Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor was born in Durban on 7 December 1953. Her father, Joe Matthews, was a prominent anti-apartheid activist and the son of academic Z.K. Matthews, whilst her mother, Regina Thelma, was a teacher. Following her family's exile in 1961 due to her father's involvement in ANC political activities, Pandor received most of her education abroad, completing her secondary schooling at Gaborone Secondary School in Botswana. She obtained a BA in History and English from the University of Botswana in 1977, later earning an MA from the University of London and an MA in Linguistics from Stellenbosch University in 1997.
Pandor worked as a teacher in London and Botswana before joining the University of Cape Town as a senior lecturer in 1989. Following South Africa's first democratic election in 1994, she was elected to Parliament and rose through the ranks, becoming Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces in 1998 and its first female Chairperson in 1999.
Pandor served in numerous ministerial portfolios including Education (2004-2009), Science and Technology (2009-2012, 2014-2018), Home Affairs (2012-2014), Higher Education and Training (2018-2019), and International Relations and Cooperation (2019-2024). She was instrumental in South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and was appointed Chair of the Nelson Mandela Foundation in October 2024.