2 minutes read time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Vaal University of Technology (VUT) recently celebrated a proud milestone when Ecotourism lecturer and Work Integrated Learning (WIL) coordinator, Ms Khanyisile Ngidi, had her research article published. The piece, titled \u201cStakeholders\u2019 Perceptions on the Economic Impacts of Vredefort World Heritage Site\u201d<\/em>, underscores the importance of heritage conservation in driving economic development. Appearing in the African Journal of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, this achievement not only marked a personal triumph for Ms Ngidi but also strengthened her resolve to pursue further research and to continue empowering others through her work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ms Ngidi described the experience of seeing her article in print as unforgettable. \u201cExcited would be an understatement,\u201d she said, adding that the achievement has inspired her to deepen her contributions to academia and research writing. Her passion, however, extends beyond personal accomplishment. She is deeply committed to sustainable development and ecotourism, viewing them as powerful tools to transform economies, protect environments, and uplift local communities who safeguard natural and cultural treasures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To the women of VUT, Ms Ngidi shares a message of courage and authenticity. \u201cBoldness and uniqueness are like a guiding star. Use your light to navigate the uncertainties of life, be joyful always, and face challenges head on,\u201d she said. Quoting Maya Angelou, she reminded women to embrace harmony within themselves as a source of enduring strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Ms Ngidi, writing is more than an academic pursuit; it is a tool for empowerment. \u201cWriting amplifies our voices as women and provides a platform to express our ideas and creativity without being subjected to imposed societal norms,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She also encourages young women who aspire to write not to fear the process of growth. \u201cAlways keep an open mind to learning and developing yourself, and don\u2019t be too hard on yourself. Remember, Rome wasn\u2019t built in a day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond her publications, Ms Ngidi\u2019s role as an Ecotourism lecturer and WIL coordinator reflects her commitment to shaping future leaders. She is dedicated to nurturing young people to engage in public discourse, challenge unjust stereotypes and policies, and contribute to building a more inclusive and sustainable future.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" “Ms Khanyisile Ngidi\u2019s VUT research on ecotourism and heritage empowers women in academia, promotes sustainable development, and inspires future leaders.” […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":26609,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news-vaal-university-of-technology"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26608"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26608\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26610,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26608\/revisions\/26610"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26609"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/en_gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"A](\"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Khanyi-ngidi-template-1024x1024.webp\")
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