Books take Unathi Thango from humble Mdantsane to Lindau

Young scientist meets 20 Nobel Laureates

- By Mzwandile kaBizokwakhe

Shaped by witnessing the inequalities and inefficiencies in rural communities, Unathi Thango pursued education as a way out and a remedy.

Today, the young scientist is returning from Lindau, Germany, where she represented South Africa at the 8th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting on Economic Sciences that ended yesterday.

To this annual four-day colloquium, the Academy of Science of South Africa sends its exceptional scientific talent, together with about 400 other "carefully selected young scientists from across the globe to engage in dialogue with Nobel laureates".

The Eastern Cape, Mdantsane-born woman was there rubbing shoulders with the elites of economic scientists.

Growing up in such humble beginnings, what has brought Thango here?

"I was drawn to finding ways in which public sector organisations, as organs of state, could contribute meaningfully to the economic growth of South Africa while still delivering the value they were created for.