- Prof Puleng LenkaBula became Unisa’s first woman and first black woman Principal and Vice-Chancellor.
- She has served in senior leadership roles at Unisa, Wits and the University of the Free State.
- Her work has centred on ethics, African knowledge systems, student development and driving institutional transformation.
Professor Puleng LenkaBula took office as Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Africa on 1 January 2021. She became the first woman and first black woman to lead the institution in its 147-year history and only the third black person to head Africa’s largest university.
LenkaBula, who is of South African and Lesotho descent, holds a doctorate in Ethics from Unisa, specialising in social ethics, the economy, ecology and politics. She also obtained a first-class master’s degree in social ethics from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. Throughout her academic journey, she has explored justice, African knowledge systems and the ethical impact of economic and political structures.
Leadership across major universities
Before she was appointed Vice-Chancellor, she held leadership roles at Unisa, including adviser to the Vice-Chancellor and later Dean of Student Affairs, where she championed disability support, student governance and institutional ethics. She went on to join Wits University as Executive Dean of Student Affairs, and later became Vice-Rector at the University of the Free State, leading institutional change, social justice, student affairs and community engagement.
LenkaBula has published extensively on ethics, political economy, ecology and feminist theory. She has also served on the boards of prominent African and international academic and ecumenical organisations, including CODESRIA. Her work bridges scholarship with social justice, governance and community transformation.
A historic appointment
Unisa described LenkaBula as a highly qualified and respected scholar, with extensive executive management experience in education, civil society and international institutions.
Her appointment is both a symbolic breakthrough for South African higher education and a vision of leadership rooted in ethics, African intellectual traditions and inclusive transformation.
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