Office of the Vice Chancellor and Principal

Prof Bernard Nthambeleni

Vice Chancellor and Principal

Biographical Information of Prof Ndanduleni B. Nthambeleni

Professor Ndanduleni Bernard Nthambeleni is the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Venda which is situated in Limpopo Province of the Republic of South Africa.

Prof Nthambeleni is an accomplished and successful executive manager with more than 24 years of experience in the National System of Innovation landscape of South Africa,  providing overall strategic and operational leadership relating to research management & administration, teaching & learning, managing and leading research capacity programmes & managing the National Research Foundation’s granting instruments, managing International research and development initiatives. Prof Nthambeleni possesses a wealth of experience and a breadth knowledge and pertinent experience in the higher education sector.

Prof Nthambeleni previously occupied a senior management position at the National Research Foundation of South Africa as a Director of the International Research Programme in charge of management of Science and Technology bilateral agreements, Multilateral agreements signed by the South African government with other foreign governments and Inter Agency bilateral agreements signed by the NRF, International Science Council grants and an Executive Director in charge of the Grants Management and Systems Administration directorate where amongst other he was responsible for Management and administration of the NRF’s granting systems, the NRF Online Submission System, Fund Plus Grants Management Systems and Pre and Post grant management processes. He worked closely and in partnership with all public higher education institutions, science councils, international funding bodies, national research facilities and government departments such as the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Higher Education and Training, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Environmental Affairs. He was also a member of the NRF Executive Evaluation Committee for Rating of Researchers.

Before joining the National Research Foundation, he worked as a Lecturer in the Department of Sociology at the former Vista University, East Rand Campus, Johannesburg and a Researcher in the research project sponsored by the South Africa-Netherlands Programme on Alternatives in Development, Amsterdam Human Science Research Council, Kurt Lewin Institute and the Vrije University of Amsterdam.

Prof Nthambeleni obtained a bachelor and honours degree at the then University of Durban Westville in Kwazulu-Natal. He enrolled and completed master’s degree at the then Rand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg. He obtained a DLitt et Phil from the University of Johannesburg and a merit award for obtaining doctoral degree summa cum laude.

Prof Nthambeleni served as member of the Project team on Research Infrastructure of the National Advisory Council on Innovation in 2012, He has been a member of the University of Venda Council since 2014, a member of the board of the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences since 2014, a member of the Advisory Board of the InnoVenton/Downstream Chemicals Technology Station since 2016, a member of the Southern African Research and Information Management Association and serving on the Project Advisory Committee tasked to develop a professional competency framework for research managers and professionalisation of Research Management in Southern Africa, a member of the Institute of Directors in Southern Africa since 2014. A member of the South African Sociological Association since 2008 and the International Sociological Association since 2007.

Contact Executive Secretary
Name: Mrs Muvhulawa Esther Munano
Telephone: +27 15 962 8316
Email: ester.munano@univen.ac.za