This week on Womanity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks with Prof Thenjiwe Meyiwa – Vice Chancellor and Principal at the University of Mpumalanga. A distinguished feminist scholar, academic leader, and advocate for social justice, Professor Meyiwa shares insights into her remarkable career journey, her vision for transforming higher education, and her unwavering commitment to advancing women’s rights.

Leading a Young University with a Bold Vision

Taking the helm of the relatively young University of Mpumalanga, established in 2013 and now serving over 13,000 students, Professor Meyiwa describes the institution as being in a stage of growth, ambition, and discovery. Her vision is to build an innovative African university that not only operates on African soil but actively contributes to solving the continent’s challenges.

She emphasises the importance of raising the bar, creating a technologically advanced, paperless institution that nurtures independent thinkers and thought leaders. More importantly, she wants every student, staff member, and partner who engages with the university to leave with a sense that the institution made a meaningful difference in their lives and communities.

Impact Beyond the Ivory Tower

Professor Meyiwa challenges the traditional perception of universities as isolated “ivory towers.” Instead, she envisions institutions that collaborate widely and actively engage with society. For her, the purpose of higher education must extend beyond awarding qualifications: it must inspire passion, integrity, innovation, and impact.

In her view, every action within a university should ultimately answer one important question: What change will this make?

Feminist Scholarship and the Fight for Women’s Rights

Beyond academia, Professor Meyiwa’s work as a feminist scholar has involved confronting some of society’s most difficult realities. She speaks candidly about research she helped lead into the forced sterilisation of HIV-positive women, uncovering systemic practices where women were sterilised or subjected to medical procedures without informed consent.

The findings were deeply disturbing, revealing patterns across multiple provinces and prompting efforts to pursue legal action against the state. For Professor Meyiwa, addressing such injustices (even when it may carry professional risks) is a moral responsibility.

Education as a Pathway to Empowerment

Throughout the conversation, Professor Meyiwa reinforces the transformative power of education, particularly for women. She highlights the importance of mentorship, continuous learning, and supportive networks that enable women to develop their voices and leadership potential.

Her message is clear: education is not simply about academic achievement, it is about creating opportunities, fostering independence of thought, and empowering individuals to contribute meaningfully to society.

This week on Womanity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks with Dr Sarah Pedretti, Principal Scientific Officer at the University of Cape Town Lung Institute. Dr Pedretti traces her academic path from France and Switzerland to South Africa, highlighting how international collaboration, mentorship, and intellectual curiosity led her to Cape Town. What began as a one-year postdoctoral opportunity evolved into a long-term commitment to African health research.

Collaboration Over Competition: How Science Truly Advances

Dr Pedretti challenges the myth of the lone scientist, explaining that modern research depends on collaboration across borders, disciplines, and institutions. She reflects on the importance of global conferences, shared data, and collective problem-solving—especially in a world where funding is scarce and duplication of research wastes precious resources.

Inside the UCT Lung Institute: Research from Patient to Cell

At the UCT Lung Institute, research is deeply integrated with patient care. Dr Pedretti explains how clinical consultations, paediatric allergy services, and clinical trials feed directly into laboratory science. Her work spans the entire value chain—from real patients and clinical symptoms to cellular mechanisms—ensuring that research outcomes remain grounded in lived health realities.

Why Allergies Are on the Rise

With nearly one-third of South Africans expected to experience an allergic condition in their lifetime, Dr Pedretti unpacks why allergies are increasing. Environmental factors such as pollution and urbanisation intersect with improved awareness and diagnosis. Alarmingly, up to 40% of allergy sufferers are children, making this a growing public health concern.

The Hidden Danger: Allergic Reactions to Medication

A major focus of Dr Pedretti’s research is drug-induced allergic reactions—particularly to hypertension, HIV, and TB medications. These reactions are often overlooked because patients assume prescribed medicine cannot be the source of harm.

Women, Hormones, and Immunity

The conversation explores why women are more prone to allergic and immune-mediated conditions after puberty. Hormonal changes linked to menstruation and menopause can intensify symptoms, underscoring the need for gender-sensitive research and treatment approaches in immunology and allergy care.

A Critical Skills Shortage: Where Are the Allergists?

Despite rising allergy prevalence, South Africa has only 14 trained allergists—most of them based in Cape Town. Dr Pedretti highlights this severe shortage and reflects on why allergy remains an under-recognised medical specialty, despite its growing burden on public health systems.

Funding, Gender, and the Real Barriers in Science

Contrary to common assumptions, Dr Pedretti notes that gender itself has not been her primary barrier. Instead, funding constraints remain the biggest challenge in scientific careers. She discusses navigating local and international funding bodies, philanthropic foundations, and industry partnerships—emphasising adaptability and openness as survival skills in research.

Science with Purpose: From Rooibos to Genomics

Among her most fascinating projects is research into rooibos tea, inspired by a local remedy. Early laboratory findings suggest rooibos may reduce allergic responses, leading to clinical trials that could validate indigenous knowledge through scientific evidence.

Education as Empowerment

Dr Pedretti reflects deeply on the role of education in shaping her career and worldview. She credits accessible education systems, lifelong learning, and critical thinking as foundations for innovation—and stresses how unequal access to education continues to limit potential, particularly for women in Africa.

Success, Integrity, and Passion

For Dr Pedretti, success is built on work ethic, honesty, and resilience. She speaks candidly about long hours, failed experiments, and the importance of publishing negative results. Above all, she believes passion—for science, for patients, for impact—is non-negotiable in a demanding field.

Standing on the Shoulders of Strong Women

The episode wraps up with moving reflections on the women who shaped her journey—her mother, a pharmacist; her postdoctoral supervisor; and the many women leaders she has encountered at UCT. Their example proves that excellence in science and leadership can coexist with family, humanity, and mentorship. Dr Pedretti closes with a powerful call to action:

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This week on Womanity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks with Dr Sebastiana Kalula, emeritus associate professor, specialist physician in geriatric medicine, Director of the Albertina and Walter Sisulu Institute of Ageing in Africa, and Co-Director of the International Longevity Centre South Africa at the University of Cape Town.

As global life expectancy rises, Dr Kalula unpacks one of the most pressing issues of our time: how to ensure that longer lives are also healthier, dignified, and equitable — especially for women.

From Rural Zambia to Global Leadership in Ageing

Dr Kalula reflects on her journey from growing up in rural eastern Zambia, supported by parents who valued education despite not having had the opportunity themselves, to qualifying in medicine and eventually discovering geriatric medicine in the UK. What began as a practical career pathway became a calling. She describes geriatrics as a specialty that blends science and humanity — one that looks beyond a single disease to consider the whole person: physical health, mental well-being, social context, and functional ability.

Her career has since positioned her at the forefront of ageing research and advocacy across Africa, where the demographic shift toward older populations is accelerating rapidly.

Health Span vs. Lifespan: A Critical Distinction

One of the most powerful insights from the conversation is Dr Kalula’s emphasis on extending health span rather than simply lifespan. Living longer, she cautions, is not the goal if those additional years are marked by disability and poor quality of life.

She explains that while genetics contribute approximately 25% to longevity, the majority of our health outcomes are shaped by social determinants: education, income, access to healthcare, safe environments, and lifestyle choices. The conditions in which we are born, grow, work and age profoundly shape how long, and how well, we live.

Her practical advice is clear:

Healthy ageing, she reminds us, is a life-course process, not a switch we flip at 60.

The Gendered Reality of Ageing in Africa

Dr Kalula explains that women live longer than men, which means they carry a disproportionate burden of age-related conditions such as dementia. But biology tells only part of the story.

Lifetime inequalities, such as limited access to education, unpaid caregiving roles, economic insecurity, and widowhood, compound women’s vulnerability in later life. Chronic stress, she explains, elevates cortisol levels, weakens immunity, increases inflammation, and raises the risk of conditions such as diabetes and vascular disease, all of which can contribute to cognitive decline.

In the African context, the challenges can be even more severe. Widowed older women often face social exclusion, loneliness, poverty, and in some communities, even harmful stigma. The emotional and psychological toll of these realities can itself increase dementia risk.

Dr Kalula calls for stronger legal protections, income security through pensions, age-friendly healthcare systems, and, critically, better age- and gender-disaggregated data to inform policy.

Dementia, Vascular Health and Prevention

The conversation also tackles dementia — a growing global health concern. Dr Kalula highlights that in Africa, vascular disease (including strokes and poor circulation to the brain) is a major contributor to dementia. This underscores the importance of managing blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular risk factors early in life.

She also emphasises the importance of brain stimulation. Education, meaningful work, continuous learning, and challenging routines all help maintain cognitive reserve. The brain, like the body, needs exercise.

Leadership, Mentorship and Building Sustainable Success

Beyond medicine, Dr Kalula shares powerful reflections on leadership. She speaks about the importance of mentorship at every stage of life, humility in leadership, and building respectful teams where others can flourish.  She is also a member of the African Research on Ageing Network (AFRAN), the Global Aging Research Network (GARN), the South African Geriatrics Society (SAGS) and the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG

Balancing an academic medical career with family life required resilience, clarity of priorities, reliable childcare, and strong support systems at home and work. “No one succeeds alone,” she reflects, emphasising the value of quality friendships and supportive networks.

Her philosophy of success moves beyond achievement to sustainability, well-being, and community impact.

A Call to Action for Women

In her closing message to girls and women, Dr Kalula encourages continuous self-development:

Ageing, she reminds us, is universal: “We are all getting there, if we are lucky.” The question is whether we will build societies that allow women to age with dignity, inclusion, and vitality.

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This week on Womanity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks with Dr Kaylin du Plessis, a veterinarian at the Pretoria Zoo whose work combines exotic animal medicine, complex surgery, conservation, and compassion.

From the outset, Dr du Plessis reveals that her journey into veterinary science was driven by a childhood love of animals and a deeper calling to advocate for beings who cannot speak for themselves. This sense of purpose has shaped a career defined by resilience, precision, and an unwavering commitment to animal welfare, particularly within the highly specialised and demanding world of exotic veterinary medicine.

Inside the World of Exotic Animals

Dr du Plessis unpacks what “exotic” truly means, clarifying the distinction between domestic animals, wildlife, and non-native species. From primates, wild cats, antelope and birds to reptiles, crocodilians, fish, and even venomous snakes, her work spans an extraordinary diversity of species, each with its own anatomy, physiology, behavioural traits, and medical risks.

She explains why surgery on exotic animals is vastly different from domestic practice: tiny, fragile patients; highly sensitive responses to anaesthesia; slow healing processes; specialised equipment; and the ever-present risk of stress-induced complications. In this world, there is no formula—every case is handled individually, with meticulous attention to detail.

Memorable Cases and Life-Saving Decisions

The interview brings listeners into the operating theatre through unforgettable cases:

These moments underscore a powerful philosophy that defines Dr du Plessis’s work: every life deserves a chance, regardless of species, size, or public perception.

The Hidden Realities of Veterinary Medicine

Beyond the remarkable cases, Dr du Plessis speaks candidly about the less glamorous realities of the profession, such as its emotional toll, physical demands, financial pressures, and exposure to zoonotic diseases such as tuberculosis. She highlights the importance of emotional resilience and support in a field where burnout is common.

She also addresses widespread misconceptions about owning exotic pets, warning that they are neither low-maintenance nor inexpensive, and that many animals suffer due to inadequate knowledge, improper care, and delayed medical attention.

Women, Science, and Breaking Stereotypes

As a woman in a traditionally male-dominated and physically demanding field, Dr du Plessis reflects on gender bias, recounting moments where her expertise was questioned simply because she is female. Rather than deterring her, these experiences strengthened her resolve—fuelling a career built on competence, discipline, and consistency.

She speaks passionately about the growing opportunities for women in exotic medicine, conservation, research, academia, and zoo practice, and emphasises that empathy, communication, and attention to detail are strengths—not weaknesses—in veterinary science.

Balancing Career, Motherhood, and Identity

One of the most resonant parts of the conversation is Dr du Plessis’s honest reflection on motherhood and work. Rejecting the myth of perfect balance, she reframes success as finding fulfilment in both career and family, supported by boundaries, self-care, and strong support systems. “Recharge is not a luxury,” she reminds listeners; it is a necessity.

Perseverance, Mentorship, and Purpose

Dr du Plessis shares her own story of perseverance, initially failing to gain entry into veterinary school, persisting through years of study, and succeeding against steep odds in one of South Africa’s most competitive academic fields. She highlights the importance of mentors, community, and choosing the right tribe, as well as contributing to the global knowledge base through research and publishing.

A Message to Women and Girls

Closing the conversation, Dr du Plessis delivers a powerful message to women across the continent:

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This week on Womanity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks to Dr Claudia Cardoso from the University of Pretoria.  Dr Claudia Cardoso’s interest in veterinary science was ignited when she was 10 years old, watching a local veterinarian diagnose and treat her sick dog, an ordinary consultation that, for a young girl, revealed something extraordinary. In that moment, she witnessed “knowledge in action”— a spark that would shape her life’s path.

Dr Cardoso shares what it meant to rebuild her career after immigrating to South Africa without speaking English, navigating professional scepticism in a male-dominated production environment, and persevering

Veterinary Science Beyond the Clinic

With nearly two decades of experience, Dr Cardoso offers a window into the diverse realities of veterinary work beyond companion animals. Her expertise spans animal health, reproduction, and production systems — areas critical to food security and rural livelihoods.

Through university-led outreach programmes, she worked directly with underserved rural communities, providing veterinary care where access is limited or non-existent. She recounts memorable cases where timely intervention, education on nutrition, and preventive health measures helped farmers preserve entire herds, safeguarding both animals and household livelihoods. These stories underscore the vital role veterinarians play in development, sustainability, and social impact.

Gender, Expertise, and Earning Trust

Veterinary production systems are still widely perceived as male-dominated spaces, particularly at farm management level. Dr Cardoso speaks about moments when her expertise was questioned or her advice challenged, not because of its scientific merit, but because of who she was.

Rather than internalising these experiences, she explains how she learned to navigate them with technical rigour, clarity, and evidence-based outcomes. By presenting facts, outlining consequences, and allowing results to speak for themselves, she asserts a powerful lesson: credibility is built through consistency, confidence, and measurable impact.

Animal Production, Ethics, and Feeding the World

Dr Cardoso demystifies animal production for listeners, explaining why it is central to global food systems. With a growing global population, the challenge is not simply producing more food, but doing so ethically, sustainably, and with respect for animal welfare and environmental limits.

She explores how genetics, nutrition, disease prevention, and welfare standards must work together for animals to reach their full potential, and why productivity without care is neither viable nor ethical. Her insights reveal the delicate balance between profitability, responsibility, and long-term sustainability in modern livestock systems.

One Welfare: An Interconnected World

Central to Dr Cardoso’s philosophy is the One Welfare framework, the understanding that animal welfare, human wellbeing, environmental health, and food security are inseparable. She explains how farmers’ livelihoods are directly tied to the health of their animals, and how crises affecting livestock often place people at personal risk as they attempt to protect what sustains them.

Lessons in Resilience, Curiosity, and Purpose

Dr Cardoso closes the show with a message to girls and women to remain curious, pursue the education or career that calls to you, and trust that your contribution matters — not only to yourself, but to society at large.

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This week on Womanity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks to Dr Rosemary Dallas,  a veterinarian in private practice who owns Alphen Veterinary Hospital in Constantia. She shares her journey into a career that embraces her multifaceted interests. Dr Rosemary Dallas traces her path into veterinary science back to her childhood in Botswana, where the absence of veterinary services shaped her sensitivity to animal welfare and planted the early seeds of a career dedicated to care, responsibility, and service. What began as an affinity for animals evolved into a calling that perfectly blended her analytical strengths with deep empathy.

Choosing the Path — and Letting Doors Open

Not initially a lifelong dream, veterinary science emerged as Rosemary’s chosen profession through persistence, opportunity, and intuition. Standing at the crossroads between engineering, accounting, and veterinary medicine, she reflects on how resilience and openness to unexpected opportunities ultimately defined her career trajectory.

Science, Skill and a Curious Mind

With interests spanning surgery, diagnostic imaging, and small-animal cardiology, Dr Dallas speaks to the importance of lifelong learning and intellectual curiosity. Her fascination with cardiology reflects her love for precision, mechanics, and problem-solving — where engineering principles meet living systems.

Owning a Practice, Serving a Community

As the owner of Alphen Veterinary Hospital in Constantia, Dr Dallas shares how practice ownership was not a planned ambition but a gradual, values-driven journey. For her, leadership is about stewardship — supporting staff livelihoods, nurturing long-term client relationships, and becoming a trusted anchor within the community.

Trust as the Cornerstone of Care

In a profession often marked by emotional stress and financial pressure, trust is everything. Dr Dallas explains how long-standing relationships with clients — sometimes spanning generations — create safe spaces for decision-making, compassion, and shared responsibility in moments of vulnerability.

Women, Work and a Culture of Care

While not a deliberate strategy, Dr Dallas leads a largely female team, reflecting broader shifts within the profession. She reflects on how empathy, collaboration, and mutual support shape a workplace culture that prioritises both excellence and humanity — while acknowledging the need for balance and diversity.

Prevention, Innovation and the Cost of Progress

From vaccinations to advanced diagnostics and cardiology care, the conversation highlights the critical role of preventative medicine and technological advancement. Dr Dallas candidly discusses the ethical tension between cutting-edge care and affordability, and her wish to practise in a world where money did not complicate compassion.

Stories That Stay With You

Memorable cases — from a rescued puppy needing multidisciplinary care to a dramatic tennis-ball surgery — illustrate the humility, teamwork, and courage required in veterinary practice. These stories reveal a profession that constantly tests limits, builds resilience, and delivers profound reward.

Opportunities for Women in Veterinary Science

Dr Dallas outlines the expanding landscape of opportunities for women, from clinical practice and specialisation to online consulting, industry roles, and academia. Flexibility, she notes, is becoming increasingly possible — but staff retention and burnout remain global challenges requiring intentional change.

Faith, Values and Staying the Course

Reflecting on her personal philosophy, Dr Dallas shares how faith, integrity, and perseverance have shaped her definition of success. Caring deeply for people, never giving up on better solutions, and walking humbly have guided both her leadership and her life.

Words to the Next Generation

Closing with a message to girls across the continent, Dr Dallas encourages young women to show up fully, bring value in every space, and strive to be the best version of themselves — reminding listeners that kindness, intellect, and commitment are powerful forces for change.

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This week on Womanity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks to Dr Asive Luningo, a veterinarian and lecturer in veterinary toxicology at the University of Pretoria, whose journey into animal health is rooted in rural life, cultural tradition, and an unwavering commitment to community wellbeing.

Growing up in a royal rural household where animal care was considered “men’s work” and veterinary professionals were virtually unknown, Dr Luningo’s path into veterinary science was neither obvious nor easy. With limited exposure, strong cultural gender roles, and financial barriers, her entry into the profession was shaped by resilience, chance encounters with inspiring teachers, and a determination to prevent the unnecessary suffering of animals she witnessed as a child. What began as a detour into agricultural science became a life-defining calling into veterinary medicine.

Dr Luningo reflects on her diverse professional journey,from welfare clinics and state veterinary services in remote, mountainous regions, to academia, research, and public health. These experiences reveal the stark inequalities in animal health services, particularly in rural and communal farming areas where distance, poverty, poor infrastructure, and environmental factors limit access to care. She offers rare insight into how geography, climate change, and toxic plant outbreaks intersect with food security, livelihoods, and public health.

Dr Luningo specialises in veterinary toxicology, an often overlooked but critically important field. She unpacks how poisonings, ranging from toxic plants, mycotoxins, snake envenomation, chemical exposure, and malicious poisoning, affect both small and large animals, with devastating consequences for farmers, pet owners, and ecosystems. Her work highlights the growing impact of climate change on toxic plant proliferation and the urgent need for awareness, prevention, and research.

The interview also confronts gender and cultural dynamics within veterinary science. Dr Luningo speaks candidly about moments where her presence as a woman was restricted or questioned, particularly in traditional farming contexts, and how professionalism, confidence, and competence became her tools for navigating bias. She reflects on leadership, caregiving responsibilities, and why women’s career trajectories often look different—not lesser—than men’s.

As a lecturer and mentor, Dr Luningo raises important concerns about how young veterinarians, especially women, are prepared for real-world practice. She describes the safety risks, emotional demands, and resource constraints faced during community service, calling for support, mentorship, and training for work in under-resourced settings.

The conversation culminates in a powerful reflection on why women in veterinary science are vital to South Africa’s food security, animal welfare, and public health, not only as clinicians, but as researchers, inspectors, educators, policymakers, and advocates. Dr Luningo shares the wide range of career paths available in veterinary science, from wildlife and pharmaceutical research to diagnostic laboratories and animal nutrition.

With humility and honesty, she shares what she would do differently, the importance of early specialization and knowledge transfer, and the personal values, such as discipline, responsibility, and perseverance have shaped her success. Dr Luningo emphasises perseverance, continuous learning, mentorship, and community as key drivers of success, reminding listeners that their dreams are valid and their contributions essential to building healthier, more equitable societies.

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Welcome to Womanity Women in Unity, for our special compilation of select programs to inspire the new year. In this episode, we hear from successful women in engineering, wine research and diplomacy.

First, Professor Sara Grobbelaar from the Department of Industrial Engineering, in the Faculty of Engineering, at Stellenbosch University has an unmistakable sense of purpose and multi-faceted journey in the world of engineering, charting an inspiring path that blends technical expertise with human-centered innovation. She discusses opportunities for women in STEM and emphasises that we should never be deterred from studying further.

Next, Professor Mathabatha Evodia Setati, who is with the South African Grape and Wine Research Institute at the University of Stellenbosch emphasises the role of education in her career and her motivation to study, driven in part by her parents. She shares insights into the invisible world of micro-organisms which are present everywhere.

Lastly, the Swedish Ambassador to South Africa, Anna Karin Eneström, offers powerful insights into the importance of empowering women to make decisions over their own bodies, the role of economic independence in gender equality, and Sweden’s progressive policies, from free childcare since the 1970s to shared parental leave, that have propelled the country to the forefront of global gender-equality rankings. Additionally, revising legislation to tax individuals rather than combined spousal income resulted in individuals taking home more money. It makes economic sense for women, who make up 50% of the population, to contribute to any country’s workforce.

Here’s to a new year of courage, connection, and collective progress. Womanity rises because women rise, together.

Welcome to Womanity Women in Unity, for our special compilation of select programs to open the new year. We hope to inspire you through the words of three remarkable women who have succeeded in their respective fields.

Our first guest in this feature is Dr Sarah Babb, who is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science. She discusses embracing change by unlearning and learning, and she also sheds light on the underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis of neurodivergent traits in women. She reminds us to Keep stepping into the new version of your shiniest, noblest self; because there’s always more. Our Next guest, Dr Colinda Linde, is a clinical psychologist and chairperson of  the South African Depression and Anxiety Group, who talks about modern women navigating today’s world and the importance of keeping your options open. Our final guest in today’s feature is Judge Nobulawo Martha Mbhele, the Deputy Judge President of the Free State division of the High Court, who emphasises the transformative role of education in her life and how nothing is impossible

We hope that this episode encourages you to pursue your best.

Warm wishes for the New Year from Womanity

Welcome to Womanity Women in Unity, for our special compilation of select programs over the last year. We hope to inspire you through the words of three pioneering female leaders who have succeeded in their respective fields.

Our first guest in this feature is Professor Darelle van Gruenen, who leads a research engagement and innovation group at the Centre for Community Technologies at the Nelson Mandela University, and discusses building ICT solutions for Africa, by Africans, in Africa and the importance of women entering the ICT sector. Our next guest, Judge Colleen Collis from the Gauteng Division of the High Court reveals how personal experiences of injustice ignited her pursuit of law and her passion for creating a more equal society. She highlights how legislative changes have improved the lives of women through protective laws. Our final guest in today’s feature is Professor Nomali Ngobese from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at Northwest University, who addresses some of the challenges faced by women in the male-dominated agricultural field. She shares how education has been pivotal to transforming her life and how she empowers others.

We hope that this episode encourages you to pursue your best.

Warm wishes for the festive season from Womanity