Commerce deputy dean wants to inspire a new generation of researchers

Associate Professor Nkosivile Madinga became the Deputy Dean: Research, Internationalisation and Socially Engaged Scholarship in the Faculty of Commerce on 1 January 2024. With his extensive research record and deep interest in tackling social issues through his work, Associate Professor Madinga looks set to inspire a new generation of commerce researchers.

When you ask young children what they want to be when they grow up, you’ll likely hear many of the same responses: a doctor, soccer player, firefighter or singing sensation. If you’d posed the same question to young Madinga, you’d have elicited a bit of a different answer.

“I was very interested in advertising. The funny part was [that] I was inspired by the character James Motsamai from the soapie Muvhango. He was a marketing manager for one of the companies in the show and I liked him so much that I wanted to follow in his footsteps,” said Madinga.

Although the primetime drama was a source of inspiration for a young Madinga, it was far from being the only one. His interest in the power of advertising to mould understanding and drive decisions were both push factors in his pursuit of a career in marketing.

“At the time, there was also a Toyota ad that featured a talking dog and I was concerned because it didn’t speak to my demographics. With advertising’s power to change people’s perception, there are some ethical issues that need to be taken into consideration when you’re creating work. That’s what made me more interested in the strategic side of advertising rather than the creative and, because of that, I chose to study marketing,” he explained.

Madinga followed his bachelor’s degree with an honours and master’s, at which point he took up a tutoring position and realised that his passion for his chosen discipline would be best put to use in the academic sphere.

Swift but steady progress

One of the reasons Madinga has been awarded the deputy dean role is his prolific record of publications that stems from its orientation and support of the academic endeavour. His involvement in research began, on his own time and dime, long before he found himself in a position that required these investigations.

“When Nkosivile started with us, even though he’d been at a private institution [where research isn’t a requirement], he had an outstanding publication record. Certainly, on his research output, he was hitting metrics that exceeded the expectation of a lecturer, (the rank at which his post was advertised),” noted Faculty of Commerce dean, Professor Suki Goodman.

According to Madinga, his efforts were driven by his desire to generate novel and insightful data that can help shape decisions and responses to social and economic issues.

“Research excites me because it generates new knowledge.”

“Research excites me because it generates new knowledge and … insights that shape what people, companies and even the government do. It affects how we as a society respond to social issues because … to make informed decisions, people need information. I find that generation of knowledge really fascinating,” he explained.

The hard, albeit rewarding, work paid off when Madinga applied for and was offered a part-time lecturing role in Commerce at the end of 2017.

“I got the appointment letter in December 2017 and it was the best December I’ve ever had,” he recalled. “I’d always had the dream of joining a traditional university but I’d never thought that I would join one of the most prestigious academic institutions in Africa.”

Following changes in the School of Management Studies, the opportunity to take on a full-time position presented itself. Madinga grabbed the opportunity with both hands and, over the course of the next few years, progressed to becoming a senior lecturer, head of the marketing section and then associate professor.

A research powerhouse

When Associate Professor Sure Mataramvura’s term as the deputy dean of Research and Internationalisation ended in 2023, the faculty needed a successor who could continue to elevate its research profile. In this pivotal moment, Madinga emerged as a prime candidate for the role, owing to his research output and exemplary leadership within the Section of Marketing Studies.

“What he’s been able to do across his time as a lecturer is produce research at an alarmingly good rate, not only in quantity but also in quality. The journals that he’s published and the conferences that he’s been involved in have just gotten better and better,” Professor Goodman said.

“It’s important that a deputy dean of research walks the talk. It gives a level of legitimacy and authority to the role.”

While the scope of Madinga’s research is certainly impressive, there’s also plenty to be said for its substance. Many of his investigations have centred on social and economic issues, focusing on how marketing and advertising can help to create a more equitable environment in South Africa and beyond.

“What he’s been able to do across his time as a lecturer is produce research at an alarmingly good rate, not only in quantity but also in quality.”

His research has been focused on addressing real problems faced by communities. His work spans a variety of issues, including financial literacy, entrepreneurship, LGBTQI+ consumer behaviour, employees’ psychological well-being, and the application of technology in marketing.

The deputy dean’s interest lies in conducting research that influences consumer behaviour, company actions and policy, and making a tangible impact on society; a contribution that has recently seen him become a National Research Foundation (NRF)-rated researcher, a prestigious recognition of his significant impact in the academic community.

This desire to address social issues while producing insights that can spark debate and drive change played a part in the expansion of the purview of the deputy dean role to include socially engaged scholarship.

“We have a responsibility to do research that doesn’t just sit on the shelves of libraries,” said Goodman. “We need research that informs debates and impacts policy and decision-making. Nkosivile’s work fits in with how we are trying to reframe the portfolio to encourage socially responsive scholarship that can be broadly read and digested.”

Unlocking research potential

While his experience and interests have certainly given him an edge, Madinga noted that the opportunity to work with other scholars in an environment where research is valued and encouraged has been his main motivator.

“Collaborating with other scholars and conducting research in a conducive environment where your efforts are supported and funded is really rewarding – especially at UCT, there are so many avenues through which research is encouraged and great leaders to help you along the way,” he said.

Goodman pointed out that it was this ambition not only to work with but also lift others up that indicated to the faculty that he was the right person for the expanded deputy dean role.

“One of his standout assets is his generosity in the space.”

“One of his standout assets is his generosity in the space. If you look at his publication history, many of his colleagues are co-authors on his papers and I think that speaks to a very particular kind of research approach – collegial and mentorship-focused. That’s an invaluable feature for a research leader to have,” said Goodman.

It’s this spirit of supporting emerging researchers that both Goodman and Madinga hope that the deputy dean will be able to imbue.

“One of the defining features of Nkosivile’s role is to support emerging researchers; really finding mechanisms in our commerce community to support our existing researchers as well as to increase the number of research active staff,” said Goodman.

In addition to this, Madinga hopes that he can act as a source of inspiration for academics. “I would like to be an individual who young researchers can look up to, to encourage them to aspire to go after the opportunities that they want,” he added.