University of Pretoria (UP) lecturer Dr Zamantungwa Mnisi has been at the forefront of our understanding of major bacterial and viral outbreaks in South Africa. She was among the scientists who traced the source of the listeriosis outbreak in 2017, and played a significant role in sequencing COVID-19 variants in 2021.

Her fascination with parasitology – which was inspired by a Grade 11 biology lesson on the life cycle of a tapeworm – and subsequent research prowess has earned her a National Research Foundation (NRF) Y2 rating.

“This serves as a round of applause and affirmation that I am doing well, and is a reminder that I should never doubt my ability to conceptualise a study and see it through to completion,” she says. It was also her tenacity and dedication as a student that laid a solid foundation for her academic success. 

“During my time at the University of the Free State, I used to study until late into the night,” Dr Mnisi recalls. “I was determined to be among the top-performing students, which meant pushing myself harder and studying until I could recite each page from memory with my eyes closed. This drive was fuelled by my earlier experience at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where I failed mathematics and was excluded from the science programme. When the opportunity to restart at the University of the Free State arose, I seized it and committed fully to my studies. This was a lifetime wake-up call.”

She holds a PhD in Veterinary Tropical Diseases from UP, where she is an extraordinary lecturer. She is also employed as a senior researcher at the University of Limpopo in the Department of Biodiversity.  

“I recently gave a talk titled ‘Tick Talk’, which focused on ticks and the diseases they transmit to livestock and humans,” Dr Mnisi says. “The importance of my work lies in providing preventative measures against ticks and their infections. Recently, I've become interested in studying how climate change affects the distribution patterns of ticks. When livestock are affected by ticks and tick-borne diseases, it threatens food security and hampers our ability to participate in global trade. In addition, there are zoonotic implications, as ticks transmit pathogens that cause diseases in humans.”

She ensures that her academic work and research findings aren’t confined within academic journals and laboratories, and is intentional about ensuring that it reaches and enriches broader society.

“I’m passionate about communicating results, as science communication is crucial,” Dr Mnisi says. “I have worked with local farmers from Bergville, a small town in the northern Drakensberg in KwaZulu-Natal. Each time I collect blood samples from their cattle, I make it a priority to communicate the results to them in a way that is helpful and understandable.

“In research, no one succeeds alone,” Dr Mnisi adds. “Just as no cow grazes alone, collaboration and mutual respect are essential. All people are important in life; respecting them and working efficiently with them is crucial.

“What is especially interesting in our research is the One Health concept. This is a collaborative, multi-sectoral and transdisciplinary approach that emphasises the need for collaboration, as life requires solutions that break down silos and consider broader perspectives. By working together across disciplines, we can develop comprehensive solutions that benefit human, environment and animal health.”