Dr Seite Makgai is one of the first New Generation Academic lecturers (NGap) at the University of Pretoria and is currently appointed as a senior lecturer at the Department of Statistics, University of Pretoria.  Her qualifications from University of Pretoria include a BSc in Actuarial and Financial Management Sciences, BSc (Hons) as well as a MSc in Mathematical Statistics.  She obtained her PhD degree in Mathematical Statistics in 2020 at the University of Pretoria, with publications that are in fundamental research platforms. 

As an emerging researcher, she has collaborated with national and international scholars within the field of distributional theory and machine learning.  Her research focus is on Distributional Theory, Bayesian statistics as well as machine learning.   In her research, flexible Dirichlet-type distributions are developed to analyse compositional data sets in the medical, biology and behavioural sciences.  Her mission is to make a considerable impact in Distributional Theory, as well as bridging the gap between theoretical concepts and direct application to real life problems.   In 2015, one of her developed models was recognised by Statistics South Africa government (StatsSA).  This recognition awarded her an opportunity to present her work at the 2015 International Statistical Institute (ISI) World Statistics Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Over the years, she has intentionally picked up supervision projects that have had direct human impact, where applications are in the environmental, medical and biological sciences.  Her supervision efforts have seen her put through several postgraduate students, with 100% record timing graduations.

Dr Makgai is not only an emerging researcher, but she is also a well-rounded academic, having been well recognised in her field as a formidable lecturer and teacher.  Her teaching skills and passion has been recognised by her colleagues in 2022, where she was awarded the Teaching Award in the Mathematical Sciences cluster.  She has taught several first-year statistics modules, amongst other undergraduate and postgraduate modules.  She has experience with teaching large classes, as well as smaller postgraduate groups.  One of her goals is to make her students see the relevance of statistical concepts in their everyday lives.  This perspective is the foundation of her teaching philosophy. 

Makgai is an active member in the Science education community.  She has collaborated with Junior Tukkie, Sci-Enza, and several other science and statistics engagements with the Faculty of the Natural and Agricultural Sciences, where she has facilitated and organized engagements that presented the relevance of the science of statistics in a changing world.  

Dr Makgai is a Southern-Africa Leadership fellow.  She is also a member of the Golden Key, the South African Statistics Association, South African Postgraduate Association and the Bayes Interest Group.  She has been nominated by the Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences as a candidate of the Future Professorship Programme.