Y2 NRF-rated young scholar pursues cutting-edge research to benefit society

As a young academic with limitless potential, Unisa's Dr Muthumuni Managa is making a mark in the scientific community to benefit society through ensuring access to safe and healthy drinking water, propelled by research.

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Dr Muthumuni Managa, a senior lecturer at the Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (iNanoWS) in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET) at Unisa, and an emerging Y2 National Research Foundation-rated researcher, who is powerfully driven to become a prominent scholar, motivated by a vision of a society that has access to safe and healthy drinking water.

Managa is making a mark in the scientific community as a young academic with limitless potential. She has produced numerous high-quality publications (63) in renowned journals and boasts an h-index of 21 (Google Scholar), demonstrating the excellent quality of her work and research abilities.

Managa has always aspired to play a more active role in shaping the South African scientific research landscape by being a leader in her area of research interest, and she has achieved this by pursuing novel research and being willing to take risks and explore comprehensive topics. "I would also like South Africa to continuously be recognised internationally for cutting-edge research," says Managa.

Her research interests in water purification aim to improve South Africans' lives, thus playing a critical role in benefiting and contributing to society.

Born and raised in Ha-Rabali, a rural village in Venda, Limpopo, Managa initially attended schools without science laboratories. However, this did not deter her from pursuing a career in the sciences with significant societal impact.