Dr Mayaba obtains an MBA Degree

Dr Nosisa Mayaba, Director of Planning and Quality Assurance and recently, Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Institutional Support (DVC-IS), has recently added a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree to her list of qualifications.

She is a plant physiologist by profession with a PhD in Botany from the University of Natal (now the University of KwaZulu-Natal).   On 24^th October 2020 her other big dream came to fruition when she graduated with an MBA degree from the Management College of Southern Africa (MANCOSA).  The graduation ceremony was held virtually due to Covid-19 limitations.

Dr Mayaba said she has always had a particular interest in business management despite her career choice.  The title of her MBA dissertation was: The role of leadership and governance on the quality of teaching and learning in a historically disadvantaged university in the Eastern Cape province.

“Both my parents operated businesses. Back then I had my reasons for not pursuing a degree in business management. However the business bug somehow caught up with me when I was doing my PhD,” she said.  At the time, she enrolled for a Diploma in Business Management and later upgraded to an MBA to enhance her business skills and financial acumen.

“As a researcher and scientist, I always felt that leadership does not really understand the challenges of researchers and scientists when they formulate their strategies.  I am a visionary and therefore like to plan ahead. I am also detail oriented so it was a logical move for me to steer towards strategy.

Her interest in business studies was further fuelled by a personal quest to be the best that she can be.

“My background to date has been focused around preparing myself to become the best I can be and becoming a person that others can rely on. I also strive to make a significant contribution wherever I find myself, be it personally, socially and professionally,” she said.

Her current portfolio as the Acting DVC-IS is the perfect opportunity to draw from her training as a business administrator.  “This qualification could not have come at a more appropriate time. In this role I oversee and provide strategic leadership and operations management to the Human Resources, Information and Communication Technology, and Properties and Services portfolios.”

“This position will provide an opportunity to put into practice and hone my skills as an administrator”, she said.

Source: UFH