Maggie “Mitey” Manyatsa: Chosen by Collections, Called to Lead
For Maggie Manyatsa, the journey into natural science collections was never part of the plan—but it turned out to be her true calling. Currently serving as Senior Research Assistant and Acting Acari Collection Manager at the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), Maggie is responsible for the curation and management of one of South Africa’s most specialised invertebrate collections. With a BTech in Biotechnology and currently pursuing her MSc, she balances academic growth with hands-on expertise in a field that, quite literally, chose her.
“I just wanted to be a technician,” she recalls. “I didn’t have prior knowledge of collections work. But during my in-service training at ARC, I was placed in the mycology collection, and I fell in love. When a permanent research assistant post came up in Arachnology, I applied and got it. Collections chose me, and the rest is history.”
Wearing Many Hats, With Heart
Now nine years into her career, Maggie has become a pillar of consistency and commitment in her department. Yet, like many in the collections sector, she grapples with the challenge of understaffing.
“I wear many hats to ensure the job gets done,” she says candidly. “I just wish I could be compensated for that.”
Her response to these challenges? Relentless growth. Maggie is constantly seeking opportunities to upskill, personally and professionally. “I’ve been given a chance to grow, and I take it seriously,” she says.
The Introverted Leader With a Bold Voice
Despite describing herself as “way too shy,” Maggie leads with a balance of assertiveness and empathy. “I love engaging in-person, especially in small circles,” she says. “I am already a leader, even in my current position.” Selected to participate in the Emerging Leaders Workshop, Maggie hopes to sharpen her leadership skills, learn from her peers, and return “ten times better than I am now.”
She’s especially keen to build confidence in public speaking, evolve her social presence, and become more comfortable sharing her voice. “The first time I attended, I came back a different person: more positive, and more appreciative. And I’ve seen new opportunities open up because of that new attitude.”
Perseverance keeps her going
On perseverance, Maggie believes: Perseverance is the quiet fire that burns beneath the ashes of defeat, a whisper in the wind that says, go on, even when all else falls silent. It is the rhythm of footsteps pressing forward through storm and stone, the stubborn bloom that rises from cracked earth. Not loud or sudden, but steady—like the tide shaping cliffs, like stars enduring the dark. It does not ask for ease, only for resolve. And in its patient march, it transforms struggle into strength, and each scar into a story worth telling.
Rest, Reflection, and Rising Up
When she isn’t working, Maggie longs for a moment of rest. “Honestly, my cup is always full lately,” she admits. But she’s also energised by what lies ahead. Her message to the world? “Mitey Maggie to the world—it’s about time!”
At the Kruger National Park, where the 2025 workshop is hosted, she’s most looking forward to sightseeing or a game drive, a chance to connect with nature and her peers.
With grace, grit, and growing confidence, Maggie Manyatsa is proving that leadership isn’t about loud voices; it’s about quiet consistency, deep care, and the courage to show up, again and again.