Nkuzana Tinyiko Josephine

Academia and Education

Nominee's Province:
Limpopo

Project Name/Description:
Department of Education, Limpopo, Capricon South District

More info:

Tinyiko Josephine Nkuzana, 51, from Elim, Waterval, Limpopo, is the district director of education in the Capricon South District, Limpopo. Her motto “Capricon South District, a district on the rise” has rallied her colleagues to pick up their chalks and perform their duties, and it shows. Josephine, who grew up in the Maswanganyi village, Giyani, Limpopo, supervises 16 circuit managers, six deputy directors and 438 school principals. She has taken it upon herself to empower and motivate managers and teachers, especially women, in her district. “I appoint women to management positions and leadership programmes,” Nkuzana says. “There are too few women in school management, especially in secondary schools and circuit. “I also encourage female teachers to enter national competitions, and that’s why my district won the National Teacher Awards and a Top Five Global Teacher Award,” she says. Nkuzana devised a strategy to improve literacy and reduce the number of pupils depending on social grants. This move has ensured more than 10 000 Grade 12s in her district earned bachelor passes last year, enabling them to gain entry at universities and tertiary institutions. Nkuzana, a BA graduate with a Education Diploma, is involved in church activities and says religion is a better way of dealing with social ills.