Employed at Southern Hemisphere as part of the @SAMEA Young Emerging Evaluator programme, Natefo Mothupi, who once dreamt of being an astronomer, has a path lit up by promise. Keep a lookout, this is a future Women at the Helm

Foundation, family and focus

It is clear that family has been formative in Natefo’s young life. She speaks of her mother focusing on the strength of family and togetherness, of her parents’ joint focus on academics and also of the lived experiences of her extended family all being a part of her present-day orientation towards social development.

Her grandfather rising at 4 am to get treatment at a public hospital despite his proximity to the hospital highlighted to her the different levels of access to health services. Another experience was with her nephew who attends a public school and was studying English as a FAL and she was saddened when he asked her what language the neighbour’s children were speaking. This awakened her to the different levels of access to quality education through Public Schools in South Africa.

It became evident that there was a gap in terms of the services being provided. She began to realise the gulf between the start that she got in life and the start that others less fortunate get and this started to awaken her interest in the world of social justice and development

A winding path

Natefo had a different route into social justice and evaluation work, she was the kind of student who could have taken several different paths and claims to be the one person in South Africa that has a student number at nearly all the universities, so undecided was she about the direction she should take – such is the curse of talent.

In the end, Natefo gravitated towards the rigour and the research involved in science and studied the “ hard sciences” and after a brief flirtation with astronomy, she graduated with a BScin Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of the Witwatersrand

Both of her parents have careers with an emphasis on service, “They have seen a lot of injustices happening” so it is perhaps not surprising that Natefo’s hard sciences were changed to soft and this happened partly through a job shadow at Room to Read, an NGO promoting literacy where her father used to work.

Her interest in Monitoring and Evaluation was sparked as the person she was shadowing had been tasked with starting the M & E department at Room to Read. Her parents clearly have played a big role in Natefo’s career and choices and her dad asked her to consider M & E as a career because of her love for research.

Rigour required

Natefo’s description of herself seems most apt, she sees herself as a scientist at heart, social advocate throughout so once the idea of social development had been sparked, Natefo decided to do a Get Smarter course focusing on Monitoring and Evaluation. It was during this course that she got excited about catalysing social development and decided to do a Postgraduate Degree in Monitoring and Evaluation (achieved with distinction) and has now obtained her Masters of Philosophy in Monitoring and Evaluation Methodologies at Stellenbosch University

In her mind it is clear – “The hard sciences equipped me to have the skill for the social sciences”

With this solid foundation in scientific rigour and social insight, Natefo is well-equipped to drive meaningful impact.

Individuals catalyse change

Her strong belief is that social change starts with individuals as she believes that often governments are too distant from the problems experienced on the ground. Individuals make the difference especially women, she has been inspired by the actions of others both within her private circle as well as Southern Hemisphere and their client base. She admires the powerful presence and strength of women and their ability to effect change.

“There is a lot of space given now to women and to the youth, it is powerful and it is there’ “Change starts with individuals, just me sitting here saying, I want to make a change, I am witnessing a gap in services and this is inequitable and I believe that I can do something to address that. The research that is conducted sheds light on the issues that initiates the process of changing the world we live in”

Given that this happens as a part of the M & E process, it is clear to see the appeal to Natefo.

The sky is vast and the stars are the limit

Natefo embodies the blend of empathy and analytical skill needed to address the pressing social issues in South Africa as this softly-spoken change-maker continues to forge her path, we are sure to witness the power of combining rigorous research with a deeply personal mission. 

As Natefo continues her journey, it’s clear that she is more than just a promising professional; she is a catalyst for change, guiding us toward a more equitable future, one rigorous study at a time. For us, at Southern Hemisphere, she represents the commitment we have made to nurturing new female talent in the evaluation sector.

With an unwavering commitment to equity and her background in both hard and social sciences, her journey is not just about her personal achievements but about uplifting others, paving the way for more inclusive, community-driven change. Natefo stands at the intersection of science and social advocacy, proving that the two are not only compatible but also incredibly powerful together.

Says Natefo Mothupi:

“If we use our voices, there is no end to the change we can bring,” she says. And somehow, listening to her, you just know it’s true..”

A Southern Hemisphere blog post celebrating Women at the Helm, for more stories about women making waves, follow @SouthernHemisphere on LinkedIn in and Medium