In a ceremony defined by reflection and heartfelt tribute, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) conferred an honorary doctorate on financial trailblazer, Tryphosa Ramano on Friday, 27 March 2026.

The event, forming part of the University’s milestone 21st anniversary graduation series, saw the Chartered Accountant turn the spotlight away from her corporate accolades to honour the matriarch who made them possible.

While Ms Ramano’s three-decade career has reshaped South Africa’s financial landscape – including pivotal roles at the National Treasury, South African Airways, and PPC Ltd – she stood before the Class of 2026 not as a corporate executive, but as a granddaughter.

“I want to begin with the woman who could not read or write, my grandmother,” Ms Ramano shared during her conferral address. “She was rooted in love, generosity, and the kind of tough love that does not apologise for telling the truth. A woman who had never sat in a classroom teaching me that the classroom was the most powerful thing in the world.”

Reflecting on her childhood hustle of selling sweets to buy her own school shoes, Ms Ramano dedicated the honour to the two women who shaped her: her grandmother and her mother. She noted that being a young mother herself did not hinder her; rather, it gifted her with the urgency and perspective required to break into a profession where Black women were once underrepresented.

Ms Ramano’s recognition comes as a tribute to a career of ‘firsts’. As the first Black female investment analyst at RMB Asset Management and a chief director at the National Treasury’s asset management, she has moved billions of Rands for the South African government. However, it is her work in gender transformation and ethical governance that defines her legacy.

As the former President of the Association of Black Securities and Investment Professionals (ABSIP), she has been a fierce advocate for ensuring that the seats at the table she occupied were soon filled by others.

Hers was a refusal to accept structures that were built to keep women ‘small’. Ms Ramano made the decision early on never to be contained by those structures.

“I used to be a dancer, and dancing taught me the discipline, the partnership, and the grace under pressure. It also taught me that excellence is not accidental; it is rehearsed and earned. It taught me that even in the most structured form, there is space for your own expression.”

She reminded the graduating students that knowing their worth was not arrogance but rather an essential armour for a world that would constantly invite them to doubt themselves. She advised them to keep learning.

“Do not confuse the credentials with the competence. Keep learning, be the person in the room who knows the most and still asks the most questions. Your difference is not a liability. If you are the first in your family to graduate, do not spend your energy trying to be invisible – your perspective is the gift, your presence changes the equation. Own it completely.”

The conferment of this honorary doctorate is a highlight of UJ’s 2026 graduation season, marking 21 years of the university’s contribution to global knowledge and societal transformation. Ms Ramano joins a prestigious cohort of leaders recognised this year for their ability to lead with both competence and character.

“The future is being written right now,” Ms Ramano concluded, “by the quality of the decisions we make, the characters who lead, and the love with which we serve.”

In addition to Ms Ramano, the University has already conferred honorary doctorates this year on:

• Monday, 16 March 2026 – Her Excellency Monica Geingos (Global Health and Social Development Advocate)
• Wednesday, 25 March 2026 – Francois Pienaar (Former Springbok captain)

Honorary doctorates to be conferred this season:

• Wednesday, 15 April 2026 – Professor Njabulo Ndebele (Literary Scholar and Academic Leader)
• Thursday, 16 April 2026 – John Samuel (Education Policy and Governance Leader)
• Friday, 29 May 2026 – Professor Loyiso Nongxa (Mathematics and Higher Education Leader)

Beyond the Autumn graduation ceremonies, additional honorary doctorates will be conferred later in 2026 during the University’s Spring and Summer seasons, further recognising leadership across law, social development, and global education diplomacy.