Being elected President of the South African Chemical Institute (SACI) is both an honour and a responsibility for Nikoletta Bathori, Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, who says her recent election “represents the trust of my peers and the opportunity to contribute to the advancement of chemistry in South Africa and beyond”.

SACI, formally established in 1912, is the professional body that represents all chemists across South Africa, with a history of over a century of promoting chemistry education, research, and public understanding. The president serves a two-year term and is responsible for providing strategic direction, strengthening partnerships, and supporting the professional growth of members.

The dependable academic, who values integrity and lifelong learning, intends to advance SACI’s ongoing evolution in response to the opportunities and challenges of the digital era. “Our focus will be on renewal, sustainability, recognition, representation, and international collaboration, ensuring that SACI continues to serve as a strong and relevant voice for the chemistry community.”

Bathori, who likes to take initiative, stay organised, and follow through on commitments, notes that the institute has already embarked on a comprehensive rebranding initiative aimed at modernising the Institute’s image and strengthening its connection with members and the public. “A key priority of my term will be ensuring the long-term sustainability of the South African Journal of Chemistry, which has proudly served our scientific community since 1918. We are committed to maintaining our accessibility to members while enhancing our international competitiveness. Preserving this important journal is not only about tradition but about safeguarding a cornerstone of South African scientific excellence.”

The institute will introduce two new SACI awards to celebrate excellence within its community and to recognise the outstanding contributions of its members. She says they will continue to strengthen SACI’s international footprint across the African continent by extending memoranda of understanding with other chemical societies and fostering deeper partnerships that promote collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the advancement of chemistry in Africa.

“Through these initiatives, my goal is to ensure that SACI remains a vibrant, forward-looking organisation — one that honours its legacy while embracing innovation, partnership, and inclusivity in the service of chemistry and society.”

The Hungarian-born scholar, who moved to South Africa for a postdoctoral fellowship about 20 years ago, has advanced through various leadership positions within SACI, gaining a broad understanding of its structure and culture. “This role is a wonderful opportunity to practice and refine my leadership skills while applying my knowledge of business management in a scientific context. I see this as a rare gift — a chance to give back to a community that has given me so much and to help guide its future direction.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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PhD candidate, Akeem Akinfenwa recently received a prestigious Young Innovative Chemist Award from the South African Chemical Institute (SACI). 

The Nigerian-born Akinfenwa says this is in recognition of the innovation, independence, and enterprise of postgraduate students from the Chemistry Department of CPUT. The 41-year-old student states that the award is a tangible symbol signifying approval of excellence of the awardee.  “The South African Chemical Institute is a professional and the highest body that aims to advance science and practice of chemistry in South Africa by promoting and upholding the status of the chemistry profession. Hence, the body gives awards to members at different levels in recognition of their excellence,” he enthuses.

The title of his research is: Isolation of bioactive compounds from selected plants of South African flora (Helichrysum foetidum and Aspalathus linearis) for application in the preparation of biocompatible metal nanoparticles. The research focuses on drug discovery from natural products such as plant phytochemicals for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and skin disorders. Akinfenwa says these diseases are identified as common among people with an unstable climate such as South Africa.

Reflecting on this recognition, the second born of seven children says the award would complement his PhD degree for “unlimited achievements now and onwards”. “I feel happy and pleased by the award because it shows that I am making meaningful contributions to the science and chemistry space through CPUT,” he continues.

“An award from this body means a lot that I can’t quantify. I believe I am fulfilling the CPUT graduate attributes. For CPUT I believe it will further confirm the synergies from the management, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Chemistry Department, and my supervisor [Prof Ahmed Mohammed] to produce graduates of both local and international standards.”

Akinfenwa attributes his achievement to God who “crowned” his tireless efforts with this achievement, coupled with the guidance from Mohammed, who nominated him, and the motivation letters he received from Dr Shirley Le Roux from the department and his colleagues in the department.

Akinfenwa’s (family) upbringing made him to be confident to take big challenges. “In my father’s words, ‘take up challenges so you have a story to tell, and your story can only make sense when you weather the storm’. So, this has really shaped me to undertake different challenging opportunities such as pursuing my PhD outside my comfort.”

He says the mercy of God reached him: “This makes me believe in my ability to take up challenges and the good in people around me to leverage on. On top of this is that I have a supervisor who is research active and supportive for students. Through him, I attended conferences and got collaborations with researchers to write a book chapter, research articles and reviews. All these added up for me to reach this milestone”.

Back at home, Akinfenwa is a co-founder of Distress-calls Response Initiative and he has been part of the Nigerian Community in the Western Cape, which distributes neat used clothes, toiletries, and foodstuff to the destitute and the less privileged people.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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