A researcher at Stellenbosch University, Dr John Paul Makumbi, has been announced as a winner of the prestigious $150,000 Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant to support his work that tracks invisible pollutants in rivers and lakes.
Midrand, South Africa (08 October 2026) – Dr John Paul Makumbi, a researcher at Stellenbosch University, is using microbial DNA to build an early-warning system for pollution and ecosystem decline in Africa’s rivers, lakes, and wetlands.
In recognition of this vital work, he was named as one of two winners of the prestigious Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer (JWO) Research Grant at the Oppenheimer Research Conference in Midrand on Wednesday.
Because microbes react almost instantly to environmental changes, Dr Makumbi’s team will use genomic analysis and machine learning to catch early stress signals such as genes linked to heavy-metal resistance, antibiotic resistance, or disrupted nutrient cycles.
The project will study water systems under varying levels of human impact, including Uganda’s Lake Victoria basin, Côte d’Ivoire’s Ebrié Lagoon, Ethiopia’s Blue Nile, and heavily developed urban waterways across South Africa and eSwatini.
The aim is open-access genomic tools that help water managers act before fish die-offs or algal blooms, with implications for freshwater biodiversity, fisheries and drinking-water safety.
Makumbi’s motivation is personal. He grew up on the shores of Lake Victoria near Entebbe, Uganda, and has returned on sampling trips to find widespread eutrophication, invasive water hyacinth and fishing communities reporting declining catches.
The second grant recipient was Dr Olivier Jean Leonce Manzi, a Rwandan tree physiologist testing the limits of Congo Basin forests.
The two researchers, both aged 33, were chosen from 747 applications from across the continent, which organisers describe as one of the most competitive rounds in the grant’s history. Each will receive a full grant of USD 150,000 (about R2.6 million) to fund their Africa-led research projects for up to three years.
Both winning projects aim to move environmental science from reaction to prediction by finding early signs of ecological decline before it becomes visible. The researchers have committed to building African research capacity. Makumbi’s project includes training postgraduate researchers and technical staff in each participating country.
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Honorary Rangers Donate Field Bags to Garden Route Patrol Teams!The JWO grant’s overarching goal is research that facilitates solutions to African challenges, fosters collaboration across borders and strengthens the next generation of African researchers.
Dr Duncan MacFadyen, Head of Research and Conservation at Oppenheimer Generations, said this year’s applications had been judged on scientific rigour, feasibility and the applicant’s ability to deliver, the extent of pan-African collaboration, and the contribution to developing future research capacity on the continent.
Commending the two winners, MacFadyen said that with 747 applications from across the continent, the review process needed to be extremely stringent.
“For the first time, we made the decision to award the grant to two researchers, reflecting how equally deserving and compelling their proposals were. John Paul and Olivier represent the kind of African-led science we want to champion: ambitious, forward-looking research that can build knowledge, develop people and ultimately help the continent respond more effectively to environmental change.”
Sources: Supplied
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