Blade Nzimande Biography: Age, Wife, Qualifications, Education, Salary & Contact Details

Blade Nzimande Biography

Blade Nzimande is a South African sociologist and politician. Born to a father with Mozambican roots, Blade Nzimande knew what he wanted pretty early and started pursuing them with singular determination. Years later, he would emerge as one of the important men in government.

Nzimande was born to Nozipho Alice and Phillip Sphambanoi in a family of three children. Roman Catholic School in Henryville, Plessiers Lower Primary School, and Georgetown High, Edendale, Blade Nzimade enrolled for an honour degree programme at the University of Natal, which he completed in due course. He would register for and ultimately complete his master’s and PhD in the same institution as well.

He started his career in academia but soon veered into politics. He was Minister of Transport from 27 February 2018 to 25 May 2019 until his appointment as Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology on 30 May 2019.

Wife

Blade Nzimande has a happy home. He is blissfully married to Phumelele Ntombela-Nzimande, with whom he has two children. One of them is a certified pilot.

Unlike her husband, Phumelele Ntombela-Nzimande is rarely in the news. She was an executive member of the South African broadcasting commission for several years.

Qualifications

Blake Nzimande holds a bachelor’s, a master’s, and a PhD. This makes him eligible to be called “Dr.” And that’s what he calls himself on his verified title page. However, he probably has other qualifications which are not known to the public.

Education

Easily one of the most educated men in government, Blade Nzimande holds a PhD in sociology from the University of Natal. With that qualification, it was easy starting a career in academia.

Salary

It’s unclear how much precisely Blade Nzimande earns. However, as a minister, he makes seven figures annually. He’s okay with whatever he’s getting, else he wouldn’t have accepted the job.

Contact Details

The minister has not made his contact details public. He is, however, active on Twitter. So, he might be reached via that media, by a direct message or a mention. There’s no assurance he would respond, however.

Here are some Blade Nzimande Frequently Asked Questions

• Where is Blade Nzimande from?

The minister is from Edendale, a township in Msunduzi local municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Edendale was established in 1851 when many black families settled on the farm there.

• Who is the Minister of Higher Education and Training in South Africa?

That’s no other than the man you’re reading about – Blade Nzimande. He’s also one of the most educated men in government. He obtained a psychology honours degree at the University of Natal in 1980, a master’s degree in industrial psychology in 1981, and a doctorate from the same institution.

• What doctorate does Blade Nzimande have?

He holds a doctorate in sociology from the University of Natal. His research thesis is: “The corporate guerrillas: class formation and the African corporate petty bourgeoisie in post-1973 South Africa.”

• What is the role of Blade Nzimande?

Blade Nzimande has held severl roles. However, at the time of writing, his role is that of South Africa’s Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology. He is therefore addressed as “The Honourable.”

• How old is Blade Nzimande?

One may as well ask, how young is Blade Nzimande? That’s also in order since not everyone is okay with the phrase “old.” Anyway, the sociologist was born in 1958, making him 64 years at the time of writing (Huly 2022).

• Does Blade Nzimande have a degree?

Yes. Actually, he has the highest degree academia can offer – a PhD. In addition, he holds a doctorate in sociology from the University of Natal.