Womanity - Women in Unity

This week on Womanity ,  Dr Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks with Dr Nontobeko Ntombela , curator, scholar, educator, champion of African Art and Co-Deputy Head of the Wits School of Arts at Wits University. A Journey Shaped by Curiosity Dr Ntombela reflects on her unexpected path into the art world, describing how a love for creativity, inspired by her father’s sketches and her aunt’s bas...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks with Dr Refiloe Lepere , an award-winning gender scholar, storyteller, performer, community-accountable theatre maker, and lecturer at the Wits School of Education . Dr. Lepere uses storytelling and performance to explore Black feminist aesthetics, racial justice, identity, and joy. Growing Up in a Community that Created Artists Dr Lepere re...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks with Felicia Msiza , CEO of the Raubex Group , a JSE-listed company, to explore aspects of her leadership journey, the impact of infrastructure development on communities, and her passion for empowering future generations. From Governance Expert to CEO Ms Msiza reflects on her journey from serving as a non-executive director on the Raubex bo...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks with Prof. Sharlene Khan , an acclaimed South African visual artist, writer, researcher and Associate Professor from the Wits School of the Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand . Through a deeply personal and inspiring conversation, Prof. Khan shares how creativity, storytelling and critical thinking have shaped her journey from a chi...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks with Professor Sophie Von Der Heyden from the Department of Botany and Zoology at Stellenbosch University and the Von Der Heyden Laboratory . She is a leading marine molecular ecologist, renowned for her pioneering work in aquatic biodiversity, conservation genomics, and climate change research. From East Berlin to the Oceans of Africa Profes...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks with Professor Mashiko Setshedi , Head of the Department of Medicine at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital , she is a leading gastroenterologist, educator, and researcher shaping the future of healthcare in South Africa and developing the next generation of healthcare professionals. From Aspiring Lawyer to Medical Leader...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks with Professor Stephanie Cawood , an interdisciplinary scholar and former Director of the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies at the University of the Free State . This conversation journeys into the intersections of African identity, feminism, education, leadership, memory, and social transformation Drawing from her experiences as a foundi...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks with Professor Tracy-Lynn Field , who is a leading environmental law scholar and the Claude Leon Foundation Chair in Earth Justice and Stewardship held by the University of the Witwatersrand , with over two decades of experience in climate, water, and environmental justice. She serves on several advisory boards, including the Presidential Cl...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks with Associate Professor Jane Battersby from the Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences at the University of Cape Town , whose pioneering work bridges geography, food security, urban development, and social justice. Drawing from decades of academic research, policy engagement, and grassroots collaboration, Associate Professor...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks with Prof Lee-Ann Sadè Modley , from the Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies at the University of Johannesburg . With a background spanning zoology, environmental management, sustainability, and community engagement, Prof. Modley shares her journey, shaped by perseverance, purpose, faith, her father’s soft pe...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks with Dr Thea Schoeman , Head of Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies at the University of Johannesburg . Dr Schoeman shares a powerful origin story rooted in intention. As a young student, she made a conscious decision that her work would always have real societal and environmental impact. This guiding princip...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks with Dr. Niké Wesch , Senior Lecturer in Urban and Regional Planning at North-West University . She shares her journey, research, and vision for building more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient urban environments. Her work sits at the intersection of climate science, urban planning, and social transformation, bringing a uniquely integrat...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks with South African Ambassador Robina (Ruby) Marks, who has served as Ambassador to Thailand , Sri Lanka (with accreditation to Nepal, Maldives, and Bangladesh) and Benin. Her story is multifaceted. She shows how circumstances (political and social constructs), history, identity, and values intersect to forge a life of impact. She also reflec...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks to Professor Bernadine Benson about her professional journey, spanning nearly two decades in policing and a transformative transition into academia. Her story is one of resilience, identity, and continuous evolution, shaped by hardship, purpose and faith. A Childhood of Instability and the Drive to Excel Born into a working-class family wit...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks with Dr. Rosalind Skelton , who is the Managing Director of the South African Astronomical Observatory , and closes out our series on This is the final episode in our series on women in Astronomy. Dr. Skelton’s story begins with a deep-rooted curiosity about the natural world. As a young student, her interests spanned biology, archaeology,...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks with Professor Catherine Cress who is a Professor of Astronomy at the University of South Africa (UNISA). Her work spans the vast, invisible structures of the universe. Understanding how things work From the outset, Prof Cress reframes astronomy not as distant stargazing, but as a powerful laboratory for understanding the fundamental laws o...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks with astrophysicist Dr. Kenda Knowles, Senior Research Fellow at Rhodes University and researcher at the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory . She shares the story of how curiosity, resilience, and collaboration can open pathways to understanding the universe. Stargazing the future Dr. Knowles’ fascination with the cosmos began long b...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks with Prof Thenjiwe Meyiwa – Vice Chancellor and Principal at the University of Mpumalanga . A distinguished feminist scholar, academic leader, and advocate for social justice, Professor Meyiwa shares insights into her remarkable career journey, her vision for transforming higher education, and her unwavering commitment to advancing women’s...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks with Dr Sarah Pedretti , Principal Scientific Officer at the University of Cape Town Lung Institute. Dr Pedretti traces her academic path from France and Switzerland to South Africa, highlighting how international collaboration, mentorship, and intellectual curiosity led her to Cape Town. What began as a one-year postdoctoral opportunity ev...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks with Dr Sebastiana Kalula , emeritus associate professor, specialist physician in geriatric medicine, Director of the Albertina and Walter Sisulu Institute of Ageing in Africa , and Co-Director of the International Longevity Centre South Africa at the University of Cape Town. As global life expectancy rises, Dr Kalula unpacks one of the mos...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks with Dr Kaylin du Plessis , a veterinarian at the Pretoria Zoo whose work combines exotic animal medicine, complex surgery, conservation, and compassion. From the outset, Dr du Plessis reveals that her journey into veterinary science was driven by a childhood love of animals and a deeper calling to advocate for beings who cannot speak for th...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka speaks to Dr Claudia Cardoso from the University of Pretoria .  Dr Claudia Cardoso’s interest in veterinary science was ignited when she was 10 years old, watching a local veterinarian diagnose and treat her sick dog, an ordinary consultation that, for a young girl, revealed something extraordinary. In that moment, she witnessed “knowledge in actio...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks to Dr Rosemary Dallas ,  a veterinarian in private practice who owns Alphen Veterinary Hospital in Constantia. She shares her journey into a career that embraces her multifaceted interests. Dr Rosemary Dallas traces her path into veterinary science back to her childhood in Botswana, where the absence of veterinary services shaped her sensit...

This week on Womanity ,  Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka  speaks to Dr Asive Luningo, a veterinarian and lecturer in veterinary toxicology at the University of Pretoria , whose journey into animal health is rooted in rural life, cultural tradition, and an unwavering commitment to community wellbeing. Growing up in a royal rural household where animal care was considered “men’s work” and veterinary profes...

Welcome to Womanity Women in Unity, for our special compilation of select programs to inspire the new year. In this episode, we hear from successful women in engineering, wine research and diplomacy. First, Professor Sara Grobbelaar from the Department of Industrial Engineering , in the Faculty of Engineering, at Stellenbosch University has an unmistakable sense of purpose and multi-faceted journe...