As South Africa celebrates Women’s Month, the country has a world-class example of what its women scientists can achieve. Professor Liesl Zühlke, a paediatric cardiologist and researcher at the University of Cape Town, has been named the 2026 laureate for Africa and the Arab States in the prestigious L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards, one of the highest honours in global science.
Zühlke was officially honoured at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 11 June 2026, placing a South African researcher at the very top table of international science and shining a spotlight on the calibre of women scientists emerging from this country.
Science That Saves Children’s Hearts
Zühlke’s award-winning work focuses on cardiovascular diseases in children, including rheumatic heart disease, a preventable condition that continues to disproportionately affect vulnerable communities. Her research is a powerful example of scientific excellence translated into practical interventions that improve healthcare and save young lives.
Her research reach extends well beyond rheumatic and congenital heart disease, taking in HIV among adolescents and cardiac disease in women of childbearing age, fields where her findings directly shape better care for South Africans.
She carries an extraordinary portfolio of roles: Vice-President of the South African Medical Research Council’s Extramural Research and Internal Portfolio, Director of the Children’s Heart Disease Research Unit at the University of Cape Town, and practising paediatric cardiologist at the beloved Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital. Her achievements have earned her numerous accolades, including the 2023 South African Women in Science Award and recognition as one of the world’s leading scholars in rheumatic heart disease research.
Part of a Bigger South African Story
Zühlke’s journey is one chapter in a much broader story. Across the country’s laboratories, universities, hospitals, research institutions and technology companies, South African women are making significant contributions to scientific discovery and innovation, in fields ranging from medical research and engineering to information technology, environmental science, astronomy and biotechnology.
That growing visibility matters enormously for the next generation. Recognition at the highest levels of world science gives young South African girls living proof that careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics are not only possible, but can change society for the better.
Investing in Talent That Reflects the Nation
For South Africa, championing women in science is about more than celebrating individual triumphs. It is about opening the doors of research, innovation and decision-making to everyone, and making sure the country’s scientific talent reflects the full diversity of its people.
As Women’s Month invites the nation to reflect on the road to gender equality, achievements like Zühlke’s show just how far South African women have come in STEM, and how much further they can take the country. When women are given the opportunity, resources and support to pursue scientific careers, they help solve some of society’s most pressing challenges and build a stronger, healthier and more innovative South Africa, according to the report by SAnews.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Leave a Reply