Congo (DRC) & University of Cape Town, 2022

Sagel Kundieko holds a Bachelor of Medical Science Honors degree in Neuroscience and Physiology; as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Human anatomy and physiology and Genetics, both from the University of Cape Town (UCT). She is also an active alumnus of the Moshal Scholarship Programme and a proud member of the LGFMI Mentorship Programme. Currently, Sagel is pursuing a Master of Science in Medicine in Neuroscience at UCT. She hopes to use all the skills that she will learn to find solutions for neurological diseases in the African context and train future generations of neuroscientists that will further bridge the gap of skills in the continent.

Spanning through her university career, Sagel has received a service award for being the academic chairperson of the science student council and her golden key executive team has won the Golden Key Chapter awards. She is the founder of Elle Zeka which is a social media and website marketing company that targets middle-aged African entrepreneurs. Her aim is to expand and advance entrepreneurship in Africa by helping African businesses thrive online. Sagel is also passionate about student and youth development and gives back through tutoring, and debate coaching; as a former Top 10 SA schools debating speaker. She has facilitated in the CSIR bursary graduate program and is an international speaker at various events focused on leadership and innovation.

The name Sagel is derived from the word Sagesse which means wisdom in French and Sagel aspires to live up to that name. She is driven by an attitude of perseverance and a spirit of excellence.