Dr Hloniphile Sithole Mthethwa, is a lecturer in the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science at the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN), Pietermaritzburg Campus. Her first teaching job was in the Science Foundation Programme. She was later employed as a developmental lecturer in the Accelerated Academic Development Programme (AADP) at UKZN. AADP posts are aimed at young aspiring academics with no or limited experience in academia but with potential and interest to pursue an academic career. Candidates are expected to register for a PhD. She was appointed to the current position after completing the AADP programme.

Hloniphile completed her matric at Edendale Technical High School near Pietermaritzburg. She holds a BSc in Applied Mathematics and Statistics from UKZN, an Honours degree with focus on Biomathematics from the Stellenbosch University in conjunction with the African Institute for Mathematical Science in Cape Town. She further obtained the MSc and PhD from the UKZN. She is proud of supervising postgraduate students and having four publications accepted for Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) recognised journals during her PhD studies.

Hloniphile’s achievements includes AIMS and Stellenbosch University for Honours Scholarship, SACEMA- South African Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis Scholarship towards her MSc studies, She have received funding for teaching relief and conference attendance through UCDP University Capacity Development Programme. She was awarded a UKZN Wonder Women in Science Award in 2020.

Hloniphile’s research interests includes mathematical biology, numerical analysis and fluid dynamics. Her PhD was a theoretical study on determining the accuracy and efficiency of recent local linearization methods combined with spectral techniques for solving boundary value problems. She intensively studied boundary layer flow, heat and mass transport in various non- Newtonian nanofluids models. The particular application was on complex non-Newtonian nanofluid models in various geometries and boundary conditions, leading to highly nonlinear, coupled differential equations.