The University of Johannesburg (UJ)’s Chancellor, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, accepted the Honorary Doctorate in Education (honoris causa) conferred upon her by the University of Free State (UFS) on Friday, 7 June 2024. This honour recognises her significant contributions to public service, her commitment to education, and her advocacy for lifelong learning.
Born in 1955 in Claremont, KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Mlambo-Ngcuka has an illustrious academic and professional background. After matriculating from Ohlange High School in Inanda, she pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences at the National University of Lesotho, awarded in 1980. She furthered her education with a qualification in Gender Policy and Planning from University College, London, in 1988, a Master’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Cape Town in 2003, and a Doctorate in Engineering from Warwick University in 2013.
Her career began in academia as a lecturer at the Mpumalanga Teachers Training College and as a teacher at Ohlange High School. She expanded her influence globally by coordinating the World YWCA’s young women’s programme in Geneva and founding TEAM, a developmental organisation in Cape Town that focused on empowering women in informal settlements.
Dr Mlambo-Ngcuka broke new ground as the first woman to hold the position of Deputy President of South Africa, where she oversaw initiatives aimed at poverty alleviation and economic growth, leveraging the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Her commitment to education and gender equity has been further demonstrated through her affiliations with numerous organisations, including the Umlambo Foundation, the Global Partnership and Fund to End Violence Against Children, the African Leadership Academy, and the Mandela Rhodes Foundation.
Her contributions have been recognised with several honorary doctorates from institutions such as the Witwatersrand Technikon (2003), the University of the Western Cape (2007), Nelson Mandela University (2014), the University of Fort Hare (2016), the University of the Witwatersrand (2019), and Rhodes University (2020). She has also been honoured as a Hauser Leader at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership and received the Vanguard award from Howard University.
In 2022, Dr Mlambo-Ngcuka was appointed UJ’s Chancellor for a five-year term.
In congratulating Dr Mlambo-Ngcuka on this latest recognition, UJ’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor George Letlhokwa Mpedi, said: “Dr Mlambo-Ngcuka’s tireless dedication to education and her weighty impact on public service and gender equality is truly inspirational. This honorary doctorate from the University of Free State is a further testament to her remarkable achievements and steadfast commitment to making a difference in the world.”
