Dr Zakithi Mkhize is a medical scientist with a PhD in Virology from the HIV Pathogenesis Program (HPP) UKZN and SANTHE.
A celebrated science communicator, Zakithi not only won the FameLab KZN crown and earned a spot among JCI’s Top Young Persons in the World, but she also founded BlackGirlScientist, a platform dedicated to mentoring young Black women in STEM.
Her work bridges rigorous scientific research with public engagement, bringing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to life through storytelling that reflects real, lived experience. Zakithi continues to pave her own path in science — one that blends discovery, communication, and purpose — inspiring the next generation to see themselves in STEM.
