Meet SA’s Youngest Female PhD Graduate Musawenkosi Saurombe

At the age of 23 Musawenkosi Donia Saurombe will achieve a historic feat in October when she graduates with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in industrial psychology. The prestigious Golden Key International Honour Society based in Tucson, Arizona in United States, and the ministry of higher education have also confirmed that Musawenkosi will be youngest woman to be bestowed with a PhD.

The North West University (NWU) student was reportedly born in Zimbabwe and raised in Botswana before she moved to SA to embark on her studies at the age of 16, when she matriculated. Despite attaining her degree in 2013, Musawenkosi said she battled to find employment.

“I applied for different jobs but didn’t get a response, so I decided to further my education,” Musawenkosi says.

Her PhD thesis looked into the talent value propositions for academic staff members in higher education. And it was recently admitted by NWU, making her the youngest person to graduate with a PhD.

“It became a challenge for me to break the record and it became my source of motivation and inspiration,” Musawenkosi said.

The job seeker and aspirant singer in her spare time, further adds: “I am defined by my African name ‘Musawenkosi’, which means ‘God’s grace’, and indeed my life continues to be a story of God’s grace.”