From a dusty rural village to academic stardom

THE sky is just the limit for Zama Xulu, who recently bagged a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics with a cum laude from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). Xulu is now pursuing a PHD in applied Maths at the same institution. 

Hailing from the small rural village of Nhlangulo in Mpangeni, north of KwaZulu-Natal, Xulu, 27, has defied the odds that often hinder young women from similar backgrounds.

Her academic success was rooted in the legacy of her parents. Her late father, Mziwenkosi Xulu, was an electrical engineer, and her mother, Ntombeyenkosi Khubisa, was a dedicated mathematics teacher. Reflecting on her journey filled with obstacles, Zulu said, “I just hope that my father is smiling wherever he is. I hope I have also made my mother happy.”

Xulu spoke about her upbringing, saying she used to draw with other girls in the nearby stream. 

“When I came to the city, it was a new terrain for me altogether. I now had full access to a laptop and WiFi, which was a major shift. Before that, I had maybe 10% knowledge of how to use technology,” she said.

Despite the early challenges, Xulu excelled at her studies. 

Now Xulu is determined not to rise alone. She’s committed to giving back to her community by helping young learners excel in mathematics. “I’m planning to start extra classes for Grade 11s and matriculants at a local hall in my village. This is my way of helping others to pass maths with flying colours,” she said.

“We must all come together as young people in different fields to help the ones coming after us. This is my vision. I want to see young people thriving in their respective fields.”

Xulu chose UKZN for her postgraduate studies because of the university’s strong reputation in applied mathematics and its emphasis on cutting-edge research. 

She was particularly drawn to its dynamic mathematics faculty, renowned for its work in both theoretical and applied mathematics. “UKZN’s collaborative research environment and focus on global and local challenges made it the perfect place to explore my interests in general relativity,” she said.

Her MSc research focused on understanding the behaviour of space and time in symmetrical gravitational fields, such as those found around stars or planets, using Einstein’s field equations.

Supervised by Professor Sunil Maharaj and Dr Sifiso Ngubelanga, her study explored how pressure behaved in these symmetrical spacetimes and how changes in the way those systems were described mathematically, and can offer new insights.

Working with both Schwarzschild and isotropic coordinate systems, Xulu developed two novel methods for finding new solutions to the Einstein equations related to perfect fluids such as stars or gases. These solutions help scientists better understand celestial bodies and cosmic phenomena such as black holes within the framework of general relativity.

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