Africa Universities Summit
Listed among the speakers for the 2026 THE Africa Universities Summit, representing Durban University of Technology.
View speaker profile (opens in a new tab)
DR NOMCEBO MTHOMBENIDURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA
Research with purpose.
Leadership with impact.
SENIOR LECTURER · RESEARCH LEADER
About.
Advancing sustainable water
and wastewater treatment.
Dr Nomcebo Mthombeni is a Senior Lecturer and currently serves as Interim Director for Research and Postgraduate Support at Durban University of Technology.
Her research focuses on sustainable water and wastewater treatment, particularly the detection and removal of pharmaceutical contaminants and heavy metals.
Research & postgraduate leadership
As Interim Director at DUT, Dr Mthombeni leads the Research and Postgraduate Support Directorate. Her work sits within a university community advancing research, innovation and postgraduate development.
View DUT profile ↗Water & sanitation dialogue
In July 2025, DUT announced her nomination as a Stream Lead for the AWSISA Africa & Global South Water and Sanitation Dialogue, recognising her expertise and leadership in the sector.
Read the announcement ↗Speaking & thought leadership
At the 2025 Elsevier Future Research Symposium, her keynote explored an inclusive research agenda that responds to water insecurity, poverty, food resilience and youth development.
Explore the symposium ↗RESEARCH FOCUS
Cleaner water.
Wider possibilities.
Sustainable treatment, from contaminant detection to resource recovery.
Dr Mthombeni studies materials and processes that detect and remove pharmaceutical contaminants and heavy metals from water and wastewater.
- Adsorption & biochar
- Adsorption and biochar for contaminant removal.
- Advanced oxidation & photocatalysis
- Processes for sustainable water and wastewater treatment.
- Portable water-quality sensors
- Portable sensors for water quality monitoring.
- Water reuse & circular resource recovery
- Research interests spanning water reuse, circular resource recovery and the links between clean water and green hydrogen.
SELECTED COVERAGE & ENGAGEMENTS
News & speaking.
Partnerships for the future of TVET
At the Bridging Innovation and Learning conference, Dr Mthombeni called for universities, TVET colleges, industry, government and communities to work together on innovation and inclusive skills development.
Read the Unisa article (opens in a new tab)Water and sanitation dialogue
DUT announced her nomination as a Stream Lead for the AWSISA Africa & Global South Water and Sanitation Dialogue, recognising her expertise and leadership in the sector.
Read the DUT announcement (opens in a new tab)Supporting women in engineering
Dr Mthombeni officially launched DUT’s Women in Engineering and the Built Environment forum at a seminar held with WISA, highlighting a supportive community for women studying and working in the faculty.
Read the DUT article (opens in a new tab)Bridging academia and the water industry
Opening the WISA KZN symposium, she addressed workforce challenges in water and sanitation and the need for stronger partnerships between universities and industry.
Read the DUT article (opens in a new tab)NextGen Symposium
A video link shared by Dr Mthombeni from the National Research Foundation’s NextGen Symposium. Facebook sign-in may be required.
Watch on Facebook (opens in a new tab)SPEAKING & UNIVERSITY ENGAGEMENT
In the university community.
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Let’s connect.
Research and Postgraduate Support Directorate
Durban University of Technology