ARM2603

ARM3705

APP301A

Dr. Mathope's academic interests focus on transformative and emerging technologies within archives and records management. These include advocacy, artificial intelligence, big data, blockchain technology, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things.

Archives and Records Management and Artificial Intelligence

Her academic and professional excellence has been recognised with numerous accolades, including:
• CEO Award – Best Individual National, Road Accident Fund (2024)
• CEO Award – Best Individual Regional (Pretoria), Road Accident Fund (2024)
• Best Oral Presentation – Doctoral Category, Arts and Humanities, Unisa Research & Innovation Showcase (2023)
• Certificate for Best Research Paper, South African Society of Archivists (SASA) Annual Conference (2023)
• First Runner-up – Master’s Category, Arts and Humanities, Unisa Research & Innovation Showcase (2022)

Dr. Vanessa Neo Mathope is a lecturer in the Department of Information Science at the University of South Africa (Unisa). She holds a PhD in Information Science, with her doctoral thesis titled “Adoption of Artificial Intelligence to Manage Records in Support of the Claims Management System at the Road Accident Fund in South Africa.”

Dr. Mathope’s academic trajectory is both impressive and inspiring. She has earned all her formal qualifications from Unisa, including a PhD, Master of Information Science, Bachelor of Information Science Honours, Bachelor of Information Science, and a Higher Certificate in Archives and Records Management. She has further deepened her expertise by completing a range of specialised short courses, such as Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Archives and Records Management, File Plan Implementation Training, and Best Practices in Electronic Records Management and Digital Archiving.

Her scholarly contributions are extensive. Dr. Mathope has published four peer-reviewed articles in accredited journals, authored two books, and written 40 articles for the Weekly Highlights, an internal newsletter at the Road Accident Fund (RAF). She has also presented research papers at 13 local and international conferences between July 2022 and April 2025.

Dr. Mathope’s professional journey spans over a decade at the Road Accident Fund, where she served from April 2011 to July 2024 in various roles, including Call Centre Agent, Administrative Assistant, Junior Administrative Officer, and Registration Officer. She was also a frequent contributor to the Weekly Highlights, where her articles promoting records management awareness earned her two CEO Awards.

As part of her global academic engagements, Dr. Mathope represented Unisa through the International Student Exchange Programme—visiting the University of Basel in Switzerland in 2023 and participating in a scholarly programme in the United States of America in 2024.