Thando Mazomba

Eastern Cape Sunday Heroes

Nominee's Province:
Eastern Cape

Age:
26

Project Name/Description:
Academic

More info:
https://www.instagram.com/thandomazomba/

The ocean is the basis of Thando Mazomba’s academic career. She’s currently a Master of Science student in Applied Ocean Sciences at the University of Cape Town, where she has submitted a thesis that calls for an interdisciplinary understanding of oceanographic features and processes through whale ecology. Already she’s making a name for herself outside lecture halls. She’s a South African Youth Ambassador for the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance and a marine manager at a metocean company. On top of all that, Mazomba is a freelance marine consultant, a position that allows her to offer skills and mentorship in various community engagements. Remarkably, Mazomba has been to Antarctica, Earth’s southernmost continent, where, together with colleagues, she conducted ground-breaking oceanographic work whose data “will contribute to the improvement of the global understanding of our oceans for the foreseeable future”. Her fascination with the ocean dates back to her childhood in East London, where she spent a lot of time at the beach. “What I love about the ocean, besides it being the basis of my career, is that it meets you wherever you are in your life – with the same love, the same depth, the same generosity. Never mind that it gives us so many cool gifts such as our breath, food and the regulation of our climate!”