Maletsabisa Molapo, a 2014 MMEG grantee from Lesotho, holds a PhD from the University of Cape Town, where she also received a master’s degree. Since then, she has become dedicated to the advancement of technology to improve quality of lives.
Maletsabisa is the Executive for Research and Innovation at Telkom. She leads research and development (R&D) strategy, industry and academic partnerships, and research focused on customer experience, sensor and AI solutions, and data-driven connectivity.
Previously at IBM Research, Maletsabisa was a research manager for AI and quantum computing, where she led research projects and publications in natural language processing (NLP) and user experience (UX). Maletsabisa holds several IBM patents for inventions that improve the quality of life for people in different circumstances, including NLP for language learning, AI for infant safety monitoring, sensor-based navigation for visually impaired individuals, and adaptive UX and generative AI for chronic health treatment adherence.
Earlier in her career, Maletsabisa worked as an engineer in telecommunications, a developer for telephony systems (the technology that enables people to talk through devices), a computer science lecturer, and a research scientist specializing in NLP, digital health, and human-centered AI.
As a testament to her immense capability, she has received multiple fellowships, research grants, and awards for innovation and social impact from organizations like Google, Nokia Research, the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, Hasson Plattner Institute, the Schlumberger Foundation, and the SA Department of Science and Technology.
