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Dr Babalwa Vuyokazi Soga-Kamdem, Operations Manager at the School of Health Care Sciences at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU), is bringing a deeply personal and powerful voice to the national conversation on multilingualism in education. Speaking at the HELTASA Conference, she challenged the status quo of English-only instruction and urged universities to embrace language diversity for meaningful transformation.
Their Story
Dr Soga-Kamdem’s passion for language inclusion stems from her own journey growing up in Mdantsane township and attending rural schools. Reflecting on her experience, she recalled how local languages were often the bridge between confusion and clarity:
“Growing up in rural schools, we used English for instruction. But our educators would revert to local languages to enhance explanations when concepts became difficult. Many of us understood better that way,” she explained.
It’s a memory that shaped her current research an investigation into whether multilingual language policies truly support academic performance and social integration for rural students who speak African languages as their first language.
The Event/Occasion
Presenting under the sub-theme “Bridging Gaps: Equity, Access and Inclusive Policies” at the HELTASA Conference, Dr Soga-Kamdem stood among other distinguished researchers, unpacking the motivations and findings of her paper.
Her core question: Are universities doing enough, 30 years into democracy, to support rural, African-language-speaking students?
“I wanted to evaluate whether our language policies are truly supporting these students—or whether some interventions and changes are still needed,” she told the attentive audience.
She pointed out that while many scholars agree multilingualism is gaining traction in higher education, there’s a growing concern that implementation remains too slow and inconsistent.
Community Reactions
Dr Soga-Kamdem’s presentation struck a chord with fellow educators, researchers, and policymakers. Her call to action was clear: if South Africa is to truly transform its higher education landscape, it must base language policy decisions on real student experiences and solid research.
“It is crucial for achieving genuine transformation and equity in the higher education system, 30 years into democracy,” she said in closing.
Her work contributes not only to ongoing academic debate but also to broader social justice efforts to decolonise education and empower marginalised communities.
