UCT crowns M&G’s top 200

The University of Cape Town (UCT) shines ever brighter in the annual Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans list. Out of the 200 exceptional young people featured on this year’s list, 51 are UCT students, staff and alumni.

The list features notable South Africans under the age of 35 who have made a mark for themselves in categories ranging from business and entrepreneurship, to the environment, arts and entertainment.

Thirty UCT staff, students and alumni were featured in the 2017 list, up from 22 in 2016.

The following UCT students, staff and alumni feature on the 2018 list:

Arts and entertainment

1. Thembalethu Mfebe, one of three founders of film production studio A Tribe Called Story, is a graduate of UCT’s Centre for Film and Media Studies.
2. Stand-up comedian and comedy writer Angel Campey holds a BA(Hons) in film, media and visual studies.
3. Theatre director, producer and designer Jade Bowers graduated from UCT in 2010 with a BSocSci majoring in sociology and drama.
4. Writer and publisher Nick Mulgrew holds both a BA(Hons) in media theory and practice, and a master’s in English language and literature.
5. Audience engagement strategist Yusrah Bardien holds a BA(Hons) in drama and dramatics.

Business and entrepreneurship

6. Itumeleng Mothibeli completed his MCom in financial management at UCT, and is currently the director of asset management at Vukile Property Fund.
7. Matthew Butler-Adam, a management consultant at Bain & Company, holds a PPE degree from UCT.
8. Philisiwe Precious Nduli is the head of technical marketing at Discovery Insure, and holds an MBA from the UCT Graduate School of Business.
9. Rivo Mhlari co-founded Rikatec (Pty) Ltd, and has an honours in business science, specialising in finance and accounting.

Civil society

10. Alumnus Ariane Nevin is the national prisons specialist at Sonke Gender Justice. She completed her LLB at UCT.
11. B Camminga, a 2012 doctoral fellow at UCT’s Institute for Humanities in Africa (HUMA), is currently completing a PhD in sociology at UCT.
12. Social entrepreneur Farhana Parker, of The Social Makeover, has a degree in social work, as well as two postgraduate degrees, in psychology and in social policy and management, from UCT. She is also a master’s candidate in inclusive innovation at the UCT Graduate School of Business.
13. Managing director of the Umuzi academy Gilbert Pooley has a BBusSc in finance from UCT.
14. Michael Marchant is a researcher for Open Secrets. In addition to holding a BSocSci and PPE(Hons) from UCT, he is an undergraduate lecturer in South African politics.
15. Acting deputy director at the Centre for Applied Legal Studies Wandisa Phama holds an LLB degree from UCT, where she is also currently completing her LLM.

Education

16. Alude Mahali is a research specialist at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), and holds a doctorate in cultural studies from UCT.
17. Mzwendaba Jizani is a maths and science educator who graduated from UCT in 2007.
18. Nomkhosi Luthuli lectures at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Graduate School of Business and Leadership. She graduated from UCT with an honours degree in development studies in 2011.
19. Paballo Chauke works as the training and outreach coordinator at H3ABioNet, and obtained both his undergraduate and honours degrees from UCT.
20. Geologist and science communicator Simphiwe Madlanga works for the National Research Foundation (NRF) at an astronomy and space geodesy research facility, and holds a master’s degree in space studies from UCT.
21. Taahira Goolam Hoosen is a lecturer in health sciences education at UCT, where she also obtained her postgraduate certificate in education, and her honours, master’s and PhD degrees.

Environment

22. Christine Reddell is an attorney at the Centre for Environmental Rights. Reddell holds a BA, LLB and LLM (in marine and environmental law) from UCT.
23. Journalist Kimon de Greef obtained a master’s degree in conservation biology from UCT.
24. Environmental change enthusiast Lillian Maboya holds an honours degree in environmental sciences and geography from UCT.
25. Mpho Ndaba, chairperson of the campaigns subcommittee at the SOS Coalition, completed his honours in development studies at UCT. He is currently an MPhil fellow at the UCT Centre for Environmental Humanities South.
26. Nicole Loser is an attorney at the Centre for Environmental Rights and completed her master’s in environmental law at UCT.
27. Zoleka Filander is an offshore benthic ecologist and holds a master’s in marine biology from UCT.

Film and media

28. Greig Cameron, a writer and director at Triggerfish Animation Studios, holds an honours in film study and screenwriting from UCT.
29. Filmmaker and director Jessie Zinn is an alumnus of UCT’s Centre for Film and Media Studies.
30. Zandile Tisani is a writer and director at Arcade Content ­and has a BA in film and media production, specialising in screenwriting, from UCT.

Health

31. Itumeleng Tsatsi is a lecturer in occupational therapy at the University of the Free State, and holds a BSc from UCT.
32. UCT alumnus Julia Turner is a medical adviser at Right to Care, and holds a master’s in public health.
33. Kim Buchholtz is a physiotherapy lecturer at UCT, where she also obtained her BSc and MPhil.
34. Mvuwo Tshavhungwe is a PhD candidate in neuroscience at UCT.
35. Nikhat Hoosen holds a master’s in public health, and is a researcher at the Centre for Infectious Disease and Epidemiology Research at UCT.
36. Nkateko Mnisi, member of the Junior Doctors Association of South Africa (JUDASA) National Council, has an MBChB from UCT.

Justice and law

37. UCT law alumnus Anjuli Maistry is a senior attorney at the Centre for Child Law.
38. Lauren Kohn Goldschmidt is a senior lecturer in public law at UCT, where she also obtained her BBusSc, LLB and LLM.
39. Thabo Ngilande is general counsel and head of legal at 3M South Africa, and has a PhD in commercial law from UCT.

Science and technology

40. Apiwe Hotele is a technology commercialisation specialist at the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) and holds a master’s in computer engineering from UCT.
41. Neuroscientist Sahba Nomvula Besharati has a PhD jointly awarded by UCT and King’s College London.
42. Thulwaneng Mashifane is a postdoctoral research fellow at the South African Environmental Observation Network, and holds a PhD in ocean and atmosphere science from UCT.
43. Khanyisile Kgoadi is a clinical science and immunology PhD student at UCT.
44. Lebogang Mahlare is a researcher at the Stern Business School, and holds a BSc degree in chemical engineering.
45. Lungile Hlatshwayo has a BSc in mechanical engineering, as well as an Advanced Diploma in Business Project Management from UCT.
46. Matthew Westaway holds an MSc in engineering, and has also completed the Advanced Programme in Design Thinking at the Hasso Plattner Institute at UCT. He is the co-founder and chief executive of Voyc.ai.
47. Neo Hutiri is the founder of Technovera, and graduated with a BSc in electrical engineering in 2010. He is registered for an MPhil at the UCT Graduate School of Business.
48. Ntsako Mgiba graduated in April 2017 with a BSc in mechatronics. He is the co-founder and CEO of Jonga Systems. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in computer science at UCT.
49. Pule Segale is a civil engineer and construction site manager at Mainstream Renewable Power. He graduated in 2013 with a BSc in civil engineering. He is currently registered for his postgraduate diploma in project management.
50. Takunda Mambo, who is the research lead at the Trustlab Blockchain Innovation Studio, is a doctoral candidate at the UCT Energy Research Centre.

Sport

51. Professional rugby player Michael Kumbirai is currently pursuing a degree in economics and finance at UCT.

If we have left anyone out please let us know...

See the list in full...