‘The future of African science includes me’

“I am capable of understanding science. I belong in rooms where big ideas are discussed. My questions have value. I do not need to be the only one to be the first. My curiosity is a strength, not a distraction. The future of African science includes me.”

Professor Tracy Naledi, the deputy dean of social accountability in the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), used these words to motivate a group of Grade 11 learners who are part of the 2026 STEM MentHER programme. Their induction ceremony was held in the FHS on Friday, 17 July. Participating schools included Claremont High School, Wynberg Girls High School, Spine Road High School and Parklands College.

The STEM MentHER programme is a mentorship initiative designed to inspire and empower young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The programme pairs high school learners (mentees) with experienced academics and postgraduate students (mentors) at universities across South Africa. These mentors provide mentees with guidance and support as they explore potential career paths and navigate the school-to-university transition. The programme is supported by leading universities across the country, including the University of the Western Cape, North-West University, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of Johannesburg. The UCT division of STEM MentHER is led by Associate Professor Shareefa Dalvie, Nakita Lang, and Dr Khuthala Mnika (Division of Human Genetics) and Dr Lungile Sithole (Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences).

“I’d like to congratulate all the Grade 11s who are sitting in this room today. We receive hundreds of applications for this programme, and you impressed us the most with your marks, your motivation and your drive to have a career in a STEM field,” Associate Professor Dalvie said.

Nurturing African scientists

During her keynote address, Professor Naledi spoke about the importance of developing a pipeline of young African scientists and having them contribute to solving some of the continent’s challenges.

“As people coming from the continent of Africa, we are told that we are not scientists. We are often told that people came here to bring light. We are often told that when the colonisers arrived here, they found nothing. That is not true,” Naledi said.

“As people coming from the continent of Africa, we are told that we are not scientists.”

Research proves otherwise. She said in Eswatini archaeologists discovered a bone (the Lebombo bone) carved with mathematical markings, which dates back approximately 43 000 years and is said to be the oldest known mathematical artefact in the world. In addition, Naledi told the audience that newly qualified medical doctors are required to take the Hippocratic oath to honour Greek physician and philosopher Hippocrates, who is said to be the founder of medicine. But that is inaccurate too.

“The father of medicine is a man called Imhotep, who is an Egyptian. This man developed the oldest known surgical text … [and] catalogued surgical diseases and procedures in exactly the same way that it is done today. And he lived 2 000 years before Hippocrates,” she said.

Pearls of wisdom

Professor Collet Dandara, the deputy dean for postgraduate education in the FHS and the head of the Division of Human Genetics, also shared some pearls of wisdom with the cohort. He told them to quit competing with other learners and to start competing with themselves.

“Don’t try to build your success upon the success of someone else,” he said.

Professor Dandara encouraged the cohort to “better your personal best”. To illustrate his point, he said, if someone scores 70% in a physics exam, their goal should be to score 71% or more for the next one. In this way, he added, the learner would be competing with themselves.

“Better yourself by competing with yourself and celebrate any small victory. Track your own growth and commit to being a little bit better today than you were yesterday,” he said. “Take this opportunity [STEM MentHER programme] to grow. I want to wish you success and hope most of you come to this university.”