Dr Mantepu MaseTshaba, Acting Executive Dean of the College of Economic and Management Sciences at the University of South Africa, is playing a key leadership role in advancing data-driven transformation within one of Africa’s largest open distance learning institutions.

Acting Executive Dean of the College of Economic and Management Sciences

With a professional background spanning data science, banking, hospitality, and academia, Dr MaseTshaba brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her work in higher education leadership. Her career reflects a consistent focus on the use of quantitative methods to solve real-world economic and organisational challenges.

Originating from a small village near Polokwane in Limpopo, she built her academic foundation on a strong passion for mathematics. This interest later evolved into expertise in decision sciences, forming the basis of her analytical approach to both teaching and institutional leadership.

Her career path has been unconventional and diverse. She began working in the hospitality industry at UNISA’s Good Hope Cafeteria before transitioning into investment banking, where she gained experience in high-performance financial systems and analytical decision-making. These experiences contributed to her later academic focus on systems thinking and data application.

Dr MaseTshaba’s current work is anchored in the application of data science and statistical techniques to improve decision-making in business, education, and governance systems. Within the College of Economic and Management Sciences, she is actively driving initiatives that promote the use of analytics to enhance institutional efficiency, academic delivery, and evidence-based planning.

A central theme in her leadership philosophy is the belief in Africa’s capacity to achieve food self-sufficiency and eradicate hunger through innovation and data-informed policy and systems design. She advocates for the practical application of mathematical tools to optimise resource allocation and strengthen socio-economic development frameworks. In her role at the University of South Africa, Dr MaseTshaba also prioritises bridging the gap between theory and practice. She encourages students and academics to apply analytical and quantitative skills to real-world challenges, reinforcing the relevance of decision sciences in addressing contemporary economic issues.

Her work continues to position data science not only as an academic discipline but as a critical instrument for institutional transformation and sustainable development across the African continent.