UKZN’s youngest PhD graduate this Autumn, Dr Phumelele Basi.
Image: Sethu Dlamini
Dr Basi’s doctoral study, titled Negotiating Heterosexual Relationships on Campus: Female Students’ Sexual Practices, Desire, Pleasure and Risk at a South African University, was approved without corrections.
Her achievement adds to a strong academic record that includes cum laude and summa cum laude distinctions throughout her undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
Raised in the rural community of Hlokozi on KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast, Basi said her academic journey was shaped by resilience, curiosity and a passion for social justice.
Although she initially planned to pursue science education, her focus shifted after being introduced to gender studies during her undergraduate years. Her interest later expanded through her master’s research, which explored the relationship between social media, gender, sexuality and perceptions of beauty and self-worth.
Her doctoral research examined how young Black African women navigate heterosexual relationships within higher education institutions. The study challenges narratives that primarily portray young women’s relationships through vulnerability and risk, instead highlighting the complex realities of desire, agency and social pressures.
Using interviews and participatory workshops with female students, the research explored how socio-cultural expectations, economic conditions and institutional environments shape students’ experiences.
Basi credited Professor Deevia Bhana, who supervised both her master’s and doctoral studies, for helping shape her academic development. She currently works as a research assistant at UKZN.
She said her motivation extends beyond academic success, describing education as a tool for improving opportunities for her family and community.
Basi plans to continue her academic career through postdoctoral studies with the South African Research Chairs Initiative Chair in Gender and Childhood Sexuality, while pursuing teaching and research in Gender Education.
IOL