Tebello Nyokong is a pioneer in nanotechnology, researching how we might be able to detect cancer in new ways. She holds a Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation Research chair at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, where she is also a Distinguished Professor of Chemistry. She is the winner of countless awards and remains one of the most influential scientists in Africa. In 2011 she published a widely-read open letter to her 18 year old self, a moving examination of her journey from poverty in Lesotho to international success.

Sasha Sagan: As a young girl, you worked as a shepherd. You could only go to school every other day. Describe the moment you first knew science would be, or even could be, your path.

Professor Tebello Nyokong: Maybe being a shepherd prepared me to be a scientist. In the field, you learn to understand the vegetation, the birds, etc. I think that is part of science. Anyway, I chose the arts stream in high school due to peer influence and a general belief that science was hard. The common stereotype then was that science is not for girls; its demands would conflict with domestic and wifely responsibilities.

I moved from the arts stream to science after three years of high school. I did my science and math over two years in high school while others took five years. I even enrolled for advanced math. Doing math and science also opens [up] more opportunities. With a math and science background, one can go into any profession, but without them, the opportunities are limited.

South Africa has undergone dramatic social and political change in your lifetime. How has the South African relationship with science changed in that time?

I strongly believe that South Africa tries very hard to balance—we only see one side in the media—the needs of the poor, such as housing, while at the same time maintaining first world business. I run a multi-million dollar scientific equipment facility funded by the South African government to ensure that we are world class in terms of science.

In 2011 you wrote an incredibly moving open letter to your 18-year-old self. In it, you talk about the ways in which your peers discouraged you at school. Have the stigmas against women being highly educated or pursuing science changed?

My feeling is that in the biological sciences, women are making their mark all over the continent. The problem is still with the physical sciences, including chemistry, physics, and math. My instinct is that this could be related to the misconception that these subjects are hard, starting right from high school. And hence ‘not for girls!!’.

How much institutional or overt sexism do you still encounter in your professional life?

This is hard to respond to since I have survived to an extent that I do not think people see me as a woman anymore. I am just a strange scientist.

Were there women scientists who inspired you early in your career? Who were they?

My high school science teachers were female. When I finally joined the sciences, Mrs Malie, one of my science teachers, had just arrived from training. I admired her tremendously. She made the subjects she taught so simple and so enjoyable. She had a constant smile, and was extremely friendly to all.

What drew you to medical chemistry, and nanotechnology in particular? What separates them from other fields for you? What excites you about them?

I used to think I wanted to be a doctor but after completing my degree I got a scholarship to go to Canada to study chemistry further as part of the Lesotho government policy to develop local people as lecturers. By that time, I loved chemistry fully and I began to see that doctors cure patients but chemists develop the medicines. So being a doctor was no longer so important to me. I loved my career path as a chemist to develop the drugs! Nanotechnology is just a drug delivery tool that I use.

What does your average workday consist of?

I used to walk five kilometres a day (now, barely) to clear my mind. My hobbies change regularly, but I do garden a lot and I used to hike. On a daily basis, I read my students’ reports, theses, and papers at home before I come to work. It is more peaceful at home. At work, there are too many distractions so I only come after 11am. I love my job!