[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blurb title=”A journey of impact: Nokuthula Zama’s mission to make meaningful change” image=”https:\/\/alumni.csir.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Nokuthula-Zama.jpg” icon_alignment=”left” _builder_version=”4.14.7″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”|700|||||||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
There is a well-known saying: \u201cYour purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it.\u201d These words perfectly capture Nokuthula Zama\u2019s approach to life and her career. Nokuthula has held numerous positions throughout her career \u2013 from human capital development (HCD) intern, assistant, practitioner to eventually becoming a manager at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Today, she leads a team of dedicated change-makers as the Country Manager at the Moshal Programme. Nokuthula has made it her mission to put people first, with a career rooted in transformation and purpose.<\/p>\n
When she started, the HCD office was newly established, giving her valuable hands-on experience in programme administration, student support and strategic planning. During her time there, Nokuthula gained skills and expertise in capacity building, pipeline development and identifying and nurturing critical and scarce skills within the organisation. She also played a key role in building strategic partnerships to attract and retain top talent. \u201cJoining the CSIR at a time when the HCD office was newly established allowed me to gain hands-on experience in programme administration, student support and strategic planning,\u201d says Nokuthula.<\/p>\n
She had the privilege of working on various initiatives, including bursary programmes, studentships, learnerships, post-doctoral fellowships and in-service training.<\/p>\n
Over the years, her contributions led to several key milestones:<\/p>\n
\u00b7<\/em> Extending the CSIR\u2019s reach to remote and rural areas, helping to diversify the organisation\u2019s science, engineering and technology talent pipeline;<\/p>\n \u00b7 Implementing psycho-social support initiatives to enhance student success;<\/p>\n \u00b7 Actively participating in industry events and networking opportunities to drive human capital development;<\/p>\n \u00b7 Advancing her own education, earning both Honours and Master\u2019s degrees; and<\/p>\n \u00b7 Progressing from a coordination role to a leadership position, where she mentored the next generation of professionals.<\/p>\n These experiences laid the groundwork for her next chapter at the Moshal Programme.<\/p>\n At the Moshal Programme, Nokuthula continues her mission of empowering others. She leads efforts to enable economic mobility through higher education. The programme funds academically gifted but financially disadvantaged students by providing not only financial assistance but holistic support to ensure their academic success and seamless transition into the workplace. \u201cWith over 700 alumni, many of whom now earn up to eight times their families\u2019 combined income, we see a full return on investment within their first year of employment,\u201d she shares. \u201cWhile repayment isn\u2019t required, we encourage our students to \u2018pay it forward\u2019 by mentoring others \u2013 fostering a powerful cycle of empowerment and success.\u201d<\/p>\n Nokuthula\u2019s journey has not been without challenges. Transitioning from the CSIR to the Moshal Programme in 2017 meant stepping into the unknown. Leading a remote team required providing clear strategic direction, setting strong key performance indicators and fostering a culture of trust and accountability. She navigated these challenges by prioritising mentorship, coaching and continuous learning.<\/p>\n Reflecting on her journey, Nokuthula finds the greatest reward in the lasting impact she has made. \u201cHelping students break the cycle of poverty does not just change their lives\u2014it uplifts entire families and contributes to economic growth.\u201d<\/p>\n As for balancing work and personal life? \u201cI\u2019m still figuring it out,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There is a well-known saying: \u201cYour purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it.\u201d These words perfectly capture Nokuthula Zama\u2019s approach to life and her career. Nokuthula has held numerous positions throughout her career \u2013 from human capital development (HCD) intern, assistant, practitioner to eventually becoming […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1035,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorised"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.csir.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.csir.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.csir.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.csir.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1035"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.csir.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1770"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.csir.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1770\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1782,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.csir.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1770\/revisions\/1782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alumni.csir.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.csir.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alumni.csir.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}