AFRICA | A brilliant woman named Khensani Xivuri has made history as the first Black woman to earn a PhD in Applied Data Science at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa.
Her achievement is not only academic excellence but a powerful story of determination, and the pursuit of education against difficult odds, a journey that began in a remote village and ended with history in one of the world’s most competitive technology fields.
Khensani's Story and How She Did It
Khensani hails from a small village in Limpopo Province, South Africa, where she grew up filled with challenges. She describes her childhood as deeply rural, with limited access to infrastructure like proper roads, electricity, and basic amenities.
Due to this, exposure to professional careers was almost nonexistent. Yet education remained central in her home. Both her parents were educators who instilled discipline, ambition, and the belief that education could change her life.
Initially, pursuing a PhD was her father’s dream for her. But as she progressed academically, the dream became her own.
Khensani’s journey into technology began after encouragement from her brother, who suggested she study Informatics and Information Systems after completing matric. She pursued a BCom degree in the field and quickly developed a passion for technology.
From there, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Informatics and Information Systems, after a master’s degree in Information Technology, followed by a PhD in Applied Data Science
Each stage strengthened her expertise, eventually leading her to specialize in Artificial Intelligence and data science.
Her doctoral journey was anything but easy. Khensani had to balance her academic work with a full-time job, often working through nights to meet deadlines.
She recalls how her early submissions frequently returned covered in corrections from her supervisor. But she refused to give up, holding onto her father’s advice in Xitsonga: “unga sunguli xilo unga xi hetisi” — meaning never start something you won’t finish.
Gradually, improvement followed persistence, and her confidence grew as her research matured.
Khensani’s research focused on developing a procedural model to identify and reduce bias in Artificial Intelligence systems before they are deployed.
Her work highlights how biased AI systems can unfairly affect people, for example, algorithms denying loans or setting unfair interest rates due to flawed assumptions about certain communities.
She also discovered that many AI development teams lack gender and social diversity, which often results in systems that unintentionally disadvantage underrepresented groups.
Khensani’s research calls for more inclusive participation in technology development to ensure fairness in digital systems that increasingly influence daily life.
She described her achievement as the first Black woman to receive a PhD in Applied Data Science at her university as deeply fulfilling.
With her achievement, Khensani believes more women must enter STEM fields, pushing boundaries and creating opportunities for future generations.
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