Dr Banothile Makhubela, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Sciences at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) walked away with the 2019 South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA) prize in the category: Distinguished Young Women Scientists – Natural (Physical & Life) & Engineering.
The 2019 instalment of the South African Women in Science Awards celebrated the best of women in science, technology and innovation. The awards took place on the 15 August 2019 in Port Elizabeth under the theme, “Making the fourth industrial revolution work for women”.
In 2017, Dr Makhubela was listed as one of the top 200 young and influential South Africans by the Mail and Guardian newspaper. She is a SciFinder Future Leader in Chemistry, German Academic Exchange (DAAD) alumnus and a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Hope Fellow.
The University of Johannesburg also received two other awards at the SAWiSA ceremony with Prof. Neo Morojele being named second runner-up in the category of Distinguished Women Scientists – Human & Social Sciences.
Ms Zinhle Mncube, a lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at UJ won the DST-Albertina Sisulu Doctoral Fellowship. The DST-Albertina Sisulu Fellowship is awarded to young women currently registered for master’s and PhD courses.
The 2019 SAWiSA gala dinner was hosted by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Dr Blade Nzimande.
“It is important that the power and potential of all of humanity is unleashed to benefit from the 4IR. Women, who account for more than half of the population of the world, have a major role to play,” the Minister said.
The South African Women in Science Awards honour women scientists in a number of research areas, including the natural (life and physical) and engineering sciences, the humanities and social sciences, and research and innovation. Awards in the latter category were made in areas aligned to the 4IR.
The complete list of 2019 SAWiSA winners are as follows:
- Distinguished Women Researchers: Natural (Physical and Life) and Engineering Sciences: Prof. Michèle Ramsay, University of the Witwatersrand
- Distinguished Women Researchers: Humanities and Social Sciences:Prof. Lunic Base Khoza, University of Venda
- Distinguished Woman Researchers: Research and Innovation: Prof. Tania Samantha Douglas, University of Cape Town
- Distinguished Young Women Researchers: Natural (Physical and Life) and Engineering Scienced: Professor Michéle Ramsay, University of Witwatersrand.
- Distinguished Young Women Researchers: Humanities and Social Sciences: Prof. Martinette Kruger, North-West University
- Distinguished Young Woman Researchers: Research and Innovation: Dr Sibongiseni Thomasia Tunzelana Thotsejane, University of Cape Town
