Dr Keabetswe Ncube

Genomics Specialist

My role has impacted me to walk boldly in my purpose of helping people, not just farmers but also young people who are looking for mentorship and guidance on their journeys

Born and raised in Pella village, North West, Dr Keabetswe Ncube saw her father grappling with challenges at their farm, a factor that planted a seed in the young Keabetswe’s mind only to later ignite a passion for further study in agriculture and genomics.

She admits, though, that at the time she did not have a name for her future field of study (genomics). “All I knew then was that there is a problem and I wanted to help my father and the farming community I grew up in to identify the problem.”

Ncube first noticed the difficulties of productivity at their family farm they called “Ko-morakeng”. Their farm was surrounded by other farms, also experiences low productivity.

She set out to search for answers to the challenges while at the same time advancing her studies. “I realised that science was the answer to the problems I had identified. Post high school, I went to pursue undergraduate studies at the Tshwane University of Technology where I obtained Btech in biotechnology. I learnt about the application of biotechnology to problems of agriculture.”

Later, she embarked on doctoral studies with a more specific focus. “I wanted to identify genes responsible for faster growth in village goats that did not exist in commercial breeds. Along the line, I also identified a gap in the goat meat genetics industry, and so focused on carcass quality and candidate genes for meat.”