14/10/2026
𝐔𝐊𝐙𝐍 𝐃𝐎𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐀𝐓 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐒 𝐃𝐄𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐒
UKZN doctoral student Ms Melissa Sibanda has won the national BRICS Debate Championship and is now set to represent South Africa at the international finals in Moscow, Russia, in December.
Sibanda will compete against national champions from the other BRICS founding countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), where the winner of the international championship will receive a fully sponsored academic exchange at a university of their choice in a BRICS country.
A PhD student in the Discipline of Geography, Planning, and Housing within the School of Social Sciences, Sibanda’s study examines the disproportionate burden on women in informal settlements living without reliable, affordable energy.
Sibanda is also an Academic Development Officer in the College of Humanities, supporting students’ academic growth and development.
Her own academic journey began at UKZN, where she completed both her undergraduate and master’s degrees.
The 29-year-old said her interest in participating in the BRICS Debate was sparked by an opportunity funded by the College of Humanities Research Office to attend the 3rd BRICS Research Institute Conference in China in 2024.
“I went in as a housing researcher and came out convinced that the questions I care about, such as poverty, gender, energy, and how cities are built globally, are exactly the ones being negotiated in multilateral spaces. It reinforced, for me, the importance of the Global South setting its own terms, rather than simply inheriting someone else’s.”
With an urge to contribute to those conversations rather than merely observe them, Sibanda applied to the open call for the BRICS Debate in March of this year.
In preparation, Sibanda immersed herself in the history, structures, and institutions of BRICS, while examining the political and economic interests of its member states and debates around reforming global governance. “That tension is precisely the debate’s theme: whether BRICS reforms global governance or reproduces existing inequalities,” she added.
Her strategy for the finals is to remain composed and think clearly under pressure. “This is what the national rounds have taught me, and I intend to carry this with me.”
Sibanda also plans to listen as carefully as she argues. “To represent South Africa well doesn’t require out-talking anyone; instead, it calls on engaging seriously with their positions while maintaining my own evidence-based perspective with clarity.”
Dr Normah Zondo, Executive Director of the Corporate Relations Division, congratulated Sibanda, saying her achievement is a proud moment for UKZN and a powerful reflection of the calibre of students and staff.
“We congratulate Melissa on this outstanding achievement, which reflects not only her intellectual ability and confidence, but also the global perspective and critical engagement that we seek to cultivate in our students. Her success demonstrates the value of rigorous scholarship, informed debate, and the ability to engage with complex global issues with clarity, evidence, and purpose.
We are particularly proud of the way Melissa brings her academic knowledge to bear on issues with profound consequences for communities, including poverty, gender inequality, energy access and the development of cities across the Global South. In doing so, she demonstrates how scholarship can extend beyond the classroom to contribute meaningfully to the conversations shaping our shared future.
Her achievement is a testament to the calibre of young scholars emerging from UKZN and to the important contribution they are making to global intellectual discourse. We wish Melissa every success as she takes her place on the international stage and represents South Africa with the intellectual rigour, confidence and distinctive perspective that have defined her academic journey.”
