Ms Bonakele Langa, a Master’s graduate in Physiology, was congratulated by her supervisors, Dr Lindokuhle Mabuza-Mashaba and Professor Andile Khathi, for receiving awards at recent congresses.
Langa investigated the effect of the ginger extract, Zingiber officinale, on inflammation, the innate immune system, haematological factors and cardiovascular disease in diet-induced prediabetic rats. The research won her third place for an oral presentation that she delivered as part of the Wyndham competition at the 51st Physiology Society of Southern Africa (PSSA) Congress held at North West University.
Langa then travelled back to Durban to lift first prize for her poster presentation of the study at the Traditional Medicine Symposium which was hosted by Mangosuthu University of Technology at an event where UKZN’s Professor Nceba Gqaleni delivered a keynote address on the value of indigenous knowledge in advancing inclusive and sustainable health systems.
“These achievements reflect her exceptional ability to communicate complex research clearly and effectively,” said Mabuza-Mashaba. “Throughout her studies, Bonakele has consistently demonstrated strong research skills and a natural talent for presenting her work. She has the rare ability to make sophisticated concepts accessible to any audience while maintaining scientific accuracy.”
Her supervisors agreed that Langa’s awards recognised not only her presentation skills but also her deep understanding of her research project and her passion for sharing knowledge. They were immensely proud of her accomplishments and confident the recognition marks the beginning of what will be a distinguished career filled with meaningful contributions in her field.
Langa described herself as a curious person who loved new discoveries. She said she once worked as part of a PreP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) research group, which ignited her own passion for research.
Langa spent her early years in Nongoma, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, where she excelled from primary school right through to matriculation at King Bhekuzulu High School. Her father passed away while she was in Grade 11 causing her to suffer from depression for some time, but she persevered and is now winning awards at postgraduate level.
Langa, who is currently attached to UKZN’s College of Health Sciences as a First Year Experience Coordinator, is looking forward to pursuing her PhD.
