Lisa Del Grande’s work and studies have focused on Spatial Planning, Land Governance systems, and Rural Development Planning over the last 20 years. She has two degrees, a Bachelor of Commerce (1991), and a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning (2009), both from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (2009). She is currently registered to complete her PHD with the University of Pretoria. Her work has included a focus on land reform and rural development in government and the NGO sector. Her work in government has included implementing Land Reform programmes in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, managing the provinces approach to Rural Development and currently managing provinces support to local government in undertaking Land Governance functions including Spatial planning and Land Use management. In the NGO sector she has worked on supporting community level advocacy at policy and practical land use planning levels. Her particular focus areas have been on farm dwellers land rights and access to justice, communal tenure systems, community driven land use planning and management, and later a focus on food security and food sovereignty issues, as well as public employment programmes.