The Root Of The Science Podcast

Send us Fan Mail My guest today is Tasvi Daya from South Africa.  She's a PhD student in cancer science at University of Witwatesrand and her research is focus on understanding pancreatic cancer. Apart from this exciting research we chat about The ROOT of her science, her academic journey and we learn more about the "human side" of Tasvi who shares some of her passions.  Tune in as...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone! Welcome to Episode 97. This week's episode is a very special one as it is a dedication to honor the memory of a dear friend and mentor Ndoni Mcunu who sadly passed away on 16 April 2022. Ndoni played a significant role in helping me start this podcast and supported me and the vision of amplifying Africans in STEM globally. It was only fitting that I honor her...

Send us Fan Mail  Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 96. Lubabalo Tybosch from South Africa is my guest today. He tells us how he got into the world of information technology (IT) in this episode. This was the first step toward him founding Uniqova, a software development company. Lubabalo discusses the company's vision as well as the ups and downs of building something from the ground up. Fi...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 95.  Remous Ocloo, originally from Ghana but now located in South Africa, is my guest today. His father and sibling encouraged him to pursue a career in science. He actually wanted to be a doctor, but it didn't work out. He takes us on a journey through his academic career, describing some of the highs and lows along the way. He talks about...

Send us Fan Mail  Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 94.  Letta Ntuli is my guest today; she is a PhD student in chemical engineering and a laboratory technician. Letta had a flair for Maths and Science from a young age, we learn in this episode. She was introduced to engineering professions as a result of growing up near a mining town. She picked chemical engineering as her major and takes us thr...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone! Welcome to  episode 93. Kaylan Reddy, a PhD candidate in botany from South Africa, is my guest today. In this episode, we find that he is the family's first scientist and that his love for science stems from his family's early acceptance of his "weird and wonderful" science facts. Kaylan recalls that his undergraduate studies began with a double...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone! Welcome to  episode 92. Oageng Modise from South Africa is my guest today. He is a PhD student in entomology, which is the study of insects. In this episode, we learn about his scientific journey, which began at undergraduate level with Zoology and Biology. We learn about his current PhD research project, which focuses on fly pollination. Oageng tells us about this...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone, it's 2022 and a new season of the show! Welcome to season 3,  episode 91. Today's guest is Rufaro Samanga from South Africa. She is an Epidemiologist, a cultural writer, a public health writer and a speaker who is passionate about addressing misinformation about covid 19 vaccine hesitancy. In this episode, she discusses her academic journey, specifically...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 90. My guest today is Lindelwa Msweli. She is a PhD student in Ecological Science, and she was born and raised in South Africa. In this episode, we learn that she has always had a passion for the environment and the great outdoors since she was a child. So it was only natural for her to pursue a science career that combined her two interests. She...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 89.  Yannick Agbana, originally from Togo but now based in Nigeria, is my guest today. In this episode, we learn that he did not always know that science was the path he would take; he wanted to be a medical doctor. However that career choice did not work out. He did infact stay in the medical field by pursuing his undergraduate degree in biomedi...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 88. Nyasha Manyika is from Zimbabwe and is currently based in South Africa. Nyasha is a qualified Commercial Pilot and who also serves as registrar at 43 Air School, a leading Aviation College in Port Alfred, South Africa. Her passion for sustainable development within the Aviation Industry saw her becoming a Co-Founder of African Leaders in Avia...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 87.  Today's guest is Kalonde Chanda, who is originally from Zambia but now lives in Turkey. In this episode, we learn that Kalonde had a variety of career interests as a child, which changed at different stages of his life. Science piqued his interest in his senior year of high school, and his dream of becoming an engineer was born. He goes...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone! Welcome back to episode 86. Khuthadzo Muvhano from South Africa is my guest today. In this episode, we learn that she originally wanted to be a model, but because she attended a science-focused high school, it was only natural for her to continue her education in science. Khuthadzo also discusses what it's like to be the first person in her family to attend un...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone! Welcome back to episode 85.  My guest today is Nolwandle Khumalo from South Africa. In this episode, we talk about her interests outside of science and how they play a role in her research journey. We talk about the ROOT of her science, and she explains why she initially wanted to be a doctor and shares the influences that later led her to change her mind during he...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone! Welcome back to Ep 84.  My guest today is Caleb Munemo from Zambia. He's a 2nd-year computer science student in Zambia. In this episode, he explains that he developed his passion for science in secondary school He admits that he was not sure that he wanted to get into the computer science field as it was not a well-known field of study in Zambia until recently...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone! Welcome back to episode 83. Sandiso Ngwenya is my guest today; she was born and raised in Zimbabwe and now resides in South Africa. In this episode, we discuss how her other interests contribute to her being more than just a scientist. Sandiso describes her love of beauty, particularly makeup, and we talk about the stereotypes of what female scientists are supposed...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 82! Today's guest is Jethro Dlamini, who was born and raised in South Africa. In this episode, we learn that his decision to study science was not a fluke; he is exactly where he wanted to be. We talk about how he got into science, specifically the agricultural side of things. Jethro talks us through his academic journey, explaining how he b...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone! Welcome to EP 81. Today my guest is Tracy Vongai Mapfumo, a passion-driven entrepreneur, food innovator, crop scientist and the founder of Eny’s Treats Pvt Ltd. She graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Agriculture- Plant Science at the University of KwaZulu Natal in 2015. She has 5 years of work experience in indigenous plants that have commercial value. She has always h...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone!  Welcome to episode 80. Dr. Joseph Malinzi, originally from Uganda but now based in Eswatini, is my guest today. In this episode, he takes us on a journey through his academic career, which began in a Ugandan school. He excelled in high school and was given the opportunity to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Education at Makerere University. Joseph admits that there...

Send us Fan Mail  Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 79 My guest today is Dr. Cosnet Lerato Rametse. Born and raised in South Africa. In this episode, we learn that she has always wanted to work in science, and more specifically, she has always been curious about how the body worked, pathology, and also wanting to learn and gain skills to contribute to the understanding of pathologies. This curios...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone! Welcome to episode 78!   My guest today is Lonwabo Manqana, born and bred in South Africa. In this episode, we learn that he always knew he wanted to be a scientist, but he wasn't sure what field he wanted to work in. His physics teacher and his mother, who did agriculture at home, were the two most influential people in his life. Due to this influence, he beg...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone, welcome to episode 77! Faith February, a South African based in Capetown, South Africa, is my guest today. In this episode, we learn that her father helped her develop a passion and talent for mathematics at a young age. She went on to pursue a degree in mathematics and computer science as her majors at university. However, she realized that computer science was no...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone, welcome back to episode 76!  My guest today is Mishumo Nemathaga. She's a South African living in South Africa. In this episode, Mishumo tells us that she always knew that she wanted to do something related to biology from primary school. This love carried on all the way until her high school years where she was even awarded the best student in biology. Howeve...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone, welcome to episode 75! Tosin Adewumi, originally from Nigeria and now based in Sweden, is my guest today. In this episode, we learn that his interest in Science was innate, as he had always had an interest in astronomy and learning about the nature of space during his primary and high school years. However, he chose to pursue a computer science degree and a postgra...

Send us Fan Mail Hello everyone welcome to episode 74!  My guest today is Mongezi Majebe, from South Africa. In this episode, Mongezi describes his academic journey. He tells us that chemistry was his favorite subject in high school and inspired him to pursue a degree in it. Mongezi discusses his journey, which was not always smooth, with speed bumps along the way. He learned valuable life lessons...