This week on Womanity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks with Professor Nomali Ngobese from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at Northwest University, an agricultural botanist specializing in crop physiology, agronomy, and sustainable food systems. She shares her journey and drive for social impact into South Africa’s agricultural sector.

Prof. Ngobese’s research includes optimizing post-harvest processes for both staple and underutilized crops, aiming to enhance food security and support climate-resilient agriculture. Her path into agricultural botany was not predetermined; she initially pursued biological sciences driven by a curiosity about plant cells and their manipulation. Her pivot from biological sciences into agricultural science was motivated by South Africa’s agricultural transformation and the opportunities for economic growth, where she sought to contribute her knowledge of biodiversity to the sector.

Her work has since expanded to include agro-processing and extending the shelf life of crops. More recently, she has focused on building food sovereignty within South Africa, defining it simply as “owning what we eat, how it’s produced, prepared, sold, and marketed”. She views her work not just as academic but as a philosophical approach to addressing social challenges like food insecurity, poverty, and unemployment.

Prof. Ngobese emphasizes that each day is an opportunity to learn and make an impact. As an academic, she believes in a two-way learning process, engaging with students and communities to improve her teaching and societal contributions.

Addressing the challenges faced by women in the male-dominated agricultural field, Prof. Ngobese highlighted historical limitations due to traditional and cultural roles, leading to exclusion, underestimation, and a perceived lack of skills or exposure. To dismantle these negative stereotypes, she proposes interventions focused on young women and girls. These include changing narratives about women’s roles, showcasing diverse successful women, providing mentorship, offering financial support, and facilitating exposure through internships and workplace visits. Building safe and supportive spaces for women already in professional settings is also crucial for their persistence and success.

Northwest University engages in various outreach programs, such as an annual open day organized by the Vice Chancellor, which travels to rural communities to provide information about university programs and careers, bridging the gap for those with limited resources or access to information. Prof. Ngobese integrates community outreach into her teaching and research by conducting practicals and research projects on small-scale farming sites, fostering a mutual learning environment between students, farmers, and researchers.

Her research into indigenous plants, like monkey oranges and wild mangoes, stems from her earlier work in plant conservation and a recognition of South Africa’s rich, yet undercapitalized, biodiversity. She aims to create value chains for these indigenous species by scientifically proving their nutritional contribution, thereby challenging the perception of them as “food for the poor” and encouraging commercialization in the food industry. One of her most surprising discoveries has been the wide range of uses rural communities have for these plants, often as effective traditional remedies.

Prof. Ngobese attributes her success to resilience born out of necessity, having grown up in poverty and learning discipline and hard work from her grandmother, who provided for them through agricultural means. Education, she states, has been central to her transformation from someone struggling to make ends meet to an impactful contributor to society who empowers others.

Prof. Ngobese’s closing message to girls across the continent is, “Your voice matters, your story matters, and your presence in science matters… when you go on and pursue your dreams know that it’s not a favour, it’s a necessity. You are not just the future, you are the now, as you are going through life. And your journey, you’re actually creating history”.

Tune in for more…