and criminal justice officials throughout Africa.
Prior to joining the ISS, Willem served 28 years in the South African Police Service, including as Commander of the Pretoria Explosives Unit. During his SAPS career, he served in various specialized units including the VIP Unit, Anti-Hijack Unit, and Crime Intelligence Service.
Willem has completed extensive bomb disposal, investigation, and CBRNE training in South Africa and internationally. He holds a BA Honors Degree in Policing Practice from the Southern Business School.
Services
What We Do Best
Lorem Ipsum Dolor
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, adipiscing elit. Curabitur arcu erat,
Lorem Ipsum Dolor
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, adipiscing elit. Curabitur arcu erat,
Lorem Ipsum Dolor
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, adipiscing elit. Curabitur arcu erat,
Lorem Ipsum Dolor
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, adipiscing elit. Curabitur arcu erat,
Lorem Ipsum Dolor
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, adipiscing elit. Curabitur arcu erat,
Lorem Ipsum Dolor
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, adipiscing elit. Curabitur arcu erat,
Mission
Empowering Sustainable Security Solutions for Africa
Collective Security Initiative Africa (CSIA) is registered in Namibia as an African-focused consortium of researchers and practitioners committed to creating human rights-responsive and accountable security forces and criminal justice agencies across the continent. We address complex local and transnational security challenges through evidence-based solutions developed by Africans, for Africa.
CSIA promotes sustainable change through capacity-building initiatives and advisory services to local, national, and regional security and criminal justice agencies throughout the continent.
Our aim is to provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to develop and implement constructive, measurable initiatives that address complex security challenges. Understanding local realities and opportunities enables us to facilitate tailored solutions that enhance the potential for short-term impact and medium- to long-term success.
The views of local communities—most notably those immediately benefiting from these initiatives—and the broader public are critical variables that determine local ownership and success. Failure to include these perspectives has contributed to the collapse of many well-intentioned projects. Sustainable change starts from within: if officials tasked with implementing revised initiatives and strategies do not understand their benefits, change will remain limited to the duration of external intervention.
Three pillars
The mission of CSIA can be grouped into three pillars:
Evidence-based initiatives:
Research designed to understand local realities, challenges, and opportunities guides all CSIA interventions. We use research equally to measure impact during and after project completion. While overlap exists between local realities within the same region, significant differences remain. Conducting baseline studies to understand local circumstances, needs, and perceptions informs the focus of each initiative, intervention, and strategy, as well as the direction of additional programs.
While some findings may be classified as operationally sensitive, the publication of non-sensitive information pertaining to steps taken and lessons learned contributes to filling a critical knowledge gap that currently drives incorrect perceptions and misunderstanding of security challenges across Africa.
Partnership and Mentorship
CSIA builds sustainable partnerships—first between the project team and respective institutions, and then between those delivering and benefiting from initiatives. Officials demonstrating potential and interest in becoming associates themselves are mentored and invited to assist in future initiatives. The objective of this pillar is to develop and capacitate a new generation of African security professionals to carry CSIA forward into the future.
Ownership and Experience
Over the past fifteen years, numerous officers and officials across the continent have benefited from training initiatives presented by CSIA’s Directors and Advisors in their previous professional roles. Depending on the initiative, these individuals are brought on board as short-term consultants to facilitate the development and implementation of programs. This approach ensures local ownership, cultural understanding, and practical experience inform every CSIA project.
Get In Touch
Erf 856 Crater street, Dorado Park, Windhoek
+264813290847
admin@CSIA.ORG