Celebrating women’s excellence and leadership, the HERS-SA Higher Education Women Leadership Awards (HEWLA) 2025 honoured eight (8) remarkable winners that were selected from 26 finalists, at a prestigious ceremony that concluded Women’s Month. The captivating Programme Director, Olwethu Nodada who’s also a talented Speaker, Entrepreneur and Heart FM Radio Host – was responsible for creating and sustaining the intended celebratory atmosphere throughout the night.
Held recently at the Lagoon Beach Hotel and Spa in Milnerton, Cape Town – the event recognised these inspiring leaders for their outstanding contributions to higher education. This third HEWLA Awards Ceremony followed the five-day HERS-SA Academy (Conference), which ran from Sunday, 24 August to Thursday, 28 August 2025.
HERS-SA is a non-profit organisation that was founded to address the significant under-representation of women in leadership roles within South African higher education. The HEWLA Awards provide an opportunity to celebrate women across all leadership roles — including academic, support and ancillary positions. The 2025 HERS-SA HEWL Awards were made possible by the generous support of category and product sponsors: Absa, Fundi, Chill Beverages, Igugu Lentokazi Wines, Cloof Wines, CPUT, Orisons, Sanlam, Maroza Haircare, Avroy Shlain, aQuellé and HGTS Tours.
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The winners for the eight (8) categories of the 2025 HEWL Awards are:
Women in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Award – Prof. Soraya Bardian: A professor of human genetics in the Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics at Stellenbosch University (SU). She heads the Parkinson’s Disease Research Group, the only one of its kind on the African continent. Her team explores the genetic causes and underlying mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease.
Emerging Young Women Leaders (Academic) Award – Dr. Bongiwe Mcata: A dedicated academic and programme leader at the University of Mpumalanga (UMP), who has dedicated her life to promoting inclusive, transformative and socially responsive higher education, particularly within the fields of Agricultural Sciences and Agribusiness, where women remain significantly underrepresented.
Women in Humanities & Social Sciences Award – Prof. Claude-Hélène Mayer: A Professor in Industrial and Organisational Psychology at the Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management at the University of Johannesburg (UJ).
Women in Support Services (WISS) Award – Ms. Tasneem Wadvalla: She currently holds a dual role, serving as both the Head of Legal Services and the Chief of Staff to Professor Zeblon Vilakazi, the current Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits).
Women in Academic Administration Award – Dr. Rorisang Machailo: An academic at the School of Nursing at North-West University (NWU) who is renowned for her research on mental health with a particular focus on psychiatric nursing for children. Her work aims to enhance the quality of care for children with mental health issues by addressing gaps in resources, training and support for psychiatric nurses.
Women in Student Development & Faculty Administration Award – Prof. Tembisa Ngqondi: An Associate Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Informatics and Design at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). She specialises in Information and Communication Technology, with a particular focus on ICT for Development (ICT4D) and Information Technology Governance (ITG).
Trailblazer Award – Prof. Bongani Ncube: A Full Professor at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) with over 30 years of experience in water, agriculture and environmental sciences. She currently serves as a Chair under the South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI); established by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) in 2006.
Lifetime Achiever Award – Prof. Tina Uys: A Professor of Sociology at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). She has served as Head of Department for over 15 years and is a certified Clinical Sociologist with the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology.
Dr. Soraya Beukes, chairperson of the HERS-SA Board, said: “It is with great pleasure that I congratulate this year’s winners. I also wish to recognise and celebrate the incredible journey of all our finalists, as well as the continued support of all our sponsorship partners. Without your collaboration, we could not have been able to empower and recognise the achievements of South African women in higher education – women who lead, inspire and motivate those inside and outside their institutions to do more and be more.
“As HERS-SA, we reaffirm our commitment to helping our sponsorship partners to boost brand awareness, enhance their reputation and create meaningful engagement opportunities with key stakeholders in the higher education sector. Thank you for your unwavering dedication to this important mission.”
Meanwhile, recipients and finalists of the HEWL Awards have praised the week-long Academy (Conference), where prominent leaders from South Africa and abroad shared their knowledge, expertise and insights with aspiring women in higher education.
