About
Professor Thenjiwe Meyiwa is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mpumalanga and a distinguished scholar, researcher, and higher education leader. With more than three decades of experience spanning academia, research, and university executive leadership, she has previously served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Postgraduate Studies, Innovation and Commercialisation at the University of South Africa (UNISA), Institutional Registrar at the Durban University of Technology, and Research Director at the Human Sciences Research Council. Her research interests include African feminisms, indigenous knowledge systems, gender studies, and higher education transformation, and she is widely recognised for advancing research excellence, innovation, and inclusive leadership.
Biography
Professor Thenjiwe Meyiwa is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mpumalanga and one of South Africa's leading higher education executives, recognised for her distinguished contributions to research, academic leadership, and institutional transformation. She officially assumed the role of Vice-Chancellor in October 2025, following an accomplished career spanning executive management, research leadership, and academic administration. Before joining the University of Mpumalanga, Professor Meyiwa served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Postgraduate Studies, Innovation and Commercialisation at the University of South Africa (UNISA), where she provided strategic leadership for research development, postgraduate education, innovation, and knowledge commercialisation. Her previous leadership roles include Institutional Registrar at the Durban University of Technology, Research Director for Education and Skills Development at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), Research Professor at Walter Sisulu University, and Director of the Centre for Gender Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. A renowned feminist scholar and social scientist, Professor Meyiwa's research focuses on African feminisms, indigenous knowledge systems, cultural constructions of gender, community engagement, and higher education transformation. Throughout her career, she has supervised numerous postgraduate students, authored books and scholarly publications, presented internationally, and served on several national councils and advisory boards dedicated to education, heritage, research, and social development. Professor Meyiwa is passionate about building universities that are innovative, inclusive, research-intensive, and socially responsive. Her leadership continues to shape the future of higher education through a commitment to academic excellence, transformative scholarship, innovation, and meaningful societal impact.