Nelson Mandela University's Prof Adele Potgieter has continually pushed the envelope and has been rewarded for her efforts by featuring as the cover story of the 2026 issue of The Leaders World, entitled Inspiring Professors Driving Innovation and Impact.
Potgieter, a lecturer in management sciences, on NMU's George Campus was approached by The Leaders World online magazine and website, shortly after her best paper award in June 2026.
She received this award together with Prof Theresa Roux of TUT, at the International Conference on Cultural Perspectives in Marketing (ICCPMG-26) in Scotland.
Their paper was titled "Cultural Identity as an Interpretive Lens in Advertising Trust: Evidence from a Multicultural Market".
In 2024, Potgieter was also awarded a best researcher award in the 13th edition of the World Top Scientists Awards for her research paper in collaboration with Roux, published in the internationally B-rated Journal of Promotion Management in July.
The journal nominated the authors for the award best researcher in the category: Innovative research.
"It is a privilege to be recognised by industry for innovation and hard work.
"Throughout my career I have tried to bring theory and practice together, so that research does not stay in journals but makes a difference to organisations, entrepreneurs and the people I teach.
"Being featured is a humbling honour, and I share it with my students, my co-authors and the University, who have made this work possible," she said.
Potgieter’s professional life began in SA’s financial services industry after she completed her studies in investment management.
She worked in treasury and capital markets, including a stint at the Development Bank of SA, gaining hard-earned experience in investments, financial planning, and governance.
Leaving an established finance career behind was not an easy decision but it opened the door to a profession she had never planned for as a part-time lecturing position in marketing at Nelson Mandela University.
Potgieter supervised postgraduate students, helped shape curriculum, and built a research profile from scratch across several areas of marketing and business which eventually led to her appointment as Associate Professor.
According to The Leaders World, Potgieter has built a career connecting research with real-world challenges.
"Her work spans branding, organisational reputation, governance and digital transformation, complemented by mentorship and community engagement”.
