Dr Musawenkosi Saurombe (23) is the youngest woman on the continent to obtain her PhD and she hopes to inspire other young women to prioritise education.
The recently opened Nandos on William Nicol Drive in Bryanston invited Saurambe to speak to Sandton Chronicle about her journey to achieve this amazing feat.
Saurombe was born in Zimbabwe, grew up in Botswana and came to South Africa at 16 to begin her studies at North West University in Mafikeng.
She was raised in a conservative home which valued the importance of education from a young age. She began school at age four and skipped Grade 3 and 10 to complete school two years ahead of the crowd.
“It was an awesome freedom to move out at age 16, but my parents wanted me to study close by. My uncle worked at North West University so it was a good place for me,” said Saurombe.
Her application was sent to the wrong campus and she was only accepted for her third choice of study – human resources and industrial psychology. Soon, she saw her third choice as the right one as she began enjoying her studies.
She received her bachelor’s degree at age 19, her honours at 20, her masters at 21 and her PhD at 23. Her parents fitted the bill for most of her studies and it was a tough road for them, but now they are proud of what their daughter has achieved.
Her PhD in industrial psychology focused on talent value proposition for academic staff in a South African higher education institution. Talent value proposition seeks to bridge the gap between employers and employees unexpressed expectations in the workplace.
She is still overwhelmed by her achievement and believes she should use her gifts to help other young people to make a success of their lives through education.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet. Being called ‘doctor’ is really weird… This achievement makes me proud to be African and I realised how many lives I could touch through this.”
She is now an ambassador for higher education in Botswana and works as a post-doctoral research fellow at North West University. Much of her time is spent mentoring young scholars and university students, teaching them to get their priorities straight and own up to their own failures and successes. She also gives talks across South Africa, challenging young people to prioritise education.
Nandos brand manager, Tlalane McWade said, “Nandos is about supporting talent in the local community and celebrating those achieving great things. Dr Musa is the youngest person to get a doctorate and we want her to inspire others.”
Saurombe believes it is her purpose to improve the lives of others by cultivating her gifts. “God has placed me with great responsibility to empower others and I have to play my part to make my community and society better. I hope many people will say I made a difference in their lives. I want to build something that will make a change in society.”
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