Unisa's doctoral candidates take the national stage

Doctoral candidates Precious Letsoalo and Grace Magama, proudly represented Unisa at the national Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, recently held at the University of the Free State.

During the first round, Letsoalo and Magama were selected as the winner and runner-up respectively from 12 entrants in the institutional competition. They were then coached by a team from Unisa’s College of Graduate Studies, led by Professor Anthony Brown, to refine their presentations for the competition.

The competition, first held in 2008 and developed by the University of Queensland in Australia, is an annual event held at over 900 universities across more than 85 countries. It challenges postgraduate researchers to present their work in just three minutes, using one static slide. The aim is to communicate complex research clearly and engagingly to a non-specialist audience. Strict rules apply – no props, animations or additional media may be used, and exceeding the time limit leads to immediate disqualification.

From left: Precious Letsoalo and Grace Magama

Precious Letsoalo: Healing through collaboration

Letsoalo is a doctoral candidate in Psychology, whose research bridges African psychology, indigenous knowledge systems, and spirituality. Her thesis titled “Perceptions of South African traditional healthcare practitioners and the church on the possibility of collaborating in mental healthcare”, explores whether traditional healers and Christian churches can work together to support mental health.

Inspired by a deep interest in belief systems and their influence on decision-making, Letsoalo’s research aims to spark dialogue around mental health and spirituality. Her presentation was heartfelt and culturally resonant, distilling complex ideas into a message that resonated with audiences. “I wanted my research to speak to people’s lives,” she explains.

Grace Magama: Strategy in action

Magama, a doctoral candidate in Business Leadership, presented her research titled “Emergent strategy-making in private higher education institutions by managers: A micro-foundational perspective”. Her study investigates how strategy is shaped through everyday managerial actions rather than purely through formal planning.

Magama’s work highlights the power of informal conversations and on-the-ground decisions in shaping institutional direction. After four years of research, she is now finalising her thesis and preparing journal articles. In her presentation, she used storytelling and metaphor to make her findings accessible, earning praise for its clarity and impact. “Strategy is lived, not laminated,” she says. This is a message she hopes will encourage more responsive leadership in African higher education.

Letsoalo and Magama agree that representing Unisa nationally was a humbling and memorable experience. They plan to continue sharing their findings through publications, community engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration.

* By Hanli Wolhuter, Communication and Marketing Specialist, College of Graduate Studies