This week on Womanity, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks to Dr Azwifaneli Nemushungwa, an economist from the Department of Economics at the University of Venda. We delve into her personal and professional journey, her passion for education, and her commitment to empowering generations of women.

A Career in the Male-Dominated Field of Economics

Dr. Nemushungwa was drawn to economics by an innate curiosity about “how the world works” and complex concepts like buying, selling, and inflation, even though subjects like economics were rare in her disadvantaged background. Her path into the field was not straightforward.  She felt a passion for the subject and was drawn to a BCom degree by a feeling that led her to ask, “What is BCom?”. Her first lecturer, Prof. Rachel Jafta, taught economics with such passion that Dr. Nemushungwa “fell in love with economics” and was inspired to become a lecturer herself.

Overcoming Adversity and the Power of Self-Belief

Dr. Nemushungwa faced significant challenges, including coming from a very poor family in a rural area. She found that discouragement only fuelled her determination. For example, while she was teaching, she faced doubts from those around her but held onto a “burning dream” to further her education. She felt she was made of a “rare species” that used criticism as motivation.

Education as the Key to Women’s Empowerment

Dr. Nemushungwa strongly advocates for education as the most powerful tool for empowering young women.

• Challenging Stigma: She confronts the proverb that a woman’s place is in the kitchen and the cultural stigma that educated women are to be feared by men, particularly in rural areas.
• Financial Independence: The most important benefit of education is financial independence, which she believes is the “best thing in life” for a woman.
• Fighting Gender-Based Violence: She identifies the “spirit of dependency” on a husband as an underlying factor in gender-based violence, stressing that education gives women the power to demand respect.
• The Banana Tree Analogy: She shares an inspiring analogy about two trees: a banana tree that bows down when carrying fruit (representing a well-educated, humble woman) and a tall, arrogant pawpaw tree that is easily blown down (representing arrogance).

Economic Participation and the Entrepreneurial Mindset

Addressing the high unemployment rate among young women in South Africa (nearly 50% in 2024 ) and the global gender gap in economic participation, Dr. Nemushungwa emphasizes a necessary shift from a “job seeker” to a “job creator” mentality.

• Entrepreneurship is Key: She states that women are “unlikely to be absorbed” in the formal sectors (government, private sector) and that the best way for them to participate is by becoming entrepreneurs.
• University Initiatives: The University of Venda has an Entrepreneurship Centre and focuses on entrepreneurship as one of its four pillars (alongside community engagement, teaching and learning, and research). The goal is to teach students to create jobs for themselves.
• Real-World Success: She shares inspiring examples of women in Limpopo, which has fertile soil, who have established successful farming businesses.

Dr. Nemushungwa concludes with a powerful message for young women. The world is your oyster; you can create whatever you want. Reject the stigma that women are unequal to men. Embrace an emancipation in your mind and ask, “If a man can do it, why can’t I do it? Why not me?”.

Tune in for more…