Trailblazers who achieved firsts in cardiology, mathematics and business to be honoured
- Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ will confer honorary doctorates on Dr Reuel Khoza, Dr Joseph Mokoena and Prof. Kubedi Mokhobo, and cap 2282 Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies during the winter graduation season.
Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University will host its Winter Graduation ceremonies from Monday, 13 July to Friday, 17 July 2026. During this period, a total of 2 282 graduands will be capped, including 137 PhD doctoral graduates.
A further highlight of this season will be the conferment of honorary doctorates upon three torchbearers who have made remarkable contributions in various fields, paving the way for many generations to rise above structural barriers and serve humanity.
The recipients of honorary doctorates, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ highest honour are:
Dr Reuel Khoza, a distinguished business leader, academic and transformation leader, who will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Commerce on 14 July 2026 at the 09:30 graduation ceremony.
Khoza studied psychology before forging one of South Africa's most influential business careers, championing ethical leadership, corporate governance and economic transformation. One of the architects of the King Codes on Corporate Governance, he has led major institutions including Eskom and Nedbank, shaped leadership thinking across Africa through academia and authorship, and dedicated his career to advancing good governance, African humanism and social development. Khoza has also served the higher education sector as an academic and as Chancellor of three universities.
A recipient of several awards and honorary doctorates, his qualifications include a BA Honours in Psychology (University of Limpopo, previously University of the North); a Masters in Marketing (University of Lancaster, UK) and a Doctorate in Business Leadership from Warwick University (UK). He is also a Chartered Director (CD SA) and has authored influential books, which include, amongst others, Attuned Leadership: African Humanism as Compass (2012), Let Africa Lead: African Transformational Leadership for 21st Century Business (2006). A multitalented individual, he also writes lyrics and produces music.
Based on these significant contributions in business, academia, and broader social transformation in South Africa, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University deems it befitting to recognise his contributions. Read the citation to learn about his achievements.
Professor Kubedi Patrick Mokhobo a legendary South African medical pioneer and the country's first Black cardiologist whose life’s work has transformed medicine and healthcare across southern Africa will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Medicine on 15 July 2026 at 09:30.
Born on 5 July in 1932 in Potchefstroom, he qualified as a medical doctor in 1957 at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University and became the first Black registrar, specialising in paediatrics and internal medicine. During this period, he set up his solo practice in Daveyton, Benoni, and became a founding member of the Pan Africanist Congress. Mokhobo’s influence extended beyond South Africa. As the first medical specialist in Swaziland and a founding figure of Lesotho’s medical institutions, he played a significant role in establishing professional bodies, medical journals (including the Lesotho Medical Journal) and congresses that strengthened regional healthcare systems. He rose to serve as the Minister of Health in the then Bophuthatswana, where he introduced community-based healthcare systems, advanced the training of nurses as clinicians and helped to decentralise services so that they could reach underserved communities.
As an academic he influenced generations of medical professionals across multiple countries and contributed to the development of curricula and training programmes. Mokhobo’s lifelong commitment to mentoring future healthcare professionals and expanding equitable access to quality healthcare has left an enduring legacy across the region, and deserves Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ highest honour. Read the citation .
Dr Joseph Albert Mashite Mokoena will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Science, posthumously, on 15 July 2026 at 14:30.
A lesser-known hero and a true trailblazer, Mokoena was the first Black South African to complete a PhD in mathematics awarded in 1959 by Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University. This was less than ten years after the award of the first ever PhD in mathematics by a South African university and less than five years after the promulgation of the Bantu Education Act whose architect, the infamous Dr Hendrik Verwoerd publicly pronounced that “teaching the Bantu child mathematics when he cannot use it in practice” was absurd.
His PhD thesis and scholarship reflect a profound intellect and a commitment to pushing the boundaries of mathematical inquiry. As an academic, he lectured at the University of Fort Hare and at institutions such as the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria, Aston University in the United Kingdom, and the Universities of Rhodesia and Zambia, where he played a pivotal role in developing mathematics curricula as a UNESCO lecturer. His dedication to education transcended borders, fostering academic excellence and inspiring students across the African continent.
In recognition of his pioneering achievements, the South African government posthumously awarded him the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold in 2004.
By conferring an honorary doctorate on Dr Mokoena who tragically passed away at the age of 49, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University celebrates his extraordinary contributions to mathematics, education, and the pursuit of equity in knowledge production. Read the citation .