Chemist Concludes Ministerial Future Professors Programme

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UKZN chemist and recently promoted Professor Precious Mahlambi has successfully concluded the Future Professors Programme (FFP), a national, collaborative initiative of the Department of Higher Education and Training.

FFP is a competitive and selective programme that prepares promising mid-career academics to be the new cohort of South African professors across disciplines. The programme is a preparatory two-year programme that supports young scholars at South African universities to lead through excellence in their respective fields, equipping them to be the country’s next generation of professors.

The programme offers a structured curriculum that includes intensive seminars and international placement aimed at accelerating the readiness of young academics for the professoriate.

Mahlambi was successfully promoted from senior lecturer to associate professor at UKZN in December 2023.

Mahlambi was born and raised in the rural area of Inchanga, KwaZulu-Natal, which she says motivated her to succeed and inspire others to succeed in life. As part of her community service ethos, she is involved in assisting matriculants with career choices and applications to study at institutions of higher learning. She also works with teenagers to encourage them to become valuable citizens who care about their lives, community, and who value education.

‘Being raised in a rural area with nothing encouraging or motivating never stopped me from pursuing Higher Education,’ she said. 

Mahlambi holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of the Witwatersrand and is a National Research Foundation (NRF) C-Rated researcher.

As a lecturer in Chemistry at UKZN she leads the Environmental Analytical Chemistry Research group. ‘This group started with the help of the University’s new academics research start-up funds (R40 000) from the School of Chemistry and Physics in 2016, with one BSc Honours student (who now holds a PhD),’ she recalled. To raise funds to support her research group, she successfully applied for an NRF Thuthuka grant (2017-2022). Thereafter, she obtained an NRF rated/unrated research grant (2023-2025). Other funders like uMngeni Water, Department of Agriculture, Moses Kotane Institute and the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA), have also funded the students and research work of her group, which has graduated 11 honours, 12 MSc, and five PhD students and hosted two postdocs to date.

‘Almost all these graduates are already working in industries like uMngeni Water, Talbot & Talbot, Hulamin, Ingrams, Randwater, Agilent Technologies, SAB and Buckman,’ she said.

Currently, one honours, three MSc and three PhD students are currently registered with her research group, with one postdoctoral fellow.

Mahlambi has published more than 50 papers in peer-reviewed journals.

Her current research focuses on the assessment of environmental and food (fruits and vegetables) pollution by various compounds such as pharmaceuticals, antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, antibiotics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides and heavy metals. She is also involved in the green synthesis and application of nanomaterials for biological applications and wastewater remediation.

Mahlambi’s great research group has successfully synthesised molecularly imprinted polymers for selective removal of pesticides, pharmaceuticals and ARV drugs from water. Currently, the biological processes (including algae and plant materials) are being explored as potential bioremediation strategies for the removal of metals, antibiotics and ARV drugs from aqueous media.

Mahlambi is also involved in a community service project with the Department of Agriculture studying wild growing indigenous plants (that grow abundantly in rural communities) for essential oil production. ‘The community can use these oils for various purposes including health, beauty and as pharmaceuticals,’ she said. ‘This project will educate the rural communities on the value of these plants and their ability to be considered as a source of income as the stakeholders aim to share the findings with the communities.’

Another collaboration Mahlambi is involved with is with uMngeni water, which is the main water supplier for the Umgungundlovu district, developing analytical methods for the assessment and remediation of water pollution to safeguard human health. As a result of the positive impact of this work, the collaboration has been extended to the United Kingdom (University of Bristol) and Japan (University of Kagoshima), with researchers working on water pollution assessment and remediation.

‘Water pollution is a worldwide problem and even more pronounced in developing countries like South Africa,’ she said. ‘Therefore, this collaboration will result in a possible collaborative solution for worldwide water pollution problems.’

Mahlambi aims to produce effective, greener and affordable materials that can be employed in the wastewater treatment processes to reduce pollution of water sources by wastewater treatment plants.

‘We celebrate Dr Mahlambi’s achievements and congratulate her on successfully completing the Future Professor Programme,’ said Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor for the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, Professor Fhatu Mudau.

Words: Sally Frost

Photograph: Supplied