Staff
Designation: Dr.
E-mail: SNqweniso@ufh.ac.za
Contact Number: +27722296293
Position: Senior Lecturer
Campus: Alice
Faculty: Health Sciences
Department: Human Movement Sciences
Address: Human Movement Science, Office no. 1, Human Movement Science Department, Alice campus
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siphesihle-felicitas-nqweniso-phd-98a389129/
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=uZinr4wAAAAJ&hl=en
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Siphesihle-Nqweniso?ev=hdr_xprf
NRF Rating:
Dr Siphesihle Nqweniso is a Senior Lecturer and Biokineticist in the Department of Human Movement Science in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Fort Hare She is a dedicated academic whose research focuses on child health and physical activity promotion, with an emphasis on the implementation of school-based interventions targeting cardiovascular disease risk factors and body composition among children and adolescents from resource-limited communities. Dr Nqweniso holds a PhD in Human Movement Science from Nelson Mandela University, where she was involved in the KaziAfya project—an internationally funded, multidisciplinary intervention study implemented across South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, and Tanzania. Her scholarly work has contributed to the development of impactful school-based programmes, such as KaziKidz (www.kazibantu.org), which aim to enhance physical literacy, improve fitness levels, and promote healthy lifestyles in resource-limited settings. She has published extensively in high-impact journals including BMC Public Health, PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, and BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. Her scholarly impact is reflected in over 565 citations, an h-index of 13, and an i10-index of 16 (Google Scholar). She has authored and co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications and has presented her research at national and international conferences. In recognition of her academic excellence, Dr Nqweniso is a recipient of the 2024 Chancellor’s Excellence Award for the Early Career Research Award from Nelson Mandela University. Dr Nqweniso has successfully secured research grants from the National Research Foundation (NRF), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the South African Medical Research Council (Self-Initiated Research grant). Her international research partnerships include collaborations with the University of Basel (Switzerland), Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Switzerland), Ifakara Health Institute (Tanzania), and Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques (Côte d’Ivoire). She also serves as a co-principal investigator on a study enhancing the quality of physical education through teacher training programmes. As a dedicated academic and mentor, she lectures undergraduate and postgraduate students in Human Movement Science, and supervises honours, master’s and PhD students. She is currently the Research and Postgraduate Coordinator in her department and serves on the faculty research committee. Her research continues to influence the development of school-based health strategies and non-communicable disease prevention efforts, positioning her as a voice in advancing health equity through education and physical activity in South Africa and beyond.