’Matikoe Matsoso has made history as the first black African woman to be awarded a PhD in Heritage and Cultural Tourism from the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies (DHHS) in the Faculty of Humanities.

Hailing from the Kingdom of Lesotho, Matsoso completed her undergraduate studies at the National University of Lesotho (NUL). She then worked as a heritage professional for the Metolong Cultural Resource Management Project, sponsored by the World Bank and under the auspices of Oxford University (UK), during which her passion for the sector grew. Seven years after her first BA degree, she had the opportunity to further her studies and completed her Bachelor of Science in Heritage and Cultural Tourism Honours in the DHHS in 2017. Besides the theoretical aspects, she was also part of the work-integrated learning (WIL) component of the degree, UP Campus Tours (UPCT) where her confidence and soft skills were honed. Also as part of her Honours degree, she completed a Research Report on “The Moshoeshoe walk: the cultural and commodification dilemma?” under the supervision of Prof Karen L Harris (Head of Department, DHHS). The following year, with the encouragement of Harris she embarked on her Master’s degree under Harris’s supervision tackling yet another controversial topic in the HCT domain: “Landlocked Lesotho: South Africa’s Tourism Stranglehold”. This degree was awarded cum laude in 2019.

There was no stopping Matsoso now as she began her doctoral journey, with her research titled "Exploring Exploitation: Women in Southern Africa and Cultural Tourism". Under the supervision of Harris again, this research addressed the often overlooked issue of gender within the HCT sector, particularly among those who make up the backbone of this industry; the women. This research also responds to the call by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) and UN Women for Collective Action, urging nations to enhance efforts to empower women and girls, particularly through improved monitoring practices and the rectification of data gaps related to critical gender issues. Her findings revealed subtle yet significant insights into the working conditions within HCT and the industry's effects on the female workforce, highlighting the troubling reality that, even in the 21st century, Kafkaesque situations continue to afflict this vulnerable demographic.

As a woman and a cultural tourism scholar, the completion of this study is significant, as there is a pressing need to enhance the visibility and representation of women who make a significant share within the tourism sector as a whole. The research also devised an “exploitation wheel” to highlight and alert stakeholders in the HCT sector to the challenges women face and facilitate improvements to their circumstances. Matikoe and Harris have also submitted an article for publication entitled: “Exploring Exploitation in Southern Africa: Gender in the heritage tourism sector”.

According to Prof Harris, “Matikoe revealed an incredible tenacity right from the outset in her honors degree to her crowning doctoral glory”.  Harris adds, “She was a pleasure to work with and an even greater pleasure to see her succeed”. Matsoso says “Being the first-born daughter of parents who didn’t finish high school, holding this PhD certificate feels like a huge win. I’ve not only broken barriers in my family, but I’m also super proud to be the first black African woman to get a PhD in Heritage and Cultural Tourism at the University of Pretoria. This is such a proud moment for me and my family!” Looking back, Matsoso reflects on how she persevered no matter what the odds - looking forward, Matsoso aims to contribute further to the field of HCT as a researcher, as this remains a relatively nascent discipline with numerous areas yet to explore. (Image: Dr Matikoe Matsoso & supervisor Prof Karen Harris)