Meet Maseromo Mofokeng: Global Clinical Trial Manager Who Rose From Poverty to Healthcare Leadership

• Maseromo Evelyn Mofokeng, born and raised on a farm in Free State, is now a Global Clinical Trial Manager overseeing clinical trials across the globe
• She was selected as one of only two candidates from South Africa out of 124 applicants for a prestigious global training programme in clinical research
• She founded The Footprints Foundation in 2022 to help underprivileged children access education and break cycles of poverty
• Apart from her healthcare achievements, Maseromo was named among Briefly News' Young Money Makers

From walking barefoot to school in Bethlehem, Free State, to managing global clinical trials that bring life-saving medicines to patients worldwide, Maseromo Evelyn Mofokeng proves that where you start doesn't have to be where you finish.

Born into poverty as one of nine children on a farm, Maseromo's early life was hard. There wasn't much money, and opportunities were few.

Foundation of hope and hard work

Maseromo's success started with her parents, who saw her potential even when she couldn't see it herself.

"My father and my mother were those individuals who believed in me and also believed in the world that could be for me. Seeing the hope in the eyes of the people raising you, that was my motivation," she said.

Her father told her she could be anything she wanted, which shaped how she saw the world and made her determined not to disappoint those who believed in her dreams.

When Maseromo was just eight years old, she began working to earn money for her family. Her father found her a job caring for orphaned lambs on the farm, which paid her R10 each month. Her mother taught her how to handle money properly, asking her to spend on what she needed most.

Moving forward despite the challenges

Even though farm life was hard, Maseromo loved to learn. Her growth came largely from reading lots of different books beyond her schoolwork.

The Bible was always important to her, but she also read old books from her great-grandparents and her sisters' schoolbooks. She also took to those written by authors who showed her what was possible for people of colour, like Black Tendencies by Sipho Mnyakeni. This way of thinking helped her see beyond what others might have thought were her limits.

Her good grades got her into the University of the Free State. There, she worked with Professor Jonathan Jansen to help bring black and white students together. This was difficult because she saw racism up close for the first time.

"When I was growing up, I didn't know about apartheid because my father hid the realities of what was out there. He wanted to show me what the world could be rather than what the world was," she explained.

Getting into clinical research

Maseromo discovered clinical research while working as a student helper in the chemistry department. She didn't want to become a doctor, but saw clinical research as her way to help save lives.

However, getting into clinical research as a black woman was difficult. After months without work in the industry, she finally got an apprenticeship for underrepresented people. After three years without promotion, she moved from Bloemfontein to Centurion looking for better opportunities.

Her breakthrough came when a UK company started a global training programme, taking only two people per country. Out of 124 South African applicants, Maseromo was chosen as one of two representatives. She succeeded through her strong work ethic and exceptional maturity.

"The interview panel said they had never met a person so young yet so experienced," she recalled. "From a young age, I was already working and developing that work ethic, and I always followed a quote: 'Be the woman you want to be when you're 40'."

For someone her age, her approach was eye-opening yet simple and made her stand out:

"If I didn't know something, I would learn the theory of it until I get the practical part of it."

However, throughout her journey in the field, Maseromo faced discrimination, particularly in some European countries. She revealed that this never stopped her. She calls herself a "stubborn optimist," stating that when doors close, she looks for other ways to get in, never giving in to feeling inferior.

Working on a global level

From her experience, a Global Clinical Trial Manager comes with unique challenges as a person of colour.

"You have to work three times harder to prove yourself. Even when you have proven yourself, it's not just one time - you have to stay on that path every day because if you fail, it's a reflection on all the other people of your colour. If I fail, then I'm failing my people and closing doors for people from my country."

The Footprints Foundation: Helping others

In 2022, Maseromo started The Footprints Foundation in her hometown of Bethlehem to help her community.

"Growing up on the farm was honestly a trigger for me. I knew back then, since I was a child, that I was going to give back to my people because I never wanted anyone to experience what I experienced."

The foundation helps with basic needs first, starting with things like school shoes, something meaningful to Maseromo because she walked barefoot to school.

The foundation does more than help with basic needs. When one school principal called about a child whose home had burned down, the foundation stepped in to assist the whole family. The child also returned to school with all the necessities.

Currently, Maseromo funds most of the foundation's work herself, though she actively seeks additional funding from the government and other partners. Her vision is to secure broader support, enabling the foundation to reach more rural communities across the region.

Future plans for the clinical trial manager

Maseromo wants to do even more in her career. In clinical research, she wants to work on infectious diseases, focusing on bringing advanced medicines to South Africa that aren't available in public hospitals.

"We don't have access to medication for specific illnesses like Western countries, and I want to help people receive the treatments they need. It shouldn't only be accesible through medical aid but even on a government level."

For The Footprints Foundation, she wants to get more funding and government recognition to help more rural communities that often get forgotten.

Advice for the leaders of tomorrow

Maseromo's message to young South Africans, especially those from similar backgrounds, is both realistic and encouraging. She points out that healthcare has many opportunities beyond being a doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.

"The field is diverse and there are a lot of opportunities but you cannot just drop the ball and expect things to fall into place. People need to work hard to be recognised on a corporate, global level. There will always be resistance and challenges, but with resilience and dedication, you will be able to find a way."

Maseromo Evelyn Mofokeng's journey shows that where you're born doesn't limit where you can go. Through hard work, continuous learning, and helping others, she has achieved success while creating paths for others to follow.

Named among Briefly News' 2025 Young Money Makers: Career Pioneers, her story inspires those who dare to dream beyond their current situations, proving that with hard work and faith, the possibilities are endless.

3 More inspiring participants named in Briefly News' Young Money Makers: Career Pioneers initiative

• Briefly News reported Marvel Shibambu, a self-taught coder, co-created the NOVAR app with only R700, reaching over 50,000 learners in South Africa in just five months with an offline feature that beats loadshedding.
• Mhlonishwa Winston Kunene, a 28-year-old real estate entrepreneur, shared his inspiring journey of making his first million after being kicked out by his father and overcoming numerous challenges to reach the top of his industry.
• Nuno Da Costa Mousinho, a clinical trial manager, shared his inspiring journey from a globally-minded child to managing clinical trials across 10 countries while earning academic distinctions from top universities, including Oxford and Glasgow.

Source: Briefly News