The North-West University (NWU) is pleased to introduce Dr Joe Molete as the new deputy vice-chancellor (DVC) designate for Student Life, Transformation, People and Culture (SLTPC), with responsibility for the NWU Mahikeng Campus.

As a seasoned academic leader with more than two decades of executive experience spanning academia, research, industry and international institutions, Dr Molete brings to the NWU a rich blend of scientific training, innovation leadership and a deeply personal commitment to people development.

A journey shaped by crucibles

Dr Molete’s leadership journey began far from boardrooms and executive portfolios.

He describes one of his earliest defining moments while growing up between Gauteng and Limpopo as the transition from village schooling to his first year at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). “I saw a laboratory for the first time,” he recalls. The adjustment was not easy: he failed two of his four first-year courses and had to repeat the year. “That failure humbled me,” he says. From that point onward, he never failed again, working relentlessly and earning bursaries throughout his 14 years of study. His highlight award was when he was awarded the Harvard South Africa Fellowship Award to study for the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Harvard Business School.

Another pivotal transition took him from Wits to Howard University in the United States. Starting a new master’s degree in biology after already having pursued one in Biochemistry in South Africa, which he had to drop halfway through to take up the scholarship, was daunting. Yet it was here that he found a community of fellow African students from Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Tanzania and Ghana who reshaped his worldview. He enjoyed engaging and learning from fellow Africans and even served as the secretary of the African Students Association at Penn State University. “They changed my stereotypes about Africa. They introduced me to African culture, food and music,” he says – an influence that would later shape his passion for DJing African and Caribbean rhythms.

Throughout his career, Dr Molete learned from both exemplary and challenging leaders. He credits Prof. Robert Hawley, whom he worked with at the American Red Cross, with enabling his transition from scientist to manager by supporting a hybrid 50% scientific and 50% management role – a rare opportunity that opened a new career pathway. Conversely, he experienced a difficult professional period in 2014, which he describes in his biography, Dancing to the Rhythm, as “the 2014 crucibles” – a painful yet transformational moment that redefined his leadership philosophy.

Leadership as service and influence

Over time, Dr Molete’s understanding of leadership has evolved significantly.

“Leadership is not about titles or positions,” he explains. “It is about having the mindset to make a difference, to take charge and accountability.” Influenced by the work of John C. Maxwell, he views leadership as a journey of growing influence, from positional authority to inspiring others.

Central to his philosophy is servant leadership, a concept pioneered by Robert K. Greenleaf. “When you become a leader, the focus is no longer on you. It is about solving other people’s problems,” he says. Leaders, in his view, do not need to have all the answers. Instead, they must surround themselves with capable people, trust them, remove bottlenecks and allow space for learning, even through failure.

A passion for transforming higher education

Dr Molete’s long-term commitment to higher education is rooted in his passion to translate research into tangible impact, ensuring that innovations move beyond publications into products, services and societal benefit. He assisted researchers and entrepreneurs to translate and commercialise research before joining academia, while he was at institutions such as International Aids Vaccine Initiatives (IAVI), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and BioPAD (now Technology Innovation Agency). “I joined academia so that I can be involved right from the early stages of conceptualising ideas because that is where we get it wrong. Innovations are difficult to scaleup if the foundation is not solid, hence most innovations are not commercialisable”. He added that to get commercialisable products, we need to entrench the culture of entrepreneurship and innovation in students from an early stage before they even become distinguished researchers.

Dr Molete also suggested that South Africa needs to enhance postgraduate supervision models, inspired by his US PhD experience where laboratory rotations preceded supervisor selection, a system he believes could reduce student-supervisor mismatches locally.

Why the NWU? Why now?

Dr Molete says he was drawn to the NWU by its vision: “To discover new frontiers and opportunities that benefit society, advancing our relevance and impact.” This aligns closely with his own personal vision of exploring new opportunities that serve society.

The DVC role represents both career growth and a meaningful stretch opportunity. “I am passionate about developing people,” he says. “Taking ownership of the Student Life, Transformation, People and Culture portfolio will allow me to do that at scale,” says Dr Molete.

Being entrusted with the Mahikeng Campus is, for him, both a privilege and a profound responsibility. “This will be a significant part of my life story, and it has to be a good story. The current state of the campus shows that our predecessors had a vision and therefore we need to continue with the development so as to be relevant and impactful.”

Defining success over five years

At the end of his five-year term, Dr Molete envisions:

· A strengthened multi-campus model with enhanced Mahikeng visibility.

· Improved enrolment, success and graduation rates, with reduced dropout rates.

· A vibrant, inclusive and diversified student life.

· Improved staff morale, development and fair compensation.

· Stronger partnerships with TVET colleges, industry and community stakeholders.

· Expanded entrepreneurship programmes and job creation initiatives.

· Increased external funding and stakeholder engagement.

A transformed student experience

For Dr Molete, transformation is practical and measurable. A transformed student experience includes:

· Inclusivity, diversity and social cohesion.

· Access to primary healthcare and mental health services.

· Support for students with disabilities.

· Strong residence life and co-curricular programmes in sport and the arts.

· Tutoring, career guidance and leadership development.

· Entrepreneurial skills development and community engagement.

· Effective student governance structures.

He emphasises that students are not passive recipients but active co-creators of institutional culture, participating in policy formulation and implementation.

Culture, innovation and the multi-campus opportunity

Dr Molete aims to cultivate an institutional culture rooted in caring, inclusivity, ethical leadership, transparency and digital citizenship.

Drawing on lessons from campus repositioning initiatives at other institutions, he believes impactful projects require collaborative governance models involving universities, industry, TVET colleges and communities. Faculties must identify and scale “pockets of excellence”, transforming them into flagship programmes.

Within the multi-campus model of the NWU he sees the opportunity for Mahikeng in delegating key decision-making functions to enable responsiveness, strategically centralising digital services for efficiency, leveraging expertise across campuses rather than duplicating efforts, and strengthening competitive niche areas and making bold strategic choices.

Universities as engines of national development

With experience in biotechnology and innovation ecosystems, Dr Molete sees universities as central to national development – producing skilled graduates, driving impactful research, fostering entrepreneurship and mobilising regional economic growth.

He believes strong partnerships are built through personal networks, strategic engagement, vibrant communication platforms and meaningful alumni involvement. Co-investment in strategic projects, he notes, will be key to sustainable impact.

Beyond the office

Beyond his professional role, Dr Molete describes himself as simply “a coach, fitness fanatic, DJ, spiritualist and father”.

He integrates work and life seamlessly, meditating, journaling, reading, coaching, spending time in the gym and with family. His musical tastes range from African and Caribbean rhythms such as soukous, makossa, highlife, soca and dancehall to African gospel.

Among his favourite books are Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, and Feeling Is the Secret by Neville Goddard.

Advice to aspiring leaders

To young academics and professionals, his advice is clear: have a dream and write it down, excel where you are, take initiative and document your results, believe in your unique gifts, forgive yourself for mistakes and be patient – growth unfolds in its own time.

As Dr Joe Molete begins this new chapter at the NWU, he brings with him not only experience and strategic insight, but also a deeply held belief: that every individual has unique gifts, and that leadership is ultimately about creating environments where those gifts can flourish.

Dr Joe Molete