About
Professor Thenjiwe Meyiwa is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mpumalanga. She previously served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Postgraduate Studies, Innovation and Commercialisation at the University of South Africa. A feminist scholar with extensive leadership experience in higher education, she has also held senior roles at the Durban University of Technology, the Human Sciences Research Council, Walter Sisulu University and the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her research focuses on gender studies, indigenous knowledge systems and social change. She has supervised more than 40 masters & doctoral students and published widely in her field.
Biography
Professor Thenjiwe Meyiwa is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mpumalanga (UMP), a position she assumed on 1 October 2025. She is an accomplished feminist scholar, academic leader and researcher with extensive experience in higher education governance, research leadership and institutional management. Prior to her appointment at UMP, Professor Meyiwa served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Postgraduate Studies, Innovation and Commercialisation at the University of South Africa (UNISA) from 2018 to 2025, where she was part of the university’s executive management and led strategic initiatives in research development, postgraduate education, innovation and knowledge commercialisation. Professor Meyiwa has held several senior leadership and academic positions across South Africa’s higher education sector. She served as Institutional Registrar at the Durban University of Technology (2014–2018), Research Director for Education and Skills Development at the Human Sciences Research Council (2012–2014), Research Professor at Walter Sisulu University (2010–2011), and Director of the Centre for Gender Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal for a decade. Across these roles she has demonstrated strong leadership in academic governance, research development and institutional transformation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Zululand, as well as BA Honours, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Feminist Oral Studies from the former University of Natal (now the University of KwaZulu-Natal). She also holds a Master of Commerce degree in Organisational and Systems Management from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a three-year teaching diploma from the former Indumiso College of Education. Professor Meyiwa’s research interests broadly encompass contemporary human behavioural patterns, with particular focus on the cultural construction of gender, action research, indigenous knowledge systems, and the impact of HIV/AIDS on parenting and family structures. She has supervised and graduated more than 40 masters and doctoral students, co-authored several books, and published numerous research articles and book chapters. She has also presented widely at national and international conferences. Beyond academia, Professor Meyiwa has contributed significantly to public and civil society institutions. She has served on several national and community bodies, including the National Heritage Council and the South African National Heraldry Council, where she served as Chairperson. She is also an Advisory Board Member of the Rural Women’s Movement. Her work reflects a sustained commitment to social justice, gender equality, indigenous knowledge systems and community engagement.