My post-doctoral endeavours (since 2008) took me on a journey to become an established (NRF C2-rated) researcher within the metacognition research community in mathematics education. Based on my intellectual property stemming from my Master's and doctoral studies, I could give scholarly leadership to enhance metacognition in mathematics education. Since 2010 I was involved in several research projects such as being the architect and project leader in a SANAD research project;  participating in the International Comparison of Mathematics Teachers Training project where I networked with academics from 12 countries - researching the affordances of lesson study in maths education; collaborating with both national and international scholars, e.g., Brock University Canada; University of Utrecht (SANPAD); Miami University, Ohio (Ann MacKenzie; Fulbright); University Khoi Kaen Thailand (Maittree Inprasitha); University of Massachusetts Lowell (Iman Chahine). I worked with the University of Plymouth in a community project in three primary schools (Mathematics Enhancement Programme South Africa). Currently, I am a co-investigator in two NRF-funded projects on the ‘Affordances of Indigenous Knowledge for Self-Directed Learning’ (with funding of R1 ,35 m), and ‘STEM teachers learning from I K holders’ (Ethno-mathematics) (with funding of R 1 ,07m) as well as ‘Teachers without borders creating Indigenous Knowledge Science Labs in Rural Schools (Fuchs Foundation) with prof. J de Beer. I designed Tshimologo Mathematics Shoestring Kit for teachers and learners. Through personal initiatives and subsequent projects and post graduate student supervision, I have contributed to a better understanding and recognition of metacognition in maths education in South Africa. Three students have graduated with doctoral and nine with masters’ degrees under my supervision. I was awarded title ‘Most productive supervisor’ of the 2015 HEMIS year at the faculty education sciences. My research niche found an epistemological home in the Research Focus Area Self-directed Learning.