From family gatherings in Germiston to shaping future tourism leaders in lecture halls, Bianca Nolwandle Mkhize-Simelane, 33, has always known how to command attention. What began as a love for debating and storytelling led her to academia. A lecturer at the Central University of Technology, Bianca teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students, supervises master’s and PhD candidates, and drives curriculum innovation in tourism and events management. Her research spans sustainability, whole-brain teaching and an emerging field she pioneered: entomophagy tourism. As the first academic in Africa to explore edible insect tourism, she launched an entrepreneurship project in Limpopo’s Mopane district, using mopane worm harvesting as a lens for sustainable tourism, local income generation and cultural preservation. Armed with a PhD in economics and management sciences, Bianca is as committed to academic excellence as she is to community upliftment. She mentors matric students through her church and serves as a curriculum champion, ensuring that tourism education remains relevant and responsive.