Category: English

Higher Education and Training Deputy Minister Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube has called for the expansion of safe, accessible and stigma-free support spaces across South Africa’s post-school education and training sector (PSET).

Dube-Ncube made the call at the national launch of Higher Health’s first Comfort Room at Ekurhuleni East TVET College’s Springs Campus on Thursday.

The Comfort Room is designed to provide students with a safe environment where they can speak openly, seek assistance and access support for challenges including gender-based violence (GBV), mental health, HIV and other psychosocial difficulties.

Dube-Ncube said the need for such spaces was underscored by the number of young people requiring psychosocial support.

According to Higher Health, approximately 394 000 GBV self-risk assessments and about 458 000 mental health self-risk assessments have been completed, with close to 189 000 young people identified as needing or actively seeking psychosocial support.

“Those are not statistics. Those are students,” Dube-Ncube said, adding that behind the numbers were young people carrying challenges they may never have spoken about.

She said the Comfort Room offered a simple but powerful intervention by creating a physical space where students could find people trained to listen without judgement.

“Stigma survives in silence, and the Comfort Room creates a space where young people can speak,” the Deputy Minister said.

The space will host initiatives including Survivor Clubs for students who have experienced GBV, Transforming Mentalities Clubs aimed at promoting reflection and behavioural change, and peer forums for young people living with HIV.

It will also provide mental health conversations, self-risk assessments and referral pathways to appropriate support services.

Dube-Ncube said the peer-led model is particularly important, as young people are often more willing to seek assistance from people they can relate to and who have walked similar paths.

She stressed, however, that the Comfort Room will not replace existing support structures.

“No single institution can carry gender-based violence, HIV and mental illness alone.”

The initiative will complement the work of the South African Police Service, the Departments of Social Development and Health, and non-governmental organisations involved in supporting students.

For cases of sexual violence, the Comfort Room is designed to serve as a campus-based extension of the Thuthuzela Care Centre model, providing a space where a student can first find the courage to speak before being supported and connected to appropriate services.

Expansion

Dube-Ncube said the Department of Higher Education and Training and Higher Health plan to establish Comfort Rooms across universities, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges and Community Education and Training (CET) colleges.

“This is wrap-around support in its truest form: a continuous circle of concern, care and comfortable conversation that follows a student until they are whole again,” Dube-Ncube said.

The Deputy Minister also called on non-governmental organisations and the private sector to support the expansion of the initiative.

She urged non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to partner with government and bring their counselling and GBV response expertise into the Comfort Rooms, while calling on businesses and private higher education institutions to contribute resources, counselling services, furniture and connectivity.

Dube-Ncube linked the initiative to the broader national focus on skills development, saying student wellbeing and skills development could not be treated as separate priorities.

“A skills revolution that produces brilliant technicians with broken spirits is not the revolution we were promised. Skills and wellbeing are not two projects. They are one,” the Deputy Minister said.

She also called on universities, TVET and CET colleges to consider introducing confidential wellbeing screening during the first week of a student’s academic journey.

The Deputy Minister said the more than 850 000 GBV and mental health self-risk assessments completed through Higher Health demonstrated that young people are willing to speak when asked the right questions at the right time.

“If we can screen a first-year student’s academic readiness, we can screen their emotional readiness too. Catch it at year one, and you very often prevent the crisis of year three.”

Responding to challenges

Dube-Ncube said the Comfort Room also responds to the growing challenges of social isolation in an increasingly digital world.

She said young people need spaces where they can engage with one another face-to-face and speak honestly about their challenges.

“The Comfort Room, particularly in an age of screens, is a deliberately human space in an increasingly digital world,” she said.

Dube-Ncube hopes that within five years, Comfort Rooms will become as common on South African campuses as libraries.

She also welcomed the participation of 150 Ekurhuleni East TVET College students in Higher Health’s one-day Civic Education and Voter Registration Programme ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections.

The Deputy Minister said the true success of the Comfort Room will not be measured by its launch, but by whether students felt able to walk through its doors and seek help.

READ | Comfort Rooms to create safe spaces for student support, wellbeing

“The true opening of this room will not happen with scissors and ribbon. It will happen the first time a student, alone and afraid, chooses to walk through that door instead of walking past it,” Dube-Ncube said. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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Dr Risimati Mathye, Deputy Director-General responsible for Water Services Management at the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), will lead the South African water sector delegation to World Water Week 2026 in Stockholm, Sweden, from 23 to 27 August.

The delegation will include representatives from various water sector entities and catchment management agencies, who will participate in high-level panel discussions and knowledge-sharing sessions alongside international water leaders, policymakers and sector experts.

Hosted by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), this year’s event will be held under the theme: “Water for People and Progress”, emphasising equitable water security, sanitation and climate resilience.

World Water Week is an annual global conference on water issues and an enduring meeting place for water action, championing cooperation across sectors and national boundaries.

The conference delves into a broad range of topics, from food security and health to agriculture, technology, biodiversity and the climate crisis.

It also provides a meeting platform for policymakers and institutions to accelerate progress in international processes related to water, climate and sustainable development. 

During the conference, the department said Mathye is expected to highlight South Africa’s efforts, priorities, and experiences in strengthening water security, enhancing sanitation services, and building resilience to climate change.

He will also highlight the importance of collaboration, innovation, and investment in addressing shared water issues.

“Water is essential to health, dignity, education, livelihoods and inclusive development. Reliable access to safe water and sanitation, particularly in informal settlements, rural communities and peri-urban areas, helps reduce disease, supports education and strengthens the livelihoods of vulnerable communities. 

“Water is essential to health, dignity, education, livelihoods and inclusive development. Reliable access to safe water and sanitation, particularly in informal settlements, rural communities and peri-urban areas, helps reduce disease, supports education and strengthens the livelihoods of vulnerable communities.

“For South Africa, achieving water security means ensuring that water and sanitation services are reliable, safe, accessible and affordable, while addressing the inequalities that continue to affect vulnerable communities. Investment in basic services is therefore not only a social obligation, but an investment in healthier communities, stronger economies and inclusive progress,” Mathye said.

The department said South Africa’s participation in the conference will provide an opportunity to showcase the country’s water reforms, innovations and management approaches, while learning from global experiences and strengthening partnerships that support sustainable and inclusive water solutions.

“The department considers events like World Water Week crucial for fostering cooperation and collective action toward a water-secure future, recognising that water issues cross borders and require cross-sector collaboration,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za
 

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Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Professor Blade Nzimande, has warned that South Africa cannot reach its full potential if women and girls remain excluded from opportunities in science, technology and innovation.

In his opening remarks at the 23rd South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA) Gala Dinner in Sandton, Johannesburg, on Thursday evening, Nzimande said the 2026 theme: “Placing Women at the Centre of Science, Technology and Innovation”, highlighted the need to confront persistent structural inequalities in the country’s science system.

“Transformation is not a symbolic gesture, but a moral and strategic necessity,” Nzimande said.

Nzimande highlighted South Africa’s progress in improving women’s participation in science and research, with women now constituting 52% of the academic workforce and 47.7% of the national research workforce.

Women also accounted for 62.6% of total university enrolments in 2024.

The Minister said government had institutionalised equity targets requiring at least 55% of postgraduate bursaries to be awarded to women and 80% to Black students.

During the 2025/26 financial year, 6 246 postgraduate students received bursary support, while 1 644 emerging researchers were supported, including 708 Black women emerging researchers.

Nzimande said the South African Research Chairs Initiative is also being used to advance the empowerment of women, with 104 of the 198 operational research chairs, or 53%, held by women as of April 2026.

Despite these gains, the Minister said the country’s transformation journey remained incomplete.

“Women remain underrepresented in research leadership and critical STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines like engineering, computer science, and AI [artificial intelligence].

“Early-career researchers face heavy structural barriers, from intense teaching loads to limited research time. Paradoxically, while women lead institutional research, female-owned tech enterprises face severe venture capital deficiencies,” the Minister said.

To address these challenges, Nzimande said the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Technology Innovation (DSTI) Agency are steadfast in providing targeted seed funding, incubation and venture capital to female-led technological enterprises.

“Our objective is to empower women not just as high-calibre researchers and scientists, but as enterprise founders and industrial pioneers. Meaningful transformation cannot end with a published paper; it must extend into intellectual property, patents, and global market leadership,” Nzimande said.

Nzimande said the impact of the SAWiSA 2026 theme should ultimately be reflected in a significant increase in the participation of women and girls in STEM over the next 10 to 20 years.

Honouring late renowned “ProfKeo”

The Minister also announced that one of the award categories will be renamed the DSTI-Professor Keolebogile Shirley Motaung Fellowship, in honour of the late renowned scientist.

Motaung, affectionately known as ProfKeo, was a pioneer in stem cells and regenerative medicine, with a strong emphasis on indigenous knowledge systems.

Nzimande said the decision followed a commitment made to her family to find a lasting way of honouring her contribution to science.

He also congratulated Professors Liesl Zühlke, Priscilla Baker and Karen Sliwa-Hahnl for receiving national and international recognition for their contributions in various scientific fields.

The SAWiSA awards celebrate excellence across the natural, life, physical and engineering sciences, as well as the humanities and social sciences, public engagement with science and innovation for impact.

The awards also seek to strengthen the pipeline of future women scientists through fellowships for master’s and doctoral students.

Nzimande said hosting the awards during Women’s Month was particularly significant, given South Africa’s history in which women, especially Black women, were excluded from education, science and economic opportunities under apartheid.

He said the awards honoured the struggles of South African women against racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination, while encouraging young women to enter STEM fields and supporting those already pursuing careers in science.

“No nation can hope to achieve its national development goals if it fails to invest in building its scientific and technological capabilities. No nation can ever hope to reach its true potential if it excludes its women and girls from opportunities in science, technology, and innovation,” Nzimande said. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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Professor Tanusha Raniga, a Professor of Social Work at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), has been recognised for her contribution to gender justice, poverty alleviation and developmental social welfare after winning in the Distinguished Woman Researchers category at the South Africa Women in Science Awards.

Raniga, whose research career spans 22 years, specialises in developmental social welfare policy, research and practice, with a particular focus on gender justice and women’s livelihood strategies.

Her research examines issues including the feminisation of poverty and strategies to alleviate poverty, particularly among women who rely on social grants while pursuing livelihood activities to support their households.

The 23rd edition of the South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA) ceremony was held in Johannesburg on Thursday night.

SAWiSA is the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation’s flagship Women’s Month event. It recognises and rewards the excellence of South African women in science, technology, and innovation (ST&I), while honouring researchers and scientists whose achievements advance knowledge, drive innovation, and inspire the next generation of women and girls to pursue careers in ST&I.

Through her work, Raniga has contributed to the implementation of economic development cooperatives and social entrepreneurship projects based on a sustainable livelihoods approach.

Her empirical research has examined the economic benefits of livelihood activities initiated by women to supplement their state social grant income across KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, as well as in Zimbabwe, Botswana and eSwatini.

A key focus of her work has been understanding how economic policies and social grants affect poverty alleviation in single-mother households. Her research explores the challenges faced by poor and vulnerable people in accessing social protection, resources and funding within the informal economy.

Raniga has published 66 journal articles and book chapters, contributing to research on the psychosocial and economic experiences of women and the development of social welfare solutions suited to changing family structures and social conditions.

She is also a principal researcher on several national and international projects focused on global social work, social development transformation and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Her academic contribution earned her a C2 rating from the National Research Foundation in 2017, while she has also received national recognition, including the Association of South African Social Work Education Institutions’ 2025 Social Work Researcher of the Year award and the 2013 Young Up and Coming Academic award.

Raniga has played a leading role in building international research partnerships, organising webinars, symposiums and conferences with institutions including Dortmund University in Germany, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, UJ and Midlands State University in Zimbabwe.

These collaborations have brought together academics, government representatives and civil society organisations to explore societal impact and strengthen partnerships around the Sustainable Development Goals between the Global North and Global South. The research partnership has received €400 000 in funding from the German Academic Exchange Service.

Her work has also created opportunities for emerging researchers. A total of 152 master’s and PhD students, including 98 women, have benefited from inter-university exchanges, advanced research competency workshops and opportunities to present their work through symposiums, webinars and conferences associated with her initiatives.

In 2024, Raniga served as lead editor of two Scopus-accredited journals, the *Journal of Social Development in Africa* and the *African Journal of Social Work*.

She has supervised and graduated seven PhD students and 23 master’s students, while mentoring emerging scholars across Africa.

Raniga’s recognition as the Distinguished Woman Researcher highlights her contribution to developing research-driven approaches to social welfare and advancing the social and economic inclusion of women in the informal economy.

Her work continues to connect academic research with practical solutions to poverty, gender inequality and social exclusion, while strengthening the role of social work in advancing sustainable development. – SAnews.gov.za
 

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Senior Research Scientist at Sony AI, Dr Wiebke Hutiri, has stressed the need to place women at the centre of science, technology and innovation to ensure that technological advances benefit all South Africans.

Delivering a keynote address at the 23rd edition of the South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA) ceremony in Johannesburg on Thursday evening, Hutiri warned that South Africa cannot afford to leave women out of the artificial intelligence (AI) equation.

Hutiri said women must not only be seen as beneficiaries of research and technology but must also play a central role in shaping research questions, designing methodologies, analysing data and making decisions about research priorities and funding.

“To foster science that benefits all South Africans, we need to imagine women as the beneficiaries of research outputs. We need women framing research questions, designing study methodologies that account for female behaviour, and interpreting results that resonate with the experience of females,” Hutiri said.

She said women must also be represented as data subjects and decision-makers in determining research priorities and how resources are allocated.

Dr Hutiri drew attention to research showing that people do not only respond to threats through the traditional “fight or flight” response but can also turn to solidarity and collective action.

She referred to psychologist Shelley Taylor and her team’s “tend and befriend” model, as well as the work of Professor Liesel Ebersöhn of the University of Pretoria on resilience and the concept of “flocking”.

Ebersöhn’s research, based on years of fieldwork, found that communities facing similar socio-economic challenges could respond differently, with some demonstrating resilience through cooperation and the mobilisation of collective resources.

“Fight and flight are actually not the only options that people have when they respond to threat. Instead, individuals very often choose solidarity, coming together to leverage resources and counteract ongoing risks,” Hutiri said.

She said this understanding of collective resilience offered important lessons as South Africa navigates the rapid technological changes being driven by AI.

Women needed across the AI value chain

Hutiri, who specialised in AI during her master’s studies in computer science at the University of Cape Town, said she had viewed AI as an opportunity to solve practical challenges.

Her interest centred on using AI to better predict household electricity consumption, improve utility infrastructure and service delivery, and support the integration of renewable energy into adaptive energy grids.

However, Hutiri warned that while AI held enormous potential, technological change is not always beneficial to everyone.

“What will it take to promote and enable AI that benefits all South Africans? We need to imagine women as the beneficiaries of AI,” Hutiri said.

She said women must be involved in specifying data requirements and identifying the evaluations that should be conducted.

They should also play a role in designing data collection and evaluation methodologies that take account of female behaviour and AI use, as well as analysing datasets and interpreting results in ways that reflect women’s experiences.

Importantly, she said, women should also be able to benefit economically from the growing AI economy.

“We need women making money from AI. In short, we cannot afford to leave women out of the AI equation,” she said.

Hutiri also emphasised that women’s participation in science, technology and innovation is not simply a matter of fairness.

“Today, AI is fuelling the next technology revolution. It is now more important than ever that we place women at the centre of science, technology and innovation, not just as a matter of fairness, but an absolute necessity to maintain social cohesion and resilient communities.”

Celebrating women driving science forward

Dr Hutiri also paid tribute to the women being recognised at the event, noting their significant contribution to advancing science and innovation in South Africa.

Collectively, the award recipients have produced 1 742 peer-reviewed papers and 112 book chapters, while currently supervising 139 postgraduate students. They also chair conferences, edit academic journals, represent South Africa in international forums and serve on disciplinary and societal boards.

However, Hutiri said these achievements did not capture the full extent of the work undertaken by women in science. She noted the often-unseen labour of teaching, volunteering on committees, supporting students during difficult moments and caring for children and family members.

She also commended the women for their tireless work in advancing science, technology and innovation, and called for continued solidarity in driving progress.

SAWiSA is the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation’s flagship Women’s Month event. It recognises and rewards the excellence of South African women in science, technology, and innovation (ST&I), while honouring researchers and scientists whose achievements advance knowledge, drive innovation, and inspire the next generation of women and girls to pursue careers in ST&I.

This year’s theme: “Placing Women at the Centre of Science, Technology and Innovation,” aligns with the department’s broader mantra of “Placing Science, Technology and Innovation at the Centre of Government, Education, Industry and Society.”

The theme highlights the critical role women play in advancing scientific excellence, driving innovation, and contributing to South Africa’s socio-economic development. – SAnews.gov.za

 

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Professor Tricia Naicker, one of South Africa’s youngest full professors in Synthetic Chemistry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), has been recognised for her contribution to drug discovery after winning the Distinguished Young Woman Researcher category at the South African Women in Science Awards on Thursday night.

Naicker, who is Director of the Catalysis and Peptide Research Unit at UKZN, was recognised for research focused on developing new chemical compounds to combat antimicrobial resistance and improve the diagnosis and treatment of infectious diseases.

Her work centres on the chemical synthesis of biologically important intermediates and drug molecules, with a particular focus on antibacterial drug discovery, metallo-β-lactamase inhibitors, radiopharmaceuticals and hybrid imaging agents.

She has led multidisciplinary research bringing together synthetic chemistry, microbiology and biochemistry to advance drug discovery. Her research has contributed to the development of novel compounds capable of restoring the activity of existing antibiotics, some of which are now entering Phase 1 clinical trials.

The work is aimed at addressing one of the major challenges facing global health: antimicrobial resistance, which can make infections increasingly difficult to treat.

She was awarded at the 23rd edition of the South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA) ceremony in Johannesburg.

SAWiSA is the Department of Science, Technology, and Innovation’s flagship Women’s Month event. It recognises and rewards the excellence of South African women in science, technology, and innovation (ST&I), while honouring researchers and scientists whose achievements advance knowledge, drive innovation, and inspire the next generation of women and girls to pursue careers in ST&I.

Naicker’s research has also contributed to strengthening Africa’s capacity in antimicrobial resistance research and drug discovery, while demonstrating the role of locally driven scientific innovation in developing solutions to global health challenges.

With an NRF C1 rating, Naicker has authored more than 130 peer-reviewed publications, one patent and three book chapters. She also contributed to *Dear Woman in STEM: A Collection for the Next Generation*, and has produced invited works focused on mentoring and empowering women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Her scientific achievements have earned her several national and international accolades, including the South African Chemical Institute Raikes Medal, the NRF Research Excellence Award for Early Career/Emerging Researchers, the UKZN Vice-Chancellor’s Research Award and the John C Warner Early Career Researcher Prize.

Naicker has also made mentorship a key part of her academic career. She has supervised more than 35 postgraduate students at PhD and master’s level and continues to mentor emerging scientists in medicinal chemistry and drug discovery.

Beyond her research and teaching, Naicker is a member of the South African Young Academy of Science and an affiliate of the African Academy of Sciences. She is also the outgoing Chair of the South African Chapter of the Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD).

She serves as Editor-in-Chief of the South African Journal of Chemistry, where she contributes to strengthening scientific publishing and increasing the visibility of African research.

Her recognition at the Women in Science Awards highlights both her scientific contribution to the fight against antimicrobial resistance and her role in developing the next generation of African researchers. – SAnews.gov.za

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Professor Xanthe Hunt, an Associate Professor in the Department of Global Health at Stellenbosch University and Specialist Scientist at the South African Medical Research Council, has been recognised for her contribution to adolescent mental health research after winning the Distinguished Young Woman Researcher category at the Women in Science Awards on Thursday night.

The Department of Science and Technology holds the annual Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA) to recognise and reward excellence by women scientists and researchers, and profile them as role models for younger women.

The awards were held in Johannesburg on Thursday night.

Hunt, who also serves as the Mental Health Lead at the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI), was recognised for research aimed at addressing the high burden of mental disorders among adolescents and young people in under-resourced settings.

Her work examines how social, structural and environmental factors shape mental health across the life course, while generating evidence that can be translated into stronger health and education systems.

In 2024, Hunt formally established the Adolescent Mental Health Research Programme at AHRI, creating one of the first large-scale, prospective multidisciplinary research platforms focused on adolescent mental health in Africa.

The programme brings together longitudinal cohort studies, data integration initiatives and participatory research, with an emphasis on co-producing research that can be applied in real-world health and education systems.

Her research has contributed to national and international policy and practice, including South Africa’s basic education sector strategy for psychosocial support. Her work has also contributed to major international evidence syntheses informing adolescent mental health and disability-inclusive programming in low- and middle-income countries.

Hunt holds an NRF C1 rating and has authored 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and more than 11 book chapters. Her work has appeared in leading international publications, including Nature Mental Health and The Lancet HIV*

Beyond her research output, Hunt has played a significant role in developing the next generation of researchers. She has mentored more than 10 early-career researchers and has supervised students at both honours and doctoral level. She currently supervises two PhD students.

She has also received several scientific accolades, including the Stellenbosch University Chancellor’s Medal, awarded to the university’s top graduating student across all faculties in recognition of exceptional academic performance, intellectual leadership, integrity and contribution to the university community.

Hunt’s expertise has also seen her contribute directly to policy and research funding processes. She serves as a technical advisor to the National Department of Basic Education on mental health and psychosocial support, and as a funding reviewer for the Wellcome Trust and the National Research Foundation.

Her recognition at the Women in Science Awards highlights the growing importance of research focused on the mental health of young people in Africa, particularly in settings where health and social resources are limited. – SAnews.gov.za
 

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