Sipho Ncube Featured on 200 Young South Africans List

Published: October 22, 2020 | Author: Savannah Byers | Read Time: 3 minutes

Southern Utah University pre-medicine student Sipho Ncube was recently featured on the 2020 edition of the 200 Young South Africans list by Mail & Guardian. More than 8,000 people were nominated for this year’s feature. Sipho, the youngest person featured in the Health category, aspires to be a medical doctor and serve individuals in rural communities.

"I have known Sipho for the last two years and I believe what she is doing in South Africa, in Zimbabwe, and hopefully in more countries in the future, is what the definition of humanity should be,” said Landry Igiraneza, coordinator for the Center for Diversity and Inclusion and one of the people who nominated Sipho to be on the list. “Helping others is a mission of hers, and a quality that we should all aspire to have. Changing a system is hard, but Sipho taught me that what it takes is one person doing the best they can to help others to guarantee a better future for all. I cannot wait to see how she changes the world because I am certain she will."

Sipho was born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa. At a young age she began participating in humanitarian work, addressing rural health issues and education. She has served with the International Federation of Medical Students, the United Nations Association, and the Student National Medical Association. Sipho has also served as the Youth Assembly Ambassador for South Africa and as an Ambassador for Friendship Ambassadors Foundation through the United Nations Department of Global Communications.

She has continued to serve and volunteer as a college student. In 2019, in addition to serving as the vice president for the African Union club and serving as an international student ambassador, Sipho was selected as a delegate for the 23rd session of the United Nations Youth Assembly. Because of these accomplishments, she earned “Achievement of the Year” at the 2019 Thunderbird Award Ceremony and the “Leadership Award” at the 2019 International Affairs Recognition Gala.

“I truly enjoy making a difference in the lives of those considered ‘hard to reach’ and I hope to someday live in a world where healthcare will be accessible to all,” Sipho said. “I ended up here at SUU through a family friend who heard about the programs offered here and thought it would be a perfect fit for me since I wanted to study in the United States and transfer from Grenada.”

The 200 Young South Africans is an annual list that features the most influential South Africans under the age of 35. Individuals are selected based on nominations and accomplishments. This year, the list was divided into 12 categories with anywhere from six to 41 individuals featured per category. The Health category featured 23 influencers.

“I could not believe it when I heard the news that I was shortlisted and had made it to the final,” Sipho said. “I have always looked up to people who have made the list in past years, people like Trevor Noah. Making it on the list means that people really believe in me and see the difference I am making in the lives of other people and this means so much to me.”

Sipho is set to graduate this spring of 2021. After graduation, she plans to earn dual degrees in medicine (MD) and public health (MPH). She aspires to be a doctor in pediatrics and to work to make healthcare more equitable and accessible for everyone.

“I have seen and experienced how poor healthcare systems affect society and sustainability in communities,” Sipho said. “There is a lack of healthcare workers in remote/rural areas and I wanted to pursue medicine to serve these communities and help influence policies that can help them get equal access to healthcare through my leadership positions with the United Nations and others.”

Learn more about SUU’s pre-medicine program.

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Tags: International Affairs Medicine

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