From domestic worker to PHD graduate, meet Dr Thobeka Ntini-Makununika

IOL News

07-05-2025

Dr Thobeka Ntini-Makununika has graduated with her PhD.
Image: UKZN
Meet Dr Thobeka Ntini-Makununika, a third-generation domestic worker who defied the odds and stood tall and ended generational occupation with her.
Ntini-Makununika graduated with her PhD at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) earlier this week.
Her PhD study unpacked the hidden power dynamics in South African households in her thesis titled: 'Unravelling the Dynamics of Power in the Employer-Domestic Worker Relations in Contemporary South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal: Praxis-Oriented Research'.
She explained she carries the sacrifices of generations of women in her family and conveyed this into every chapter she wrote.
Along with herself, her late mother, aunt, and late grandmother were domestic workers.
'I was raised by Black African women who survived through domestic work. For seven years, from 13 years old, I worked part-time for white families and in holiday resorts. I experienced first-hand the quiet suffering, the layered dignity, and the complex dependencies in those relationships,' Ntini-Makununika said.
Her study offers a layered, inside-out look at power relations between employers and domestic workers in South Africa, a dynamic still deeply shaped by colonial, patriarchal, and racialised histories.
'I wanted to humanise domestic work, redefine its societal value, and inspire reflection and action. It's a call to reconsider whose labour we honour, whose voices we centre, and what justice truly looks like,' she said.
The newly capped Doctor and her proud family.
Image: UKZN
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The research was a participatory process grounded in dialogue and was approached as a lived experience.
'Domestic workers often branded themselves as powerless, internalising marginalisation. But through dialogue, many began recognising their agency, from subtle boundary-setting to overt acts of defiance. Employers, too, revealed moments of vulnerability and moved toward mutual understanding. The binary of 'powerful employer' versus 'powerless worker' started to unravel,' Ntini-Makununika said.
One of her most striking findings was how exploitation transcended race.
'Several domestic workers said their worst experiences were with black employers. This shows that power in domestic work isn't only about race, it's about social status, class, and internalised oppression,' she said.
'Some employers clearly stated for themselves 'I start work at 7.30am and finish at 4pm', but were vague or dismissive when asked about their workers' hours. It signalled a devaluation of their employees' time,' she observed.
Ntini-Makununika noted that working at the University of Zululand, a historically disadvantaged institution, shaped her thinking and made her more attuned to systemic inequality.
'I wasn't writing just for academic study - I was writing for the daughters of domestic workers who may one day read my work.'
She explained that fieldwork took an emotional toll on her at times, and listening to stories of unpaid dismissal and racial micro-aggressions was hard.
'Sometimes I had to pause and process my own memories. But witnessing moments of awakening - for both workers and employers - was powerful,' Ntini-Makununika said.
The newly graduated Dr believes her study underscores the urgent need for systemic change, arguing that the institution of domestic work is still deeply entangled in colonial and capitalist legacies. She contends that legal compliance alone is not enough.
'We need a shift in values. Grounding policy and practice in Ubuntu can help affirm the humanity and dignity of domestic workers.'
She adds that balancing work and research was not without challenges and took discipline and support. She credits her manager, Professor John Rautenbach, and the UNIZULU research office for being supportive, her community of PhD peers for keeping her grounded, and her supervisor, Professor Vishanthie Sewpaul, for challenging her thinking, steady guidance, and compassionate support.
Ntini-Makununika believes her doctoral journey was a personal act of healing and a powerful scholarly contribution.
'Until we value the hands that clean our homes and raise our children as much as those that govern boardrooms, we will never dismantle the inequality woven into the fabric of our daily lives. Domestic work is work. Let us ensure it is decent work,' she added.
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