Dr Emma Ayesu-Koranteng and Professor Winston Shakantu
Dr Ayesu-Koranteng is a senior lecturer in Construction Management at Mandela University; her path has been shaped by innovation, mentorship, personal loss, and an unwavering belief in the power of education and sustainable construction.
Her introduction to mass timber started unexpectedly while supporting the proposed CLT Building at the University’s George Campus, a flagship project under the leadership of the former Dean of EBET, Doctor Ossie Franks. .
This left behind a seed that would grow into her life’s work.
In exploring this unfamiliar material, she encountered Michael Green’s TED Talks on tall wood buildings, moments she describes as transformative.
“Mass timber stopped being just a material and became a vision of a more sustainable future.”
From that point, timber was no longer simply wood; it was innovation, hope, and a blueprint for a more responsible built environment.
If the CLT project planted the seed, a conversation in 2020 gave it life. Sitting in a coffee shop with Construction Management’s Prof John Smallwood and Chris Allen, Dr Ayesu-Koranteng was asked a question that shifted everything: “Where do you see yourself as a researcher, and how can I support you?”
That simple question awakened a scholar within her. It opened the door to publishing, conferences, and the deeper purpose of research. It was in that moment, she says, that she truly began to see herself as someone who could shape knowledge and contribute meaningfully to her field.
Emma’s doctoral research positioned mass timber as a response to South Africa’s development and sustainability challenges. Anchored in Sustainable Development Goals 3, 9, 11, and 13, the study explored how this material can bridge innovation, environmental health, and human wellbeing.
“Mass timber represents the connection between possibility, responsibility, and a future where sustainability is not just a slogan but a lived reality.”
Her findings revealed South Africa’s real potential to integrate mass timber into mainstream construction, provided there is support through policy, education, skills development, and regulatory reform. The research offers practical guidance for reducing carbon impact and transforming the construction industry into one that fosters environmental protection, economic opportunity, and social wellbeing.
Dr Ayesu-Koranteng’s journey, however, begins long before academia. It begins in Mthatha, in a home built on humility, sacrifice, and the steady determination of self-employed parents who believed deeply in education.
“My father poured everything he had into our schooling,” she recalls.
His passing in 2024 was the most painful moment of her academic journey, “the kind of loss that shakes your foundation.” There were days when writing felt impossible, days when grief overshadowed progress. But quitting would have broken his heart, and so she continued, one trembling step at a time, held by the love of her family and the memory of the man who taught her to dream.
Completing a PhD while serving as Head of Department, Senior Lecturer, and researcher was one of the greatest tests of her life. Leadership, teaching, administration, and academic writing often collided.
“There were days when exhaustion followed me from morning to night,” Emma admits.
More than once, she considered stepping away. But each time the weight felt unbearable, she remembered her purpose, her passion for sustainable construction, her commitment to her students, and her desire to honour her father. These reminders became her anchor.
Dr Ayesu-Koranteng’s research affirmed what she had long suspected: South Africa holds immense potential to adopt mass timber as a mainstream construction solution. But this potential must be nurtured through policies that uplift sustainable innovation, education that empowers future professionals and regulatory reforms that reflect both global standards and South Africa’s local realities.
Her work does more than contribute academically; it offers pathways for real transformation in a country facing climate, employment, and housing challenges.
Dr Ayesu-Koranteng emphasised that her journey was never a solitary one.
Dr Ayesu-Koranteng credits much of her success to her faith, institutional and personal support. The offices of Research & Support Management, and Research Development provided essential guidance and resources. Her supervisory team, professors Winston Shakantu and Lloyd Scott, played a central role. “This work would not have been completed without them,” she says. She also acknowledges the support of Drs Ayo Adeniran, Andre Hefer and Welcome Kupangwa.
Editorial guidance from Dr Miranda Mafafo and Prof Tawana Kupe strengthened the thesis, while Jolene Schaefer and Simone Ferreira provided critical editing and proofreading support. She further recognises Prof Sijekula Mbanga, Yonela Mashalaba, Nandipha Siziba-Nontsele, Khanya Cakata, and Prof David Bogopa, as well as the Mass Timber Focus Group of South Africa.
Participating in international conferences across Europe, North America, and Africa affirmed the global relevance of her work. Yet through every milestone, her father’s absence remained her deepest sorrow.
“Finishing without him was the hardest part.”
Her advice to young scholars is simple: “Use the support that exists.”
She hopes her journey reminds others that humble beginnings can lead to extraordinary destinations; that grief and purpose can coexist; and that sustainability is not just theory, it is a responsibility to the planet, future generations, and us.
For Dr Ayesu-Koranteng, this PhD is more than a degree. It is a testament to resilience, love, courage, and the belief that one person, driven by purpose, can help shape a more sustainable world, one mass timber structure at a time.