“It Gets Greater, Later”: Meet UJ’s First PhD Graduate in Local Economic Development
- Dr Lebogang Matholwane Mathole recently made history as the University of Johannesburg's first PhD graduate in Economics with a focus on Local Economic Development
- Her groundbreaking research explored how South African luxury clothing brands can compete with international labels and boost local economies
- From her upbringing in a village to her current position as a lecturer at Tshwane University of Technology, Dr Mathole's journey shows what's possible with determination and support
Source: Original
On 24 March 2025, Dr Lebogang Matholwane Mathole walked across the graduation stage at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and into the history books as the university's first-ever PhD graduate in Local Economic Development.
From village values to academic excellence
Dr Mathole's journey to this milestone began in a South African village where she learned the importance of community.
"I was raised in a village where the collective presence was more important than an individual stand," she explained. This early value system shaped her future path.
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Growing up with a mother and grandmother who were both teachers helped spark her love for education.
"My mother was a teacher, and my grandmother was a 'generic' teacher. Both these women were always ready to demonstrate knowledge, and rarely explained it. I realised early on that it is not enough to talk about it. One must strive to 'do' something about it."
She admitted her love for learning and progressing even further.
"I have always enjoyed being in spaces that would help me generate new insight. A university space, amongst a few, always gave me comfort. I knew I would continue to further my studies, because after my first degree, I could not stop studying more and more."
When it came time to pursue a PhD, she deliberately chose a path that wouldn't be easy.
"I wanted to challenge myself. I have had an enormous background in business management and marketing previously. I thought it was time to open a new pathway, which, although interrelated, would compel an intense discipline to think broadly of the insight and impact this project would make, for my community."
Breaking new ground with luxury goods research
Dr Mathole's research focused on entrepreneurial strategies to promote locally produced luxury goods, specifically clothing brands. Her interest in this topic came from her experience as a lecturer.
"My first love for luxury goods emanates from being a fashion marketing lecturer to Fashion senior students. The biggest challenge for those designers was how difficult it was to compete with international brands, even though the local brands were significantly lower in price," she said.
This observation led her to investigate why South African consumers readily embrace high-end global luxury brands while hesitating to support local ones. She also wanted to develop techniques for local businesses to position themselves better in the luxury market.
The research had significant economic implications.
"In South Africa, the luxury market has been estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.4% from 2023 to 2030," Dr Mathole noted. "Even on a continental level, the global luxury market size was estimated at USD 2.09 billion, of which the Middle East and Africa holds the major market of more than 2% of the global revenue."
What surprised her most during the research was discovering that South African consumers were so receptive, so eager to vouch for their country, so ready to support local businesses, but wanted their attention to be directed objectively.
Dr Mathole's research not only identified challenges but also provided practical solutions for local luxury brands. Her findings suggested that with the right marketing strategies, South African luxury clothing brands can capture a larger share of the market.
The challenging PhD journey
Like many doctoral candidates, Dr Mathole faced significant challenges during her four-year journey. When asked about difficult moments, she laughed,
"YES!!! Every morning!"
Time management proved particularly challenging.
"Four years felt like 8 months," she said. Motivation was another hurdle. "I had to rely on self-motivational talk. That inner conversation, because even though I had all the support, no one around me understood what I was going through mentally, physically and emotionally."
The isolation of doctoral research tested her resilience. Though naturally introverted, she found the PhD experience particularly lonely.
What kept her going was self-discipline and a mindset of delayed gratitude. She stated:
"Not all things will yield positive results immediately; others take years, but even when it feels like nothing is happening, one must still show up. That's all."
When discussing essential support during her academic journey, Dr Mathole credits her faith, family members, and academic supervisors for sustaining her. This support network consistently helped her overcome moments of confusion and discouragement throughout the process.
As the pioneering graduate of the program, Dr Mathole acknowledged the inherent pressure but views it primarily as an exciting opportunity. Now, she approaches her groundbreaking position with authenticity, hoping to use her unique status to create positive change and contribute meaningful solutions to economic challenges.
Source: Original
Impact on local economic development
The research by Dr Mathole can really help South Africa's economy by creating jobs and teaching new skills. Her work shows how buying local luxury products instead of foreign brands can boost employment. This fits well with the Proudly SA campaign, which encourages people to buy South African products and invest in local factories to create more jobs.
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At Tshwane University of Technology, Dr Mathole shares what she learned with all her students, from first year to those doing advanced studies.
Though she only got her PhD two weeks ago, she's already working with publishers and businesses to spread her findings. In the future, she plans to create guides for local business owners and start community projects to help more people find jobs.
Inspiring the next generation
Dr Mathole hopes her achievement will inspire other women in South Africa:
"I want them to believe in their dreams – and to trust their journey as well as where they are right now. Sometimes, intention is as important as capacity. As long as you want it, and you want it bad enough, there is no other way. Life will give it to you."
Her advice to young people interested in pursuing advanced degrees in economics is straightforward:
"You must first decide what it is that you want, then take small baby steps every single day towards that goal. The only thing you have to do is to show up, be there, then the rest will be done for you."
This achievement holds a deeply spiritual significance for Dr Mathole, who humbly attributes her success to God's grace. Her family shares in her joy, with celebrations, as she puts it, likely to continue well into next year. With characteristic optimism, her message to her younger self would simply be that it gets greater, later.
As a woman breaking new ground in her field, Dr Mathole acknowledges the many outstanding academics who inspired her journey. She brings a perspective that values remaining receptive to others' insights while staying focused on community empowerment. She believes in balancing the current focus on technology and science with continued attention to social sciences. Dr Mathole emphasises that her goal extends beyond theoretical perspectives to practical application, making tangible, meaningful differences in people's lives through direct action.
Professor Marius Venter, Director of UJ's Centre for Local Economic Development, sees Dr Mathole's achievement as just the beginning.
"Her success demonstrates the strength of our programme in producing research that has tangible impacts on local economies. This is just the beginning of a new era in LED scholarship and practice."
3 Other inspiring graduation stories
- Briefly News reported on a woman who was moved to tears on her graduation day after receiving a heartwarming gift from her aunt.
- A 65-year-old father took his first-ever flight to attend his daughter's graduation ceremony, with the excited dad travelling alongside his wife and son-in-law for the special occasion.
- A woman who attended her graduation ceremony alone shared an emotional clip of herself crying during the event.
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Source: Briefly News
