Chief Executive Officer of the KZN Science Centre, Candice Potgieter, has arrived back in South Africa after participating in US President Barack Obama’s inaugural Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) fellowship programme.
Potgieter was one of eight from KwaZulu-Natal and one of 46 candidates nationally selected from a list of 4 000 South African applicants and 49 000 Applicants throughout Africa between the ages of 25 and 35. All are active in the fields of entrepreneurship, public administration and community service.
She spent six weeks doing academic coursework and training at the Notre Dame University in Indiana and, together with 500 fellow candidates from across Africa, participated in the Presidential Summit convened by President Obama in Washington DC at the end of July.
Launched in June last year, the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders is the new flagship program of President Obama’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) which he launched in 2010 to support a new generation of African leaders. This latest initiative brought 500 of them to the United States for academic coursework and leadership training. Fellows are expected to put their new skills to practical use in leading organizations, their communities and countries.
As head of the KZN Science Centre, a registered section 21 non-profit organisation and leading educational centre focussed on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, Potgieter shares the US President’s passion for education and his vision that this will lead Africa out of poverty.
Back home, the educational crisis at school level is well documented, which has significant repercussions when it comes to both tertiary education and employment.
President Jacob Zuma has repeatedly added his voice to calls for improvements in science and maths education in order to address critical skills shortages in professional fields such as engineering, medicine and information technology which are critical to growing the economy.
“The KZN Science Centre’s mission is to inculcate the importance of education in learners, educators and the general public using funded learning projects, curriculum based resources and interactive exhibitions. The KZN Science Centre implements projects that aim to create awareness of science, technology, engineering and mathematics whilst fostering a culture of giving back through our non-profit status,” she says.
Since leading the organisation from October 2010, Potgieter has played an integral role in the redevelopment and reorganization of The KZN Science Centre. Her strong creative and insight into the inner workings of the organization has grown its beneficiary base from 40 000 to over 160 000 each year. Over eighty percent of all visitors are from previously disadvantaged and rural backgrounds.
She has been at the forefront of researching, creating and implementing highly successful school programmes. Her expertise extends from scientific research to business development, financial management, marketing, communications, government relations and fundraising.
Academically, she holds a postgraduate degree in Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She was also part of The National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme at The University of Cape Town.
Her list of awards for her work is significant – the Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans You Should Meet in 2013, the Future Leaders Award for Science & Innovation as well as The KZN Young Achievers Award in Science & Technology for 2013. Potgieter was also named one of Cosmopolitan Magazine’s Most Awesome Women of 2013.
Following on from her work in KwaZulu-Natal, Potgieter was appointed as an executive member on the Advisory Committee to the MEC of Education in KwaZulu-Natal for Career Support and Guidance in 2013. She is also a non-executive director on the board of The Southern African Association of Science and Technology Centres (SAASTEC).
