Heidi Sauls is a Deputy Director with the Western Cape Government, South Africa, where she leads large-scale research and evaluation initiatives addressing critical issues such as crime, violence, and youth justice. With more than 15 years of experience across government, academia, and civil society, she specializes in designing strategies that turn research into action. Her expertise spans strategy development, policy design, program evaluation, and cross-sector collaboration. Trained in anthropology, she applies a human-centred and evidence-driven approach to create solutions that improve systems, strengthen communities, and deliver measurable social impact.