Upcoming scientists and PhD students Kelebogile Gasealahwe and Sinenhlanhla Mthembu are among the finalists in the South African Women in Science Awards (Sawisa) 2024.
The awards, which will be held in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, on August 15, celebrate women who have made significant contributions in science, technology and innovation.
A total of 27 distinguished women researchers and scientists, younger women who are emerging as exceptional researchers and registered masters and PhD students are vying for top honors in three categories.
Under the categories of Distinguished Woman Researcher Award and Distinguished Young Woman Researcher Award, three recipients in each category will be honored in the fields of humanities and social sciences; natural and engineering sciences; and transition towards an innovative economy.
Students vying for fellowships
Students will be vying for 12 DSI Fellowships. Six for master’s students and six for PhD students in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, human and social sciences, indigenous knowledge systems and astronomy.
Gasealahwe is a PhD student in astrophysics and space science at the University of Cape Town. She graduated with a BSc in physics and astrophysics in 2017. She went graduate with honours and then master’s degrees in astrophysics and space science.
Apart from focusing on her research which includes data analysis, and research such as conference talks and journal publications, Gasealahwe  coordinates the stellar research group at the South African Astronomical Observatory.
Mthembu is a PhD student in biochemistry at North-West University and collaborates with the South African Medical Research Council. She participates in type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular research, among some of the work that she is doing.
The former University of Zululand student obtained her BSc in biochemistry and microbiology in 2017, her BSc Hons in microbiology in 2018, and her MSc in biochemistry in 2020.
University of Cape Town leads the pack
A total of 12 universities are represented in the list of finalists. The University of Cape Town leads the pack with five finalists, followed by the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the University of South Africa and University of Free State with three each.
Other universities with researchers and students vying for top accolades are the University of KwaZulu-Natal, University of Limpopo, University of Pretoria, Stellenbosch  University, University of Johannesburg, Wits University, Nelson Mandela University, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, and Wits University of Western Cape.
Also included among the finalists is Dr Charlotte Maserumule from South Africa’s national mineral research organisation, Mintek and Prof Stephanie Midgley from the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, who are selected as finalists in the researchers’ categories.
