Research for a Better Society

Pfano Mashau has a PhD in Management Science with an interest in economics, entrepreneurship and business models. His journey in the education sector and business stems from a deep love for learning and a commitment to developing future leaders and professionals.

“I have gained experience across various organisations, including Bioregional Africa, JET Education Services, eThekwini Municipality and UKZN (Schools of Business and Leadership, and Management and Governance). These experiences have shaped me into a seasoned researcher and manager. Over the past 11 years in education, I have published over 70 articles, two edited books, convened three international conferences and supervised 12 PhD students,” shared Prof Mashau.

As a distinguished academic, Prof Mashau is a member of a few associations of academics and researchers including the Centre for Business and Economic Research in London and he is a certified business advisor with the Institute of Business Advisory Southern Africa. He has mentored young academics, post-doctoral fellows and guided professionals on their career paths.

Being appointed Director of the DUT Business School has filled Prof Mashau with immense joy and honour. His duties include overseeing academic programmes, driving strategic initiatives, building strong industry partnerships, managing staff and ensuring the overall excellence and relevance of their education.

“In today’s rapidly changing technological landscape, I am passionate about guiding my team to harness these opportunities for innovation and growth. We are currently focusing on increasing our visibility as a school, reviewing our programme offerings, and updating the School’s strategic plan. DUT Business School stands out by catering to professionals with NQF qualifications often overlooked by other business schools. We are developing a pathway for these professionals to pursue Doctoral programmes. This means at the DUT Business School, a student will be enabled to progress from NQF levels 5 to 10, setting them up for success,” explained Prof Mashau.

Together with his dedicated team of industry experts, they are dedicated to steer the DUT Business School to become a leading business education institution in Africa by offering timely interventions and curriculum that reflects the needs of today’s economy.

“My primary goal is to elevate DUT Business School as a leading business education institution in Africa. We plan to introduce new interdisciplinary programmes that combine business with technology, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. In the meantime, we aim to strengthen our partnerships with industry leaders to provide even more experiential learning opportunities for our students. My team and I will be actively pursuing strategic partnerships to ensure we achieve this vision. Over the next year, we will focus on branding and increasing our visibility. We also have exciting plans to relocate to a new, state-of-the-art office space, creating a truly business-oriented environment for our valued clients, particularly our students,” reiterated Prof Mashau.

He is very passionate about business mentorship and Prof Mashau strongly believes that by guiding and empowering the next generation of business leaders, the DUT Business School can unlock their potential for remarkable success.

Prof Sandy-Lyn Steenhuisen holds a DSI-NRF SARChI position in Trophic Ecology, and Associate Professorship in the Department of Plant Sciences (Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences) at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Qwaqwa Campus. Prof Steenhuisen leads the Qwaqwa Plant-Animal Interactions Research (Q-PAIR) team, is an affiliate of the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU), and an Executive Council member of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB). Her research focus is on using cutting edge, next-generation science through widely established collaborative networks to explore how Africa’s scattered, ancient mountain ecologies face uncertain futures under Global Change, with major societal impacts on functional mountain ecologies, water provision, food security, and biodiversity conservation. Having graduated from University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2012 with a PhD in Ecological Sciences, she completed 5 years of postdoctoral research at University of Cape Town, first as a Claude Leon Foundation fellow and then as part of the first cohort of NRF Research career Advancement Fellows, joining UFS from 2017 as a Senior Lecturer. She formally established her Q-PAIR team in 2018 and the DSI-NRF SARChI Chair in 2026, through which she will lead some of the first prospective multidisciplinary studies on plant-animal interactions in this field in Africa. Her collaborative Q-PAIR team’s research findings have contributed to advancing research in ecological sciences in the Global South, focused on complex networks rather than fundamental biodiversity knowledge, impacting research capacity of early career researchers and strengthening multinational collaborative networks. With a National Research Foundation C2 rating (upgraded from Y1), Prof Steenhuisen is the author of 50 peer-reviewed publications, is a frequent speaker for national and international audiences and has received several scientific awards in recognition of her work, such as being placed as a finalist for the 2023/2024 NSTF-South32 awards in the Green Economy category. She has also been part of several prestigious research grants such as the BiodivClim-578 grant with the ARU and ETH Zurich, National Science Foundation 22-500 BRC-BIO (Building Research Capacity of New Faculty in Biology) Subaward with University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and selected for the first cohort of the DHET Future Professors Programme led by Prof Jonathan Jansen. Prof Steenhuisen has successfully mentored 2 postdoctoral fellows, supervised 5 PhD, 16 Master’s and 13 Honours students, and currently hosts 2 postdoctoral fellows, and supervises 6 PhD, 6 Master’s students and 3 Honours students. She continues to serve as a science liaison for the Free State’s Wetland Forum and Northern Temperate Weeds Network, is an alumnus of the Mountain-to-Mountain Women’s Mentorship Programme in collaboration with Appalachian State University, chaired the 46th annual conference of SAAB at UFS, Qwaqwa, in 2020, was a member of the local organising committees for the UNESCO-endorsed 1st South African Mountain Conference (SAMC) in 2022 and SAAB in 2013, plus a member of the Scientific Review Committees for SAMC and The Conservation Symposium. She currently serves on the editorial boards of the established journals American Journal of Botany and South African Journal of Botany.

Prof Fiona Anciano is a Professor in the Department of Political Studies at the University of the Western Cape, and a Visiting Scholar at University West, Sweden. She leads the Politics and Urban Governance Research Group at UWC and holds an NRF SARChi Chair in Democracy and Urban Governance. A qualitative researcher specialising in Participatory Action Research, her work focuses on democratic participation, informal urban governance and just urban transitions. Her numerous publications include the co-authored book Democracy Disconnected: Participation and Governance in a City of the South. Her research combines critical scholarship with engaged and collaborative approaches to strengthening democratic practice and inclusive urban governance.

Kgothatso Shai is a Professor and DSTI/ NRF SARChI Chair in Liberation Heritage and Politics at the University of Limpopo in South Africa. He is also the Vice President (2025-2027) of the International Political Science Association (IPSA) and President (2023-2028) of the South African Association of Public Administration and Management (SAAPAM). He has been involved in several projects related to his research interests, a development that has culminated in his extensive research publication and supervision record within the discipline. He holds a master’s degree in political science, obtained cum laude, as well as a doctorate in international politics. Prof Shai is a recipient of countless academic and non-academic awards.