At just 23 years old, Nina du Preez is already making waves in the field of museum, heritage and preservation studies. Recently awarded the Abe Bailey Travel Bursary, the University of Pretoria (UP) student is poised to take her passion for community well-being and cultural heritage to new heights.

Du Preez’s journey began with a BA degree in Humanities, majoring in Afrikaans and Ancient Culture Studies. This unique combination laid the foundation for her current focus on interdisciplinary approaches to heritage and community development.

“These disciplines seem to be worlds apart,” Du Preez said. “But I settled on them because both are strongly focused on the human experience and the legacies we carry.”

The Abe Bailey Travel Bursary gives awardees the opportunity to visit England and Scotland. It is awarded to registered full-time students and junior academic staff from South African universities who are academically strong and have shown exceptional qualities of leadership and service. The bursary aims to broaden the views of young students and staff, encourage global leadership development, and cultivate linguistic and cultural diversity.

Being the recipient of this bursary is a significant milestone for Du Preez, who expressed her gratitude and excitement for the opportunity it affords her. She says the programme will allow her to engage with like-minded individuals and challenge her perspectives.

Her vision for her future embodies her go-getter spirit as her short-term goals include completing her master’s degree and partnering with Book Dash, a South African initiative that creates accessible children’s literature. Du Preez’s long-term ambitions truly demonstrate her commitment to community transformation.

“My big dream is to support current community well-being projects and initiate new community upliftment projects through the establishment of urban green spaces, community and cultural centres, and mobile museums and libraries,” Du Preez said. “I adore UP’s Moja Gabedi gardens in Festival Street. It would be wonderful to see more urban green or community spaces established and successfully maintained in the city.”

Central to Du Preez’s philosophy is the concept of stewardship in heritage studies. She grapples with critical questions about prioritising cultural narratives and objects, always with the intention of benefitting future generations. She would like to leave a legacy of leaving things in a better state than what she found them in, and to encourage this mindset in others.

As Du Preez prepares for the Abe Bailey tour (she says she’s particularly looking forward to the UK stage), she remains focused on her ultimate goal: improving the lives of those around her. With her interdisciplinary background and passion for community engagement, Du Preez is undoubtedly a rising star in the field of heritage studies and community development.