Growing up in the Eastern Cape village of Mpepheni, Yanelisa Pulani, 25, always heard she was “smart” — and in her community, that meant one thing: becoming a doctor. But the loss of her aunt and grandmother to cancer turned that goal into a mission. This rooted Yanelisa’s purpose in service and building systems that her community had never had. Now a final-year medical student at the University of Cape Town and a Mandela Rhodes Scholar, Yanelisa is already transforming the research landscape. As the founding chief executive of the African Research Society (ARS), she leads a youth-driven, Africentric movement connecting 2 000 students to research, mentorship and leadership opportunities. Under her leadership, ARS became the first student-led body in South Africa to host five Nobel Laureates, including Professor Joachim Frank. She is also pursuing a master’s in neuroscience physiology, investigating neglected parasitic diseases of the brain, and advocates for health justice through the UCT Global Surgery Fellowship and REACH Alliance, focusing on access to healthcare for structurally vulnerable women.
My mother raised my sister and me as a single parent — often underestimated and stigmatised as a teenage mother. Instead of allowing that label to define her, she chose a path of service, sacrifice and strength. From as early as the age of four, she taught me that life is about service. Whether sharing outgrown clothes with other children in the village or baking and distributing muffins to neighbours during the December holidays, she modelled that generosity is not dependent on wealth — it comes from the heart. Her life is one of selflessness, placing others before herself and centring everything around faith in God. She never gave up on her own dreams, even while fully investing in the dreams of others. Her quiet resilience, unwavering faith and deep sense of purpose have shaped the woman and leader I am becoming.