On behalf of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Professor Ntobeko Ntusi, President and CEO of the SAMRC, has expressed deep sadness on the untimely passing of Professor Keolebogile Shirley Motaung.
The SAMRC sends its sincerest condolences to the Motaung family, her friends, colleagues, past and present students and to the Nelson Mandela University/Female Academic Leaders Fellowship (FALF)/FirstRand Empowerment Foundation (FREF) where Prof Motaung was awarded the Research Chair in Entrepreneurship and Financial Inclusion with the official launch date of the Chair to have been on 19 February 2026.
Keolebogile Shirley Motaung was a professor, biomedical scientist, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Global Health Biotech (Pty) Ltd, and first President of the African Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society.
As a professor, research scientist and entrepreneur, she trained her postgraduate students not just on how to do research and become a scientist, but also on how to become entrepreneurs. By becoming entrepreneurs, they can create jobs for themselves after completing their studies at a time when jobs are scarce, and unemployment is high. She was a passionate believer in capacity building, and this is evident in Dr Mapula Razwinani, her former PhD student, being a current recipient of the SAMRC Early Career Researcher Award.
Prof Motaung’s research focused mainly on stem cells, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine using medicinal plants for bone and cartilage regeneration. Drawing on her knowledge of plant-based morphogenetic factors in tissue engineering, she used medicinal plants to manufacture, La- Africa Soother, which offers athletes, sportsmen and women an alternative natural anti-inflammatory cream/ointment to relieve muscles, joint aches, treats pain at the source and should be applied before and after physical activity in order to prevent injury (the 1st of its kind).
Prof Motaung had a long, close relationship with the SAMRC as a grant beneficiary in Grants, Innovation and Product Development (GIPD), a reviewer, and as keynote speaker in the Research Capacity Development Division Beneficiary Conferences, sharing her wealth of experience with our young researchers, most recently on 21 October 2025. She was also a recipient of an SAMRC-TIA Seed Fund award for her work within Global Health Biotech (Pty) Ltd on plant based morphogenetic factors in tissue engineering of bone and cartilage. Her shared vision was further exemplified by sharing the SAMRC exhibition space at the 2024 Science Forum South Africa with her company, Global Health Biotech (Pty) Ltd.
Professor Motaung was small in stature, but truly a giant has fallen!
From right to left: Professor Shirley Keo Motaung, Professor Lawrence Obi, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU); Professor Johan Louw, SAMRC Biomedical and Research and Innovation Platform (BRIP); and Professor Nwabisa Shai, Gender and Health Research Unit (GHRU) at the RCD Regional Beneficiary Conference held at SMU on 20 and 21 October 2025