Ngwanamaishe Rahab Blondie Mothapo, who received her doctoral degree during the University of Pretoria’s (UP) ongoing Autumn 2025 graduation sessions, sees language as more than just a tool for communication. 

For Dr Mothapo, language is a vessel of culture, identity and deep human connection – particularly for Sepedi-speaking communities in South Africa. Born and raised in Polokwane, Limpopo, her journey from being a young girl with a personal connection to disability to a pioneering academic in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is rooted in the conviction that every voice deserves to be heard in its own language.

She received her PhD with specialisation in Augmentative and Alternative Communication from UP’s Faculty of Humanities on 26 May 2025. UP’s Autumn 2025 graduation season runs from 2 to 29 May, with more than 12 000 students set to receive their qualifications. 

Growing up, Dr Mothapo lived with a family member who had a communication disability. Although her relative was integrated into society, the limitations caused by his communication challenges were always apparent. “I identified this profession partially as a means to understanding the intervention that would assist my relative,” she says. 

Her academic journey began at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (formerly known as MEDUNSA), where she completed her Bachelor of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology degree. “That training gave me the foundation, but my real drive came from a lived experience,” she says. 

After graduating, she entered the clinical space, working with Sepedi-speaking children and adults at Lebowakgomo Hospital in Limpopo. It was during this period that she became increasingly aware of a systemic gap in the field. “As I worked with Sepedi-speaking patients, I began to see how existing assessment tools and communication aids weren’t designed for us. They were Western-centric and linguistically disconnected.” 

This realisation became the focus of her master’s degree at UP’s Centre for Augmentative and Alternative Communication, where her thesis, titled ‘Determining the core vocabulary used by Sepedi-speaking preschool children during regular preschool-based activities’, laid the groundwork for her future research. However, Dr Mothapo knew this was only the beginning. She envisioned creating something more tangible – something that could be used every day in homes, classrooms, and clinics to empower Sepedi-speaking children who struggle with verbal expression.

This vision resulted in her PhD research, also at the University of Pretoria, during which she designed and evaluated a non-electronic, picture-based communication system for Sepedi-speaking preliterate children with communication disabilities. This system is a first-of-its-kind attempt to bridge the gap between clinical communication support and South Africa’s cultural and linguistic diversity.

As a native Sepedi speaker, Dr Mothapo’s cultural background significantly influenced the way she approached both her research and her interaction with participants. “My understanding of the Sepedi culture and language enabled me to be sensitive to the linguistic and cultural issues involved throughout the research. It also enabled me to acknowledge the gaps I had in my understanding of the language and culture.” 

Using a Human-Centred Design (HCD) methodology, she ensured the inclusion of all key stakeholders. “I first consulted with teachers from special schools, speech therapists, parents, linguists, and even AAC users. I asked them how this system should look, where it should work, and how it would be used,” she explains.

For Dr Mothapo, the system is more than just a communication aid, it is also a tool of cultural affirmation. “Every human being has the right to communicate in the language of their choice. This system helps bring that right closer to reality for Sepedi-speaking children,” she says.

Her work not only supports children with communication disabilities but also seeks to empower future researchers from marginalised communities to lead research efforts that reflect their lived realities. “My wish is that this project will empower other researchers within and outside of AAC, from marginalised groups, to take the leap of faith. I reference the famous saying, ‘Nothing about us without us.’”

Looking ahead, she envisions a future where such AAC resources become freely accessible to the broader public, particularly in the education sector. “This will help bridge the resource gap for Sepedi-speaking children, enabling them to communicate, participate in academic activities, and become empowered users of AAC.” 

Dr Mothapo’s work stands as a powerful testament to the value of culturally grounded research. Her work resonates with UP’s vision of pursuing research that creates meaningful impact and positive change within communities.