The University of South Africa (Unisa) has once again demonstrated its commitment to research excellence and innovation, with two of its professionals receiving national recognition for their contributions to research and innovation management.

Dr Retha Visagie, Manager: Research Integrity, and Basanda Pongoma, Acting Director: Directorate of Innovation, Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, were honoured at the 2026 Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) Excellence Awards ceremony held in September. Visagie received the Distinguished Contribution to the Research Management Profession Award, recognising her sustained contribution to developing research management capabilities, promoting ethical research practices and strengthening professional standards.

Dr Retha Visagie with SARIMA President, Dr Anna Natris-Goreses, Namibia University of Science and Technology

Pongoma received the Professional Excellence in Innovation Management Award for his leadership in advancing innovation, entrepreneurship, technology transfer and the commercialisation of research. Their achievements highlight the important role played by research and innovation management professionals in creating an environment where researchers, students and innovators can thrive. They also reflect Unisa's commitment to developing professional expertise, strengthening institutional capacity and ensuring that research and innovation contribute meaningfully to society. For Visagie, the recognition represents more than a personal achievement. It acknowledges over 13 years of work dedicated to strengthening research integrity, professional development and ethical research practices.

Her contribution extends across several areas of research management, including practitioner training, mentorship, professional recognition, policy development and engagement with emerging challenges facing the research community. Visagie also shared in the SARIMA Organisational Excellence Award received by Unisa's Department of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation, recognising the department's collective contribution to the profession. Reflecting on the recognition, she said the awards demonstrated what a committed team could achieve despite resource constraints. "They say that a lean team, working with limited resources, can nonetheless hold itself to the highest standards, deliver measurable results and be recognised across the SADC region for its collective contribution," she said.

Visagie's journey into research management was not one she had initially planned. "Like many research managers and administrators, I did not set out to work in this field. I arrived in it almost by accident and discovered a calling," she reflected. When she established Unisa's Research Integrity Office in 2014, research integrity was still receiving limited attention at many institutions. Today, she believes it has become central to maintaining public confidence in universities and the knowledge they produce. "When I established Unisa's Research Integrity Office in 2014, research integrity was still a peripheral concern at most institutions; today it sits at the heart of how universities earn and keep public trust," she said.

Her work has focused on ensuring that ethical and responsible research practices become part of an institution's everyday culture rather than merely a requirement for regulatory compliance. One of Visagie's most significant contributions has been her work in research ethics training and capacity development. Over the past decade, she has trained more than 12,000 researchers, research managers, administrators, postgraduate students and ethics committee members across Africa. Since 2021, she has helped position Unisa as a leader in open-access, peer- and expert-led online training in research ethics and integrity.

These initiatives have expanded opportunities for researchers and professionals to develop the knowledge and skills needed to conduct responsible, credible and ethically sound research. For Visagie, however, the true value of research management is often found in achievements that remain largely unseen. "My love for this work has been seen and has made a difference. That matters because research management is largely invisible labour," she said. "Its success is measured in the misconduct that never happens, the ethics review that protects a vulnerable participant, the supervisor who learns to mentor with integrity and the policy that quietly holds the line."

She described receiving recognition from her professional peers as a humbling experience that affirmed the value of her work. The award also creates opportunities for further collaboration and the expansion of research integrity initiatives across institutions. Her contribution reinforces Unisa's commitment to responsible research practices and the development of an academic environment in which scientific excellence is supported by accountability, ethical conduct and public trust. While Visagie's work focuses on strengthening the foundations of responsible research, Pongoma has concentrated on helping researchers, students and entrepreneurs translate innovative ideas into practical solutions and commercially viable ventures.

Basanda Pongoma with Prof Les Labuschagne, the then Executive Director of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation

As Acting Director of the Directorate of Innovation, Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, he has played a significant role in advancing Unisa's innovation and entrepreneurship agenda. His work includes developing strategic programmes, supporting emerging ventures, strengthening innovation networks and establishing partnerships that connect university research with opportunities in industry and the wider economy. "Receiving the Professional Excellence in Innovation Management award is a great honour and a humbling recognition," Pongoma said. Although the award recognises an individual, he regards it as an acknowledgement of the collective efforts of Unisa's researchers, students, colleagues and partners.

For him, innovation management is about creating the conditions that allow promising ideas to progress beyond the research environment and generate measurable economic and social benefits. His leadership has contributed to strengthening Unisa's ability to support innovators throughout the development process, from the early stages of an idea to commercialisation. Among Pongoma's notable achievements is the conceptualisation, establishment and leadership of the UniVentures Programme, which has become a central component of Unisa's innovation support ecosystem.

Designed to assist students, staff and alumni, UniVentures provides structured support for developing innovative ideas into viable ventures. The programme guides participants through different stages of innovation, including idea development, validation, commercialisation and revenue generation. Under Pongoma's leadership, it has become Unisa's flagship post-award innovation support platform, helping strengthen the university's entrepreneurial ecosystem and creating opportunities for innovators to develop sustainable businesses. His contribution has also extended beyond South Africa.

Through international partnerships, Pongoma has helped strengthen Unisa's participation in global innovation networks. One notable achievement has been establishing Unisa as the sole African representative in the International Venture Crawl, an initiative led by King's College London. This participation provides an opportunity for Unisa to engage with international innovation communities while showcasing African entrepreneurial talent and research-driven solutions. "The Innovation Management award validates the university’s growing contribution to innovation, technology transfer and societal impact," Pongoma said.

"It demonstrates that our commitment to developing innovators, supporting entrepreneurship and fostering meaningful partnerships is making a positive difference both nationally and internationally." The recognition of Visagie and Pongoma reflects two complementary areas that are essential to a successful research and innovation environment. Research integrity ensures that knowledge is produced responsibly, ethically and credibly, while innovation management helps translate that knowledge into solutions that can benefit communities, industries and the economy.

Together, these functions support Unisa's broader ambition to strengthen research excellence, promote innovation and increase the societal impact of its academic work. Their contributions also align with several international development priorities. Visagie's work supports Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16, which promotes effective, accountable institutions, while Pongoma's contribution to entrepreneurship, innovation and commercialisation advances SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth and SDG 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure.

These efforts also contribute to the African Union's Agenda 2063 vision of a prosperous Africa driven by innovation, skills development and sustainable economic transformation. Importantly, the awards recognise the people working behind the scenes to make research and innovation possible. Their achievements demonstrate that research excellence depends not only on academic discoveries, but also on the professional systems, ethical standards, mentorship and institutional support that enable those discoveries to create lasting value. For Unisa, the recognition is an affirmation of the expertise within its Department of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation and the contribution its professionals continue to make to the wider research and innovation community.

As Visagie and Pongoma continue their respective work, their achievements provide further evidence of the university's commitment to developing talent, strengthening research capacity and ensuring that knowledge and innovation contribute to South Africa's and Africa's development.

* By Mpho Moloele, PR and Communications, Department of Research, Innovation and Commercialisation