Nontobeko Khoza is redefining what leadership looks like from spaces society too often overlooks. At 19 and as a second-year Bachelor of Audiology student at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU), she is proving that leadership doesn’t require a title; it starts with presence, advocacy, and purpose. Living with a physical disability, Khoza stands as a quiet yet powerful advocate for inclusion, not only within health sciences but across every space where voices like hers have long been absent.
Her choice to study audiology is more than academic; it’s personal. “In rural areas, people living with hearing loss are often ignored or misunderstood. Many believe it’s witchcraft, or they simply don’t have access to help,” she explains. “I want to be the voice that changes that.” For Khoza, leadership means advocacy. Every step she takes, every classroom she enters, is a statement: she belongs. “My disability isn’t a limitation. It’s my reason to lead. It gives me purpose.”
At SMU, Khoza found more than education; she found a platform. The university’s commitment to inclusivity and transformation has provided her not only with practical tools but also a sense of belonging. A specialised wheelchair and clinical assistant have helped her navigate physical spaces, while her presence within the university community challenges long-standing perceptions of who belongs in healthcare leadership.
Khoza’s message is clear: “Inclusion isn’t about being accommodated. It’s about being counted.” Her leadership voice grew louder when she was invited to share her journey at a university staff conference, an experience that shifted her perspective. “It reminded me that my voice matters, and that there’s power in sharing my journey.” She draws strength from her faith, guided by the verse: “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).
Yet her advocacy is grounded not in personal triumph, but in the belief that change must be collective. “I don’t want to be an exception. I want to open the way for others.” As South Africa celebrates Women’s Month, Khoza challenges the nation to widen the lens: “It’s not just about gender equity, it’s about real inclusion. We need to be part of the conversation, not an afterthought.” She adds, “Women with disabilities aren’t just part of the conversation. We deserve to lead it.” Her message to young women like herself is simple but radical: “You are not defined by the limits others place on you. You can lead from wherever you stand.”
With every lecture attended, every conversation started, and every barrier crossed, Khoza is not asking for inclusion; she’s demonstrating it. At SMU, she’s not just learning to heal others; she’s teaching a university and a nation what real inclusion looks like. In the margins where others tried to place her, she is leading the way and she is advocating for change.
By Tumelo Moila
