#WomensMonth2025: Victoria Maluleka is the change she wants to see in the world
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A seven-year journey took Toshka Coleman from being a bursar, completing a master’s degree and then becoming a researcher in data science within the CSIR’s geospatial modelling and analysis research group.
Her master’s degree, which focused on maternal health and building digital health platforms for mothers, set in motion a career dedicated to serving the public good, from building digital platforms for mothers to employment platforms for many job seekers in South Africa.
Toshka has published several scientific papers and is proud of having accumulated some 120 citations in her career to date. All her publications may be paving the way towards attaining a doctoral degree. “I have been exploring research topics for my PhD, and I certainly want it to be of high interest and a guaranteed lasting impact. It will take many years to complete, but it must be a pleasurable labour of love.”
For the public good with technology through a human lens
Toshka’s work and projects are very versatile, and currently, they encompass community safety and renewable energy forecasting in the healthcare space. “A great deal of the work is driven by commitment to the public good, using data science and finding solutions that address societal challenges. For example, one of the projects I am leading now uses data science techniques, such as data analysis and natural language processing, to provide real-time labour market insights.” Here, the goal is to strengthen South Africa’s employment policy and planning to address the country’s unemployment rate.
Toshka recalls how impressed she was with South Africa’s matric class of 2024 that achieved a pass rate of 87.3%, marking the highest pass rate in the country’s history. This achievement is marred by a high unemployment rate and discouraged job seekers who are increasingly losing hope about the employment prospects. To address the challenge, she secured a Parliamentary Grant to fund the Centralised Employment Market Portal (CEMP). “This project is assisting with providing career planning and employability services that can pinpoint youth job seekers towards resources and support available to assist them,” she says.
In addition, Toshka is involved in a community safety initiative where the CSIR has partnered with the Western Cape Department of Community Safety and developed a machine learning-assisted mobile application. “It enables neighbourhood watch groups to report crime and safety incidents and empowers members of the community to create safer communities and also provides them with a risk model on the nature of incidents that could occur in the neighbourhood,” she explains.
A healthcare project Toshka is managing involves machine-learning-assisted diagnostics for human papillomavirus detection. “This is for improved accessibility, early diagnosis and quicker diagnosis, particularly in under-resourced settings,” she says.
Toshka finds great satisfaction in work that results in societal impact. “In the case of the CEMP project, for example, it was just an idea I developed when I was observing the outcomes of 2024 matric results, and the fact that I have been able to translate that into an initiative is what feels rewarding because it can inform government strategy. How exciting is that? We’re not just analysing this data; we’re creating a tool that touches lives. It’s a fulfilling experience to work in an environment where I can have an idea that can bear fruition with funding,” she says.
Sustaining collaborative work
Challenges Toshka encounters include meeting the long-term commitments required to implement ideas and innovations as well as collaborating with stakeholders to forge strong partnerships. “For the value of our efforts to be realised, it’s critical to have stakeholders involved. For example, with the Parliamentary Grant-funded project, I am in the process of getting a collaboration agreement in place with the Department of Employment and Labour, and/or the private sector that has employment initiatives in place. What’s key is how we collaborate with partners to sustain the work,” Toshka shares.
When it comes to data science aspects, ensuring that data is of exceptional quality is key. “Data science and artificial intelligence (AI) are closely related but distinct fields. While data science focuses on extracting knowledge and insights from data, AI aims to create intelligent systems that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence. I always say, our models are as good as our data. I must admit that AI has become a great friend,” she says. “It automates the monotonous tasks. Yes, it won’t give you new ideas or inventions, but it’s the way you decide to use it, bearing ethical matters into consideration, of course.”
Toshka’s tips and message for current and future CSIR SHEroes
Toshka offers the following wise counsel to women who aspire to follow a similar career path as hers:
- Seek out mentors who have walked the path
“When I was doing my vocational work at the CSIR, I had Melisse Hankel as a mentor who encouraged me to remain resilient.” Beyond her daily 9-to-5 at the CSIR, Toshka also mentors young women students in computer science. - Trust your ability to contribute
“In the past, I felt like I didn’t have anything to offer, but learning to trust yourself can go a long way.” - It is perfect to be a different woman
“When I was doing my Honours in Computer Science at the University of Cape Town, I happened to be in a place where socioculturally, very few people resembled me as a Coloured woman. But then I realised it set me apart to bring a unique perspective and voices into spaces where I may be the outlier, but this field needs diverse perspectives,” she says.
Figure 1: A golden thread in Toshka Coleman’s projects is the use of science and technology for the public good and overcoming gaps in healthcare access, equity and impact
Figure 2: Giving back to those on their way up, as a data science researcher, Toshka Coleman mentors young women studying computer science