Prof. Ntsoaki Malebo
Dean: Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences
Bloemfontein Campus
Qualifications: PhD (Microbiology) | MSc (Microbiology, Cum Laude) | BSc Hons (Microbiology) | BSc (Microbiology) | PGDip in Higher Education (Cum Laude) | PGDip in Leadership Development
Professional Background
Prof. Ntsoaki Malebo is the Dean of the Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences at the Central University of Technology (CUT). She possesses extensive experience across higher education leadership, scientific research, and capacity development. She has led various institutional projects focused on academic development, student success (Siyaphumelela), and curriculum transformation, including the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) initiative and the DHET-funded Africa International Teaching Week (AITW).
Her multidisciplinary research spans microbiology, food safety, indigenous knowledge systems (IKS), and natural antimicrobial compounds. Her scholarship focuses on integrating indigenous African knowledge with contemporary scientific approaches to address pressing challenges such as antimicrobial resistance, food security, public health, and environmental sustainability. Prof. Malebo is an active reviewer for national funding agencies and international peer-reviewed journals, the coordinator of the Erasmus-funded iKudu COIL project at CUT, and the project lead for the SASSCAL-funded project assessing the nutritional and chemical properties of plants in South Africa and Angola.
Areas of Expertise
- • Microbiology
- • Food Safety
- • Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS)
- • Antimicrobials
- • Plant-based Materials
Selected Publications
- • Malebo, N.J., Manduna, I.T., Mawunu, M., Chokwe, R.C., & Tlhapi, B. (2026). Identification of antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic compounds from Hymenocardia acida Tul. using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Exactive-Orbitrap-Mass Spectrometry and Molecular Networking Approach. Chemistry & Biodiversity. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbdv.202502485
- • Mawunu, M., Rusaati, B.I., Tlhapi, B.D., Malebo, N.J., et al. (2026). Ethnobotanical Knowledge and Bioinformatics Validation of Medicinal Plants in Kimvuenga Commune, Northern Angola. Pharmacological Research - Natural Products. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prenap.2026.100778
- • Tlhapi, D.B., Malebo, N.J., Manduna, I.T., Mawunu, M., & Chokwe, R.C. (2025). Phytochemical Screening and Biological Activities of Lippia multiflora Moldenke. Molecules, 30(13), 2882. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules30132882
- • Nhabe, T. & Malebo, N.J. (2025). Assessing food safety and hygiene practices in old age homes in Mangaung and Lejweleputswa regions, Free State. Frontiers in Food Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.3389/frfst.2025.1541499
- • Tlhapi, D., Malebo, N., Manduna, I.T., Lautenschläger, T., & Mawunu, M. (2024). A Review of Medicinal Plants Used in the Management of Microbial Infections in Angola. Plants, 13(21), 2991.
