Degrees Held
- Bachelor of Arts degree, University of Zululand, 1996
- Bachelor of Arts [Honours], University of Zululand, 1997
- Master of Arts, University of Zululand, 2016
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2023
Research Interests
- Language Pedagogy and Curriculum Innovation
- Mother Tongue-Based Bilingual Education (MTBBE)
- Indigenous Knowledge Systems and African Epistemologies
- Decolonisation of Language, Curriculum, and Pedagogy
- Onomastics (Naming Practices and African Names)
- Language, Culture, Identity, and Heritage
- Oral Literature, Oral Traditions, Praise Poetry, and Indigenous Cultural Heritage
- Language and Health Communication
- Digital Humanities and African Language Technologies
- Assessment for Learning and Innovative Language Assessment
- Early Childhood Language and Literacy Development
Teaching Interests
- Oral literature
- Prose
- IsiZulu Morphology
Selected Publications
Journal Articles
Journal Articles
- 2024 – Alexandra O’Neil, Nils Hjortnaes, Francis Tyers, Zinhle Nkosi, Thulile Ndlovu, Zanele Mlondo, and Ngami Phumzile Pewa. 2024. Developing a Benchmark for Pronunciation Feedback: Creation of a Phonemically Annotated Speech Corpus of isiZulu Language Learner Speech. In Proceedings of the 2024 Joint International Conference on Computational Linguistics, Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC-COLING 2024), pages 4795–4801, Torino, Italia. ELRA and ICCL.
- 2024 – Ngami P. Pewa, Jabulile Mzimela. 2024. Early Childhood Development Educators’ Perceptions of Learners’ Readiness for Grade R. South African Journal of Childhood Education | Vol. 14, No 1 | a1234 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajce.v14i1.1234
Community Involvement
- (2026), Reimagining the teaching of isiZulu: A comprehensive pedagogical approach to the teaching of linguistics aspects of language and grammar in Basic Education, A UCDP-funded project aimed at advancing the development of teaching linguistic aspects of language and grammar in isiZulu Home Language. It is conducted in high schools in the Umlazi District.
Teaching Expertise
- Second language isiZulu
- Research methodology
- Teaching isiZulu as an additional language
- Teaching isiZulu as a home language
Student Supervision
Honours
Masters
Honours
- Nkosi Siphesihle (2023)
- Phakathi Nokubonga (2023) The role of oral tradition in preserving cultural heritage and transmitting knowledge through language
- Mdewuka Hlengiwe (2024) The role of language preservation initiatives in maintaining isiZulu cultural heritage at UKZN
- Mavundla Thenjiwe Zama (2025) Preservation Strategies for Zulu Cultural Artifacts and Intangible Traditions: An Analytical Study Focused on KwaZulu-Natal
- Mthembu Smamiso (2025) Ukubaluleka kokwemuliswa komuntu oyiwele esifundazweni sakwaZulu-Natali
Masters
- Kheswa Zusiphe (2025) Inqubo elandelwayo ekukhulisweni kwabantu besilisa esizweni samaZulu: kubhekiswe endaweni yaseHarding eSantombe.
- Gumede Faith (2026) Lost in Interpretation: A Forensic Linguistic Analysis of isiZulu Legal Terminology and its Impact on Inmate Rehabilitation at Westville Correctional Centre (in progress)
- Mkhwanazi Zibuyisile (2026) An Onomastic and Sociocultural Analysis of Homestead Naming Practices in Mtubatuba – KwaZulu-Natal (in progress)
- Nkosi Cynthia Nompumelelo (2026) Evaluating IsiZulu Mathematical Terminology in Translated Grade 4 Mathematics Assessment Materials Within the Mother Tongue-Based Bilingual Education Context (in progress)