Professor Ncoza Dlova. Image: Supplied.
With the curtains on Women’s Month drawing to a close today, the Sunday Tribune spoke to a woman who is making great strides in the field of dermatology.
Fuelled by passion, Professor Ncoza Dlova has cemented herself well in the world of skin and beauty.
She serves as the Head of Dermatology, Full Professor, and the immediate past Dean of the School of Clinical Medicine (SCM) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, she was the first African appointed as Dean of SCM.
Dlova is a well-published dermatologist with a research interest in medical education, ethnic skin, and hair, global health, pigmentation disorders, skin of colour, HIV, and skin. She has more than 135 scientific publications and is a “B” National Research Foundation (NRF) rated researcher.
She is a member of the prestigious American Dermatology Association (ADA) and is the recipient of the Maria Duran Award from the International Society of Dermatology (ISD). She is a board member of the International League of Dermatology Society (ILDS) and represents Africa as the first fully elected African representative since its establishment. She has been invited to give lectures in more than 70 countries including the Ivy League institutions abroad.
Dlova has clinched many accolades in leadership. This includes the Best Dean Leadership Awards for successive years during her tenure. Professional of the Year award by the Durban Chamber of Commerce-Durban (2019), and is the recipient of the Gold Medal Scientific Merit Award from the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) in 2024.
According to her, she was inspired to get into the field of dermatology after noting a shortage in the profession, in the country.
“There was a shortage of dermatologists in South Africa and I was one of the first few to qualify, and here in KwaZulu-Natal, there was no African dermatologist at all.
“I always felt that there was no one who understood and conducted research in conditions that mainly affected black people and that was my interest,” she said.
She said that her work had contributed immensely to the economy.
“I have been able to contribute to the training of more than 40 African dermatologists and as the first black dermatologist, it was important for me to be conscious of the political and social responsibility I have to train more dermatologists to be better than me and create opportunities for self-empowerment and development, using my experience and academic collaborations.
“I am also trying to mentor more junior colleagues to engage in locally relevant research and pursue PhDs that speak to our African needs and solutions,” said Dlova.
Dlova said that some of the challenges that she has encountered in the field were a lack of mentorship when she first joined, and the exposure to people who did not share her vision.
“I was able to overcome this by focusing on the goals that I think are positive and progressive and associating with those people who shared my vision with a positive attitude to challenges,” she said.
Dlova, originally from Mtyolo in the Eastern Cape, described her upbringing as one which was warm and loving with a family that emphasised the importance of education and making a positive difference in life.
She is a mother to a 27-year-old son who is a doctor and currently completing his Master’s in Oxford through the Oxford Rhodes Scholarship award, and she is also married to a doctor.
Dlova said that an average day for her, which begins with exercise when possible, consisted of going to medical school, meetings, seeing patients, teaching, and conducting research.
She encouraged others to work hard and not be discouraged by life’s challenges, but rather ask what these challenges have got to teach one.
“I have my whole basket of failures too and have learned my lessons.
“It is important to surround yourself with positive people and it is important to focus on what it is that you want to do in life. Channel a bespoke path that resonates with who you are,” said Dlova.
Sunday Tribune