Department of Mechanical, Bioresources and Biomedical Engineering

Dr S Mabuwa

College of Science, Engineering and Technology
School of Engineering
Department: Mechanical Engineering
Senior Lecturer
E-mail: mabuws@unisa.ac.za

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering
  • Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering

NRF Rating

Y

Fields of academic interests

  • Materials Manufacturing
  • Materials Engineering

Field of Specialisation

  • Friction Stir Processing & Welding
  • Advanced Composite Materials
  • Metallurgical Characterisation
  • Additive Manufacturing Technologies

Journal articles

  1. Muribwathoho, O.; Msomi, V.; Mabuwa, S. Optimization of FSP parameters in fabricating AA5083/Coal composites using Taguchi method. Engineering Research Express, 2025, 7(015536), 1-17, https://doi.org/10.1088/2631-8695/ada41a.
  2. Muribwathoho, O.; Msomi, V.; Mabuwa, S. Microstructural Characterization and Mechanical Properties of AA5083/Coal Composites Fabricated by Friction Stir Processing. Metals, 2025, 15(3), 308; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15030308.
  3. Muribwathoho, O.; Msomi, V.; Mabuwa, S. Optimizing FSP Parameters for AA5083/SiC Composites: A Comparative Analysis of Taguchi and Regression. Metals, 2025, 15(3), 280; https://doi.org/10.3390/met15030280.
  4. Muribwathoho, O.; Msomi, V.; Mabuwa, S. Optimisation and Regression Analysis of Friction Stir Processing Parameters of AA5083/Coal Composites for Marine Applications. Crystals, 2025,15(1), 34, https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15010034.
  5. Msomi, V.; Mabuwa, S. Analyzing the Influence of Microstructure on the Mechanical Properties Of TIG Welded Joints Processed by Friction Stir Considering the Sampling Orientation. Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research, 2024, 14(1), 12470-12475, https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.6459.
  6. Mehdi, M.; Jain, S.; Msomi, V.; Mabuwa, S.; Malla, C. Effect of intermetallic compounds on mechanical and microstructural properties of dissimilar alloys Al-7Si/AZ91D. Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, 2024, 33(10), 4781-4793, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-023-08302-9.
  7. Zass, K.; Mabuwa, S.; Msomi, V. Feasibility of using coal as reinforcement in dissimilar welded joints: Comparative analysis. E3S Web of Conferences, 2024, 552, 01014, https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202455201014.
  8. Muribwathoho, O.; Msomi, V.; Mabuwa, S. Analysis Comparing the Taguchi Method for Optimizing the Process Parameters of AA5083/Silicon Carbide and AA5083/Coal Composites that Are Fabricated via Friction Stir Processing. Applied Sciences, 2024, 14(20), 9616, https://doi.org/10.3390/app14209616.

Professional positions, fellowships & awards

  • Senior Lecturer - University of South Africa,
  • NRF Y2 Rated Researcher, 2025–2029;
  • Reviewer for numerous international journals including Hindawi, Springer Nature, Engineering Failure Analysis, Metals and Materials, Applied Sciences, and Physica Scripta;
  • Guest Editor- for Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science .Forum, and Applied Sciences, Discover Applied Sciences (Springer Nature).
  • Silver Awards for Research Publications (2022, 2023 – CPUT).
  • Best Oral Presentation Award (ICAMSE 2021).
  • Keynote and invited speaker at several international conferences.

Projects

  • Thuthuka NRF Project: Development of FSP Method for Aerospace Alloys (2022–2023).
  • NRF KIC Funding (2020, 2023).
  • International Research Collaborations (India, France, UAE).
  • Guest Lectures and Knowledge Interchange Programmes (2023–2025).

Other

Short Biography:

Dr. Sipokazi Mabuwa is a Senior Lecturer at the University of South Africa. She holds a Doctor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering and is widely published in the field of advanced welding and composite materials. She is a co-founder and coordinator of the International Conference on Applied Research and Engineering (ICARAE) and holds editorial and advisory roles across various international journals and conferences. With a focus on innovative material processing and manufacturing techniques, Dr. Mabuwa is recognized for her academic leadership, scholarly contributions, and mentoring of postgraduate students in mechanical engineering.