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Jeremiah Hlahla
Jeremiah Hlahla, 27, proudly graduates with a PhD in Botany.

At just 27 years old, Dr Jeremiah Hlahla has achieved a remarkable milestone: earning his PhD in Botany, conferred on Thursday 10 April. His journey is one of perseverance, academic curiosity, and the determination to rise above significant personal and financial challenges.  

 

Resilience rooted in early hardship 

Growing up in Nkomazi, Mpumalanga, Dr Hlahla’s early life was marked by profound loss. His mother passed away when he was still young, and in Grade 11, he lost his father. Left without the support of his immediate family, he was placed in an orphanage alongside his sister. Despite these immense challenges, Dr Hlahla remained focused on his education.  

“From Grade 10, I stayed behind at school to do my homework and study,” he recalls. “By Grade 12, I asked the pastor if I could use the church office to study. He allowed me, and throughout matric, I would go straight from school to the church office.” 

 

A passion for science and a decisive pivot 

Dr Hlahla’s fascination with science began in Grade 4 when he first encountered the topic of Matter and Materials. “It was a fascinating subject for me,” he says. By Grade 9, he had decided to become a scientist, though he was still unsure of the specific field. 

After matric, he negotiated with an Anglo-American bursary manager to study biology instead of electrical engineering. “I later applied for biochemistry and botany at the University of Johannesburg because I enjoyed biology - but over the years, I found plant science especially interesting.” 

The pivotal moment in his life came when he was awarded an Anglo-American scholarship. “That was a huge turning point in my life,” he says. “After matric, I didn’t know what I would do next. But after one psychometric exam and two rounds of interviews, I received the scholarship, and my life improved.” 

With renewed motivation, he continued his studies and pursued a Master's degree, despite having no financial resources at the time. “When I arrived at the University of the Free State (UFS), I had just left Pretoria with my bags and no money,” he recalls. His supervisor, Dr Makoena Moloi, recommended him for a National Research Foundation (NRF) grant to cover his expenses. He was later awarded a bursary from Carl Zeiss. 

“Dr Moloi wanted a hardworking person,” Dr Hlahla says. “She also helped me improve my academic writing.”

 

Perseverance through a pandemic 

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unexpected setbacks, derailing his MSc research. “After the lockdown, I returned to find my plants had died. I had to start from scratch,” he says. Despite this, he completed his experiments by August 2021 and submitted his MSc with distinction. 

“It is incredibly rewarding to see years of hard work culminate in a PhD,” he reflects. 

 

Looking ahead: Researching for a food-secure future 

Now a postdoctoral researcher in plant breeding, Dr Hlahla is working on developing drought-tolerant edamame cultivars – research inspired by his PhD work. 

 “What excites me the most is breeding drought-tolerant edamame cultivars based on my previous research,” he says. “I am also thrilled to be working with Prof Maryke Labuschagne and Prof Rouxlene van der Merwe.” 

Dr Hlahla’s journey has given him insight into what it takes to succeed against the odds. His message to students navigating hardship is clear: 

“Stay focused on your goals. How you respond to what happens to you will determine your future. Someone is always willing to help - so find support and use it. Hard work, willingness, and determination will take you far.”

News Archive

Ms Oprah Winfrey to receive an honorary doctorate in Education from our university
2011-06-10

 

Ms Oprah Winfrey

Invitation to the public (PDF document)
Invitation to UFS staff and students (PDF document)
Media accreditation (PDF document)
Street closures on 23 and 24 June 2011 (Bloemfontein Campus)
Map from the Bloemfontein Airport to the UFS (PDF document)
Map of the UFS (PDF document)


For more information, please contact:

Tel: 051 401 3000
E-mail: info@ufs.ac.za

Staff and students from our Qwaqwa Campus, please contact:
Dr Elias Malete's office
 


Our university will be awarding an honorary doctorate in Education to the global media icon, philanthropist and public educator, Ms Oprah Winfrey, on its Bloemfontein Campus on Friday, 24 June 2011.

Both the Council and Senate of our university gave strong support to awarding the honorary doctorate to Ms Winfrey.

By awarding the honorary doctorate, we want to recognise Ms Winfrey’s accomplishments and unparalleled work as a global media leader, as well as a philanthropist with vision and foresight in the field of education and development.

“It is a great privilege for us to be the first South African university to honour Ms Winfrey in this way and to be able to recognise a global icon of her stature,” says Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of our university.

Ms Winfrey already holds honorary doctorates from Princeton University as well as Duke University in the United States, among others.

Reaching millions of viewers in more than 150 countries with her award-winning programme, “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” she has brought genuine change into the lives of ordinary people during its 25-year run.

Capitalising on the power of the media and her standing as a global icon, Ms Oprah Winfrey has brought a range of critical social and educational matters to the attention of her viewers. In 2000, she expanded her media reach through the successful creation of O, The Oprah Magazine, which then debuted in South Africa in 2002. Earlier this year, she extended her media influence through the launch of a US cable channel, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.

Her Book Club has had a dramatic and profound impact on the reading habits of America and those of people in other parts of the world, while her public charity, Oprah’s Angel Network, collected approximately $80 million over a period of twelve years in aid of building schools, women’s shelters and youth centres across the globe.

Through her private charity, The Oprah Winfrey Foundation, hundreds of grants have been awarded in support of empowering women, children and families, and The Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program, supports hundreds of university students, in the United States and elsewhere, who are committed to giving back and making a difference in their communities and country.

During a December 2000 visit to former president Nelson Mandela, Ms Winfrey pledged to build a school for girls in South Africa. This gift was to become the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, which opened in 2007.

The Academy embodies her strong belief in the power of education to change the future. The Academy provides a unique educational opportunity to over 400 young girls, in Grades 7 through 12, from all over South Africa. These young women come from small rural towns and the big cities, but they share a common background in that they all come from poor families.

Ms Winfrey believes that the Academy can contribute to the development of a new generation of women leaders, deeply imbued with a sense of public service. The Academy stands as a beacon of hope in the educational landscape of this country.

More recently, Ms Winfrey has turned her attention to the failing public-school system in the United States and has brought the impact thereof on the lives of many people in America to the attention of the American public and policy-makers. Even more profoundly, she has highlighted how poor education entrenches poverty and social exclusion. In this sense, Ms Winfrey demonstrates the interconnection between education struggles in the USA and South Africa in powerful ways.

Both the Interim Director of our university’s International Institute for Studies in Race, Reconciliation and Social Justice, Mr John Samuel, and Prof. Jansen have worked for and with Ms Winfrey on matters of education at her school in Johannesburg, and in South Africa more broadly.

The South African public is invited to share in this occasion, and attend the award ceremony. A limited number of tickets will be available to the public from Wednesday, 15 June 2011 to Wednesday, 22 June 2011, and can be purchased from Computicket at an administrative cost of R10 a ticket.


Media Release

11 June 2011
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

 

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