“VUT’s Professor Fanyana Mtunzi has earned an NRF C2 rating for research spanning chemistry, medicinal plants, natural products and biotechnology.”
26 August 2026 | Story by: Nontobeko Moimane | Picture: Supplied
3 minutes read time.
Behind every research breakthrough lie experiments that fail, papers that are rejected and long stretches when progress appears painfully slow. Professor Fanyana Mtunzi knows this journey well. His perseverance has now earned him a National Research Foundation (NRF) C2 rating, marking an important milestone in a career devoted to science, mentorship and building research capacity.
Professor Mtunzi, Acting Manager of the Vaal University of Technology’s (VUT) Institute of Chemical and Biotechnology (ICBT), described receiving the news as a moment of “deep gratitude, relief and immense pride”.
“After years of research, supervision, collaboration and building a research programme, receiving the C2 rating was a meaningful acknowledgement that the work I have been doing has made a significant contribution to my discipline,” he said.
For him, the recognition is about far more than the number of papers published. It is an independent assessment by peers of the quality, influence and standing of his work.
At the heart of Professor Mtunzi’s scientific journey is a simple but powerful curiosity: how can Africa’s natural resources be studied and transformed into solutions that improve people’s lives?
His early fascination with how substances interact developed into a multidisciplinary research programme spanning chemistry, natural products, analytical science and biotechnology. Much of his work focuses on medicinal plants and the identification of bioactive compounds, exploring their chemical properties, biological activity and potential practical applications.
This work holds particular promise in Africa, where extraordinary plant biodiversity and generations of indigenous knowledge create fertile ground for scientific discovery, innovation and commercialisation.
His research has also expanded into cannabis phytochemistry, including the study of cannabinoids and other plant compounds and their potential biological activity. He believes the field offers opportunities to connect analytical chemistry, biotechnology and biomedical research in new and meaningful ways.
“I believe my greatest research contribution has been the development of a multidisciplinary research programme that connects chemistry, medicinal plants, natural products, analytical science and biological activity,” he said.
However, Professor Mtunzi does not measure his contribution through research outputs alone. He regards the students and emerging scientists he has helped develop as an equally important part of his legacy.
“Through postgraduate supervision, mentoring and collaboration, I have had the opportunity to help students and emerging researchers develop the skills and confidence required to become independent scientists,” he said.
His leadership at the ICBT has allowed him to contribute beyond his own research by strengthening laboratory and analytical capacity, supporting postgraduate studies and fostering relationships among academia, industry and society.
The NRF rating is expected to help him deepen collaborations, pursue further research funding and expand his national and international scholarly footprint. His nomination for the Most Promising Professor Award by Scientific Laurels has added to the growing recognition of his work.
Yet he remains candid about the realities of an academic career.
“Research is not always an easy journey. There will be rejected papers, unsuccessful funding applications, experiments that do not work, equipment that fails and periods when progress appears slow,” he said.
His advice to young researchers is to treat these moments as lessons rather than defeats. He also urges postgraduate students to take ownership of their work, read widely, question established thinking and become experts in their chosen fields.
“Your supervisor is there to guide you, but you must ultimately become the expert in your area,” he said.
Professor Mtunzi’s achievement reflects what sustained curiosity, resilience and investment in others can produce. For VUT, it is also a reminder that research matters most when it develops people, advances knowledge and responds to the challenges facing society.