Rate My Professor Sipho Mbatha

Dr Sipho Mbatha is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Life and Consumer Sciences at the University of South Africa. He holds a D-Tech in Fashion Design and Technology from the Tshwane University of Technology, along with an M-Tech and B-Tech in the same field, both awarded cum laude, and an N-Diploma in Fashion Design and Technology. His academic background centers on fashion design and technology, and he is recognized as the first South African to obtain a doctorate in Fashion Design.

Dr Mbatha’s research focuses on systems of innovation in the clothing, textiles, leather, and footwear sector, with interests in competitive advantage, science and technology policies, trade policies, sustainable development goals, the African Union Agenda 2063, and artificial intelligence. He leads projects exploring university-industry-government linkages to enhance competitiveness in the sector across South Africa and Africa. In addition to his teaching and research roles, Dr Mbatha serves as a reviewer for journals including the African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development and Industry and Higher Education. He has acted as a judge for the TWYG Sustainable Fashion Awards, a moderator for institutions such as TUT, CPUT, and Inscape, and a postgraduate examiner for the University of Pretoria and CPUT. He is also a member of the Black Management Forum in the Pretoria region.