On 07 August 2025, the National Research Foundation (NRF) hosted the 2025 NRF awards ceremony. The awards honoured South Africa’s top researchers and scientists at the NH Johannesburg Sandton Hotel (formerly Hilton Sandton Hotel) in Gauteng. The theme for 2025 was “Innovating for a Sustainable Future”, which reflects the NRF’s 2030 vison of Research for a Better Society.

These awards recognized outstanding research conducted by individual scholars across various disciplines. Dr Busiswa Ndaba-Vatsha from the Institute for Catalysis and Energy Solutions in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology was honoured to receive the 2025 NRF Early Career/Emerging Researchers Award. The nomination process was managed by a qualified panel appointed by the NRF, which evaluated nominees in each category for their research excellence. This award acknowledges the dedicated efforts of researchers to enhance their visibility, thereby elevating their status among local and international peers. Award recipients are selected based on their innovative contributions to knowledge through impactful and unique research. During the event, Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Professor Blade Nzimande delivered a keynote speech. He congratulated the awardees their contribution to advancing South Africa’s l research and positioning it at the forefront of global research.

These are some of the congratulatory messages from UNISA Management to Dr Ndaba-Vatsha. Prof Labuschagne Lessing: Executive Director for Research, Innovation & Commercialisation at UNISA, said: "This is an excellent achievement and Unisa is proud to have you in our midst”. Prof Bhekie Mamba: CSET Executive Dean added: "You are an Ambassador of Research at CSET and your excellent career has just started, well done”