​​“A woman's work is never done. To fulfil the enormous potential of Africa, women are central as change-makers." These are the words of Prof Sarah Howie, Director of the Africa Centre for Scholarship (ACS) at Stellenbosch University International. Prof Howie is one of multiple women at Stellenbosch University making a difference on the African continent through various programmes they are involved in.

As head of the ACS, Prof Howie helps implement programmes focusing on enhancing scholarship in Africa. In this role, she seeks to contribute to SU's strategic objective of networked and collaborative teaching and learning promoting the Joint Schools in Africa programme. Prof Sarah says the programme, which focuses on “developing and enhancing the scholarship of emerging scholars as well as those supervising them", has been conducted in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and will expand to Rwanda and Nigeria later this year. She also highlights the work of the African Doctoral Academy, a flagship programme of the ACS, which celebrates 10 years of existence this year and has attracted more than 4 000 participants from all over Africa attending its Winter and Summer Doctoral Schools.

Prof Howie who has travelled the length and breadth of Africa, most recently visited Ethiopia for a joint doctoral school with Mekelle University. She says knowing that there is so much work to be done and that time is precious and limited is a huge driver being a change agent of the continent.

“The more I travel in Africa, the more fascinated I become with its possibilities and the more I admire the resilience and innovation of the people in Africa. As a continent, it is diverse, vibrant, dynamic and has untapped potential."

Drawing on the contribution of Howie and colleagues in the ACS, Norma Derby, Coordinator: Africa Mobility at SU International, also believes in the important message that Africa is capable of developing itself, creating a better future for its people and being a fully-fledged role-player on the international stage. As a team member of the Centre for Collaboration in Africa, she coordinates donor-funded projects awarding scholarships to African nationals to undertake masters and doctoral studies at SU and other universities on the continent.

“I am fortunate to see Africa emerging, Africans educating themselves, providing solutions to our own problems."

Pleased to be part of a team of women who are developing academic scholarship and offering opportunities to students at SU, Norma says women are shaping the course of history.

“I am proud to be living in an era where I am surrounded by female role models. We are standing on the shoulders of our mothers, aunts, grandmothers and so many other women who sacrificed so that we can rise. Let's make them proud and let us become the inspiration for the next generation."

Promoting African initiatives at SU International. Back row, left to right: Corina du Toit, Programme Manager of the African Doctoral Academy and Norma Derby, Coordinator: Africa Mobility at SU International. Front row: Michelle Masango, Administrative Officer: Intra Africa Mobility and Prof Sarah Howie, Director: Africa Centre for Scholarship.