Dr Nontuthuko S’lindile Nkwanyana was excited to be conferred with a Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management Sciences Specialising in Public Administration at the Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) Spring Graduation held at the Olive Convention Centre on Tuesday, 19 September 2023.
Nkwanyana currently serves as Deputy Director in Supply Chain Management at the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in Kwa-Zulu Natal. She had previously held the job title of Supply Chain manager. At just 24 years old, she was the youngest manager in her discipline. Her work experience also includes lecturing for almost three years with DUT’s Faculty of Management Sciences’ Department of Public Management and Economics from mid-2020 to late 2022.
Nkwanyana who hails from the rural village of Kwa Maphumulo, North of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) expressed her excitement and acknowledged that one’s background does not determine one’s future. “I am super excited, and extremely proud as I attain the highest-level qualification in the hierarchy of academia despite competing responsibilities as a public servant, mother, lecturer, and student,” she said.
“I came from very humble beginnings, and it is growing up in underprivileged circumstances that has pushed me to where I am today,” she added.
Occupying a senior office seat, Dr Nkwanyana encourages young people, especially women to capitalise on various opportunities afforded to them and let go of the narrative that senior positions are reserved for men and that their future is in their hands.
“Many institutions have now made equal opportunities available for everyone to upskill themselves and lead in positions that were earmarked for men,” said Dr Nkwanyana.
The mother of two children has proven to be a woman of many talents as she is also a writer and has authored a book titled “Building Better Supply Chains Through Its People, Systems, and Review: Lessons to the World” and is currently running an IsiZulu poems and short stories writing competition named ‘Bhala Nathi SA’, which she runs with her sister, Dr B Nkwanyana a fellow PhD recipient.
Commenting on her research and the field of Supply Chain Management, Nkwanyana said Supply Chain Management units especially in the public sector, face a plethora of challenges and risks such as poor performance, fraud, and corruption. She further articulated that her study had a dual purpose and that was to attain her qualification and to contribute to resolving challenges in her professional career by adding practical solutions to reducing supply chain vulnerability to risks in government institutions in South Africa.
Dr Kwanyana’s research topic was, “Vulnerability of supply chains risks: An agenda to capacitate the state in South Africa” and was supervised by Professor AT Agbenyegah.
Pictured: Dr Nontuthuko S’lindile Nkwanyana
Thulasizwe Nkomo
