Zimpapers Logo

Musawenkosi Saurombe

Tatenda Charamba, Harare Bureau
A ZIMBABWEAN student, Musawenkosi Saurombe (23), made history last week when she became the youngest female PhD holder in Africa.

Dr Saurombe received a PhD in industrial psychology at North-West University`s campus in Mahikeng, South Africa on April 25.

Her thesis was titled: The management perspectives on a talent value proposition for academic staff in a South African Higher Education Institution.

Dr Saurombe started school at the age of four in Gaborone‚ Botswana. When she was in Grade Three, her teacher promoted her to grade four after the first school term.

“My parents had to explain to my teachers after wanting to promote me to other grades that I needed time to mature and it was true because when I got to university I struggled‚” she was quoted as saying recently.

Dr Saurombe enrolled for a BCom degree at the age of 16.

At 19, she had received an Honours degree before getting a Master’s with distinction at 21.

She has already joined a doctoral fellowship at North West University and has a few academic conferences lined up overseas for the rest of the year.

She is involved in teaching and supervising postgraduate students at NWU’s campus in Mahikeng.

The Government of Botswana last week appointed her ambassador of higher and tertiary education.

Zimbabwe continues to make history as an 18-year-old University of Zimbabwe student Maud Chifamba graduated with a Bachelor of Accountancy Honours last year.

In December 2012, Chifamba was fifth on the Forbes Top 100 Youngest Powerful Women in Africa and she was also entered in the book of African Records as the youngest university student on the continent.