The University of Johannesburg’s (UJ) new senior director of sport, Nomsa Mahlangu, is a team player who is ready to lead the Gauteng-based institution into the global sporting arena.
Mahlangu, who took up the post recently, brings more than 20 years of administrative experience at national and international level to her new strategic role.
“The reason why I’ve chosen to remain in universities is that you get to deal with future leaders and, in dealing with future leaders, I’m able to make an impact on society. For me, universities hold the solution to the challenges that communities face,” she said.
According to Mahlangu, one of the key challenges facing sport and society in general was the issue of transformation.
“We all know that we need to transform a number of institutions, and the university itself is one of those. One of my abilities is to be able to transform the sports department within the university.
Rugby and cricket are both struggling with transformation. At universities we have plenty players from the previously disadvantaged communities.”
According to Mahlangu, if federations invested time and resources in partnering with universities, the institutions could assist them in getting players ready for the national teams and provincial franchises.
Although hesitant to label herself as “previously disadvantaged”, Mahlangu believed she could contribute a unique perspective as a black woman in the male-dominated world of sport.
“When I took the decision to go into administration, it was to ensure that women got the same opportunities as men. But as I grew in my career, the focus moved to sports development in general.”
Mahlangu’s goal is to help UJ become the leading sporting university in the country.
“I think we are definitely among the top five but we have the potential and the resources to become the leader. UJ must be the institution of choice for athletes in Africa and we must become a global player on the sporting field.”
