20/05/2026
Dr Nothando Dlamini’s innovative PhD study investigated how acceptable indigenous, non-alcoholic fermented beverages made from provitamin A biofortified maize and marula fruits are to communities in KwaZulu-Natal, where their introduction would strengthen sustainable food systems.
Dlamini’s academic journey began with a Bachelor of Consumer Science undergraduate and honours degree at the University of Zululand (UNIZULU) and progressed to a Master of Agriculture in Food Security degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), for which she achieved a cm laude result, completing her studies in a year...
Aiming to contribute to practical solutions to food and nutrition insecurity and recognising the need for swift, community-focused interventions, Dlamini used her background in Consumer Science, particularly in product development, to create products that offered realistic, sustainable solutions, using resources communities already had on hand.
Having focused on indigenous food at UNIZULU, Dlamini prioritised preserving local knowledge and leveraging underutilised, nutrient-rich foods. This aligns with national public health and nutrition strategies to address food insecurity.
“By integrating indigenous ingredients into product development, I aim to promote culturally relevant, accessible and resilient food solutions,” she said.
Dlamini set out to improve the nutritional profile of traditional beverages, particularly by increasing vitamin A content while maintaining sensory acceptability, using flavour-rich, locally available ingredients such as marula fruits, commonly used in beverage production. She found that incorporating marula fruit notably improved the sensory appeal of the provitamin A biofortified maize-based beverages, which were otherwise less acceptable due to the distinct taste and aroma associated with this maize.
Traditional fermentation processes greatly enhanced the beverages’ flavour, aroma and nutritional profile. Dlamini’s intervention is sustainable and cost-effective, demonstrating how locally available, inexpensive, and underutilised resources can be used to develop functional foods and underscores the importance of integrating indigenous knowledge with scientific innovation.
Read more: https://ndabaonline.ukzn.ac.za/UkzndabaStory/volume-14-issue-18-aes-graduation-special-edition-2/maize-and-marula-beverage-development-focus-of-food-security-phd-research/
