Researchers

Dr Alastair Potts

Affiliation: Department of Botany; African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience (ACCP)

Email Address: alastair.potts@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Phylogeography; Species Distribution Modelling; Statistics; Ecology & Evolution; Palaeoclimate

Description of Research: Dr Potts’ research focuses on various aspects of South African ecology: palaeovegetation distributions; plant phylogeography; drivers of biome boundaries; and Albany Subtropical Thicket ecology. He explores the interface between phylogenetic trees and networks.

Mr Andrew Young

Affiliation: Engineering Director – Marine Robotics Unit (MRU)

Email Address: andrew.young@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Engineering; Marine Robotics

Description of Research: Mr Young's research involves the development of robotics equipment and software for application and deployment in the marine environment.

Dr Anthea Christoffels-Du Plessis

Affiliation: Academic, Faculty of Law, Nelson Mandela University

Email Address: anthea.christoffels-duplessis@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Customary fishing rights; Indigenous fishing communities; Fisheries Policy & Governance and Small-scale fishing rights; Indigenous rights; Human rights law

Description of Research: Dr Christoffels-Du Plessis is a full-time academic and emerging scholar at the Nelson Mandela University, Faculty of Law, South Africa. Her doctoral research focuses on customary fishing rights in South African fisheries law, proposing sui generis recognition and protection of customary fishing rights in the Marine Living Resources Act, 1998. Her research underscores the plight of indigenous fishing communities in South Africa, proposing reforms to the legislative framework in view of international human rights law and policy, as well as advances made in countries such as Canada, New Zealand and Kenya.

Professor Brenda Scholtz

Affiliation: Head – Department of Computing Sciences

Email Address: Brenda.Scholtz@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Business Analysis; Information Management & Technology; Sustainability; Information System Management

Description of Research: Professor Scholtz's research focuses on data analysis and business intelligence, with an interest in applications towards environmental sustainability.

Dr Buhle Francis

Affiliation: Senior Researcher, Centre for Post-School Education and Training (CIPSET), Nelson Mandela University

Email Address: buhle.francis@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Ocean governance, livelihoods, gender, natural resources management, climate change, policy, small-scale fisheries, food sovereignty and security.

Description of Research: Dr Francis works at the interface of science and communities, focusing on inclusive ocean governance, gender equity, and climate resilience. She leads the "Learning for the Future" programme, which strengthens food sovereignty and sustainable livelihoods among small-scale fishers and coastal communities.

Mr Callum Anderson

Affiliation: Department of Geosciences

Email Address: callum.anderson@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Paleolimnology; Water Chemistry

Description of Research: Mr Anderson investigates geochemical aspects of microbialite/stromatolite systems, as well as mineralogical, geochemical and structural characteristics of geological features in the Eastern Cape.

Dr Danai Tembo

Affiliation: Department of Development Studies

Email Address: danai.tembo@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Ocean Governance and Security; Science to Policy Transfer; Environmental Education

Description of Research: Dr Tembo's research focuses on the governance of marine living resources (with specific emphasis on the legislation governing these resources and the associated implementation challenges), IUU fishing and the operational synergies with crime, and capacity building in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region (with a specific focus on the transfer of science to policy and the associated challenges).

Professor Eileen Campbell

Affiliation: Department of Botany; Curator – Ria Olivier Herbarium at the Department of Botany

Email Address: eileen.campbell@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Coastal Zone Management; Phycology; Sandy Beach Ecology; Vegetation Ecology

Description of Research: Professor Campbell's research investigates the biology and physiology of surf-zone diatoms, the ecology of Bontveld, and conservation. She has an interest in the flora of the Nelson Mandela University Nature Reserve, and in Red Data plants of the Eastern Cape.

Dr Gavin Rishworth

Affiliation: Department of Zoology

Email Address: gavin.rishworth@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Marine Ecology; Ecology & Evolution; Geobiology; Palaeoecology; Stable Isotope Ecology

Description of Research: Dr Rishworth's research considers ecosystem dynamics and features of modern supratidal microbialites compared to analogous extinct habitats. He investigates the functional drivers that promote the formation of these benthic lithified biofilms. He also studies benthic macroinvertebrates and their role in several estuarine and shallow coastal ecosystem services.

Professor Hervé Fritz

Affiliation: Acting Director – Sustainability Research Unit (SRU)

Email Address: herve.fritz@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Conservation Biology; Invasive Species; Behavioural Ecology; Biodiversity; Climate Change

Description of Research: Professor Fritz focuses on predator-prey interactions, invasive alien plants in coastal fynbos and thicket shrublands, anthropological constraints to social-ecological systems, and environmental research development.

Professor Houdini Fourie

Affiliation: Department of Applied Accounting

Email Address: houdini.fourie@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Audit; Management Audit; Finance Management; Corporate Governance; Financial Accounting

Description of Research: Professor Fourie researches internal auditing, governance, public finance, accounting scholarships and Information Systems Assurance. He is involved in environmental accounting research.

Professor Janet Cherry

Affiliation: Department of Development Studies

Email Address: janet.cherry@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Political Participation; Sustainable Development

Description of Research: Professor Cherry researches sustainable development, economic and social history, and development policy using Participatory Action Research.

Professor Jean Greyling

Affiliation: Department of Computing Sciences

Email Address: jean.greyling@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Teaching; Programming; Software Development

Description of Research: Professor Greyling's work entails software and programme development and education. He leads student teams in the development of mobile apps and games that introduce coding concepts to learners, using tangible tokens and image recognition.

Dr Jessica Fraser

Affiliation: Business School

Email Address: jessica.fraser@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Operational Management; Logistics; Supply Chain Management

Description of Research: Dr Fraser's work focuses on operations management and logistics and extends into research on supply chain management (including shipping and ports management) integrated with e-business.

Ms Kirstie Eastwood

Affiliation: Department of Statistics

Email Address: kirstie.eastwood@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Mathematical & Applied Statistics; Statistical Modelling & Analysis

Description of Research: Ms Eastwood's research focuses on various aspects of statistical modelling and analysis.

 

 

 

Dr Laura Amoah

Affiliation: Department of Development Studies

Email Address: laura.amoah@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability; Water Resources Management; Coastal and Marine Environmental Management; Blue Economy and Blue Justice; Sustainable Livelihoods; Environmental Impact Assessment and Disaster Risk Reduction

Description of Research: Her research explores climate change, water and coastal resource governance, and the blue economy and environmental sustainability, EIA, climate change, food and water security, and livelihoods adaptation with a focus on strengthening community resilience, livelihoods, environmental justice, and sustainable resource management in vulnerable coastal communities.

Prof Leah Ndimurwimo

Affiliation: Associate Professor - Department of Criminal and Procedural Law; Visiting Fulbright Scholar, University of Arizona

Email Address: leah.ndimurwimo@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Refugee law; Migration studies

Description of Research: Prof Ndimurwimo's academic work encompasses teaching a range of subjects, with a particular emphasis on refugee law. Her primary research interests lie in refugee law and migration studies. As a Fulbright Scholar, her research is centred on the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers. She examines the content and implementation of refugees and migration laws and policies within the African context, with a particular focus on South Africa. Recognizing the multifaceted nature of human rights challenges in the country, her work seeks to underscore the need for robust legal protections for vulnerable populations like refugees, asylum-seekers also internally displaced persons and homeless individuals. Through the interpretation of key legal frameworks and judicial decisions, her research advocates for the revision and strengthening of existing laws and policies to ensure their alignment with both international and regional human rights standards. 

Prof Magda Minguzzi

Affiliation: Department of Architecture

Email Address: magda.minguzzi@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Indigenous Knowledge Systems; Action Research; Community Engagement Projects

Description of Research: Dr Minguzzi's research focus is on tangible and intangible First Indigenous Heritage in the Eastern Cape, and specifically on the fish traps. She conducts research in collaboration with the First Indigenous People of Southern Africa.

Professor Nadine Strydom

Affiliation: Department of Zoology

Email Address: nadine.strydom@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Coastal Fish Ecology; Ichthyoplankton Ecology; Planktology; Biodiversity & Conservation; Fisheries Ecology; Aquatic Pollution

Description of Research: Professor Strydom works on the ecology of coastal fishes with a speciality on the early life history stages, in marine, estuarine and riverine habitats. Emphasis on ecology, reproduction, threats, conservation and management.

Mr Obakeng Van Dyk

Affiliation: Department of Public Law

Email Address: Obakeng.VanDyk@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Administrative Law, Constitutional Law and Maritime Law

Description of Research: Currently researching the intersection between Administrative Law and asepcts of Maritime Law

Dr Ongama Mtimka

Affiliation: Department of History and Political Studies

Email Address: ongama.mtimka@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): International Political Economy (Fishing rights, off-shore oil and gas, etc), SA Political Economy, Development

Description of Research: Dr Mtimka research and consults on the nexus between politics and the economy in development. Whether it be the effects of regulations on doing business, trends in relations between the state and organised business interests, or best ways in which inclusive economies may be created, it falls within the scope of his interests. For his masters, he researched the Coega Project with a focus on the link between politics and business in driving the development of the deepwater port and the adjacent industrial development zone. For his PhD, he looked into political economy of transformation in the construction sector. He has published papers on the international political economy of the energy transition in South Africa and has consulted on a voluntary knowledge sharing process for off-shore oil and gas exploration along the wild coast.

Professor Pamela Maseko

Affiliation: Dean – Faculty of Humanities

Email Address: pamela.maseko@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Translation Studies; Language Learning; Intercultural Communication

Description of Research: Professor Maseko works towards developing and building partnerships for humanities focused knowledge exchange. She is interested in linking humanities research to ocean sciences.

Professor Paula Melariri

Affiliation: Department of Environmental Health

Email Address: paulaezinne.melariri@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Communicable Diseases; Public Health; Ethnopharmacology

Description of Research: Professor Melariri's expertise field is in Pharmacology, with a focus on disease control using natural and synthesised products. Her current research interests are in the following fields: Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs); Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); influence of WASH and the environment on water quality; waterborne diseases; and nanomaterials and the environment. She is interested in linking environmental health to human health.

Dr Paul-Pierre Steyn

Affiliation: Department of Botany

Email Address: paul.steyn@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Marine Ecology; Macroalgae; Seaweed Mariculture

Description of Research: Dr Steyn's research focuses on macroalgal communities of shallow reefs in the Eastern Cape, and  abalone ranching and seeding. He is involved in environmental impact assessments and management, and botanical and ecological assessments.

Dr Phumelele Gama

Affiliation: Department of Botany

Email Address: phumelele.gama@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Aquatic Plant Ecology; Phytoplankton Ecology

Description of Research: Dr Gama's work entails various aspects of aquatic plant ecology and phytoplankton ecology.

Professor Pierre Pistorius

Affiliation: Manager – Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU); Department of Zoology

Email Address: pierre.pistorius@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Marine Top Predators; Conservation Biology; Biodiversity Monitoring; Behavioural Ecology

Description of Research: Professor Pistorius is involved in various aspects of marine apex predator research, including (amongst others): time-activity budgets; foraging ecology; behavioural ecology and linking changes to climate change; improvements to conservation and marine ecosystem management; and habitat preferences.

Professor Ronney Ncwadi

Affiliation: Department of Economics

Email Address: ronney.ncwadi@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Economic Development; Entrepreneurship; Econometric Analysis

Description of Research: Professor Ncwadi's research focus is on Public Finance, small business development, informal sector economics, and applied economics. He is involved in Blue Economy research.

Dr Tanya Wagenaar

Affiliation: Department of Private Law

Email Address: tanya.wagenaar@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Intellectual Property; Legal Theory; Legal Analysis; Ocean Governance

Description of Research: Ms Wagenaar investigates intellectual property consequences of marine bioprospecting, focusing on the integration of the governance regimes which apply to the main aspects of marine bioprospecting. These include law applicable to biodiversity, the sea and intellectual property rights.

Ms Yonela Ndila

Affiliation: Department of Private Law

Email Address: yonela.ndila@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Maritime Cybersecurity; Ocean Governance; Ocean Energy; Maritime and Marine Law

Description of Research: Ms Ndila investigates the legal and regulatory governance of maritime cybersecurity, with a particular focus on the South African context. Her research examines the intersection of cybercrime law, maritime law and international maritime instruments in addressing cyber threats to vessels, ports, autonomous systems and critical martime infrastructure. Her research critically examines whether South Africa's existing cybercrime legislative framework adequetely addresses cyber threats occuring at sea and affecting maritime activities and coastal infrastructure. Central to her research is a comparative jurisdictional analysis juxtaposing the legislative, executive and adjudicative jurisdictional provisions of the Cybercrimes Act against the ocean jurisdictional framework established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, to determine the boundaries and limitations of South Africa's capacity to criminalise, investigate and prosecute maritime cybercrimes.

Dr Zikhona Tywabi-Ngeva

Affiliation: Department of Chemistry

Email Address: zikhona.tywabi-ngeva@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Marine water treatment and technologies

Description of Research: Development of eco-friendly materials and innovative technologies for treating marine water, aiming to remove heavy metals, pesticides, and emerging pollutants in order to restore and protect coastal and marine ecosystems.