?YOUTH MONTH
This Youth Month, we're celebrating students who are making a difference on campus, in their communities and beyond. Through their leadership, compassion and commitment, they are helping to build a better future for South Africa. These profiles highlight the impact and energy of a new generation of changemakers at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU).
Alboricah Tokologo “TK" Rathupetsane is not easily defined. A PhD candidate at SU's Centre for Sustainability Transitions (CST), she is deeply immersed in the technical complexities of green industrialisation and energy infrastructure. But she is also a gifted storyteller whose fiction dares to reimagine Africa's future – one where science, justice and imagination converge.
It is this rare blend of rigorous academic inquiry and creative vision that drives Rathupetsane's work. Her research explores how expanding South Africa's power grid can open new doors for local businesses, especially in steel and manufacturing – sectors which are critical to inclusive economic development. Yet she approaches these questions with the mind of a novelist and the heart of a social changemaker, asking not only what is, but what could be.
Storyteller by heart
Originally from Kgapane, a small town in Limpopo, Rathupetsane's academic journey has taken her from mechanical engineering to a Master's in Sustainable Development, and now to doctoral research focused on green economy transitions. Along the way, her love of storytelling has remained a constant – from self-publishing two novels in high school to placing in prestigious international writing competitions. One of her stories, “The Faraway Things," was shortlisted for the 2020 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Another, titled “What's Freely Given", achieved second place in the 2021 Future Folklore short story competition.
“The more I've engaged with sustainability and the persistent social challenges facing South Africa, the more I've felt inspired to write stories that are deeply rooted in our local realities," Rathupetsane says. “Stories are a great way to explore the complexities of reality and creatively thinking about solutions."
This belief lies at the heart of the Africa Week Network, a community-driven initiative she co-founded in 2023 alongside three like-minded peers: Jasmine Jacob, Merin Jacob and Mhlengi Khambule. Launched in the week leading up to Africa Day on 25 May, the project brings together artists, entrepreneurs, scholars and local residents for a week of markets, workshops, dialogues and stargazing, all aimed at imagining a unified, vibrant Africa.
Dreaming beyond poverty, crime and inequality
The Africa Week Network is about creating spaces for possibility, Rathupetsane explains. “Beyond attending events, we wanted people to meet other young innovators, creators, entrepreneurs and changemakers and form meaningful connections. I also explored public storytelling, sharing my personal journey as a writer and how my work in sustainable development had reshaped the kinds of problems I want to solve."
For Rathupetsane, the need for imagination is urgent. It's hard to dream beyond poverty, crime and inequality, she acknowledges, but we must try. She recalls the challenge of preparing a sci-fi storytelling session for Comic Con Cape Town this year: “It was amazing and frightening to reflect on how hard it was to imagine a different reality than the one we see today, even for people who constantly engage with trying to do that."
Her own creativity is fed by a close-knit circle of family and friends who have stood by her every step of the way. She speaks fondly of her brother, who has dog-eared her early novels with pride; her younger sister, whose bold opinions push her to think deeper; and her colleagues at the CST, who have nurtured her belief that academic work can – and should – be personal.
'Start by showing up'
While Rathupetsane's published academic work has already begun to reach broader audiences, it's often in the informal moments that she feels the greatest impact. “After one article, I was invited to deliver a keynote at a power infrastructure conference. I was one of the few women there, and the only speaker talking about inclusive development. I didn't win everyone over, but I was happy that people came up to me during the breaks and over lunch to challenge my perspectives, and we had more in-depth conversations. I think these conversations are rewarding because I learn from them and they in turn learn from me."
Her commitment to public engagement stems from a deep conviction that real change does not only come from the top. She believes development is not only about policies or research – real change begins when people feel seen, heard and invited into the process.
When asked what advice she has for other students who want to contribute but feel uncertain, her response is simple: “Start by showing up. Go to the small events, talk to people, be present."
This quiet magic of consistent presence, deep listening and collaborative dreaming lies at the heart of Rathupetsane's work. Her vision of justice is not performative or prescriptive. It is, instead, an invitation: to gather, to share and to imagine a different Africa – one story, one idea, one connection at a time.
PHOTO: Stefan Els
GRAPHIC: Geola Bergman
