Rather than focusing on visible cultural markers like traditional attire or rituals, Nkazimlo’s research focused on how language serves as an identity marker in multilingual contexts.
She analysed YouTube comments to explore how IsiXhosa is used, both implicitly and explicitly, to express cultural identity.
Part of the research findings discovered that people express their Xhosa identity through direct self-identification, cultural references, pronoun choices, and geographical markers. like mentioning the Eastern Cape.
“The research revealed that multilingual communities, like amaXhosa, continue to affirm their cultural identity even in digital spaces that tend to prioritise English,” Nkazimlo explained.
Reflecting on what inspired her to pursue her area(s) of research, Nkazimlo points to her innate intrigue with questions about identity, what shapes it, how it evolves, and how it is expressed.
She also mentioned how her upbringing, especially her religious background, deeply shaped how she sees herself, and made her curious about other identity-forming elements, like language.
“Language is not just a communication tool – it is tied to how we see ourselves and how others perceive us. This project came from both personal reflection and academic curiosity about how amaXhosa express identity through language-use online,” said Nkazimlo.
She is also the first graduate to emerge from the Digital Humanities Hub – which is a collective of digital humanists from diverse backgrounds at Mandela University, primarily in the Faculty of Humanities.
Nkazimlo credits the DH Hub’s workshops and training sessions in her growth as a researcher, as well as its conferences, which gave her an opportunity to present her research for the first time.
“My first presentation was at the 2023 DHASA conference, themed ‘Digital Humanities for Inclusion,’ where I gave a lightning talk titled ‘Language and Identity: Expression of Identity through Language Use by amaXhosa on YouTube.”
“I also co-presented Unmasking Deception: An Explanatory Study of Viewers’ Attitudes towards Romantic Betrayal with my co-supervisor, Dr Johannes Sibeko” she said.
Together with her parents Mrs and Mr Ngcungca (far left and far right) at her honours graduation, from left Dr Sharon Rudman, Nkazimlo and Dr Johannes Sibeko.
Nkazimlo’s MA research has led to various publications and presentations at both local and international conferences, with a notable study conducted with her supervisors – Dr Sharon Rudman and Dr Sibeko, testing the South African Language Identifier (SA-LID) on YouTube comments.
“Given that SA-LID had previously only been evaluated on formal governmental texts, our pilot study aimed to assess its effectiveness in informal multilingual online contexts, laying the groundwork for its application my larger MA project,” Nkazimlo explained.
In addition to this, she also recently co-presented with Dr Sibeko about the implementation and development of the Digital Humanities Hub at Mandela University at a global digital humanities symposium at Michigan State University.
Describing her growth over the years and eventually co-publishing alongside Nkazimlo, her supervisors reference how nervous she was when she started her research.
“I remember how she doubted herself in everything we did and how she consistently asked me if she would really manage. Now she has grown to take the lead in research ideas and her conference presentations have made her bold to present her research to audiences”.
“Her success – particularly receiving minimal revisions from examiners and praise for the originality of her research sets a promising precedent for future students exploring unconventional research methods,” said Dr Sibeko.
Initially uncertain about continuing with her studies, Nkazimlo lauds her mother’s encouragement, as well as the University for being instrumental in her academic development, providing not only quality education, but also a community that has shaped her into who she is.
“Graduating Cum Laude still feels unreal, it validates all the late nights and the support I have received. More than anything, it strengthened my conviction that God truly completes what He begins,” said Nkazimlo, who is also a recipient of the Top Achiever Award in the Faculty.
Having briefly worked as an associate lecturer at North West University, Nkazimlo is now pursuing a doctoral degree under the Bilateral South African Research Chairs Initiative Chair for Digital Humanities at the University of Western Cape.
“My proposed PhD study builds on my passion for language and technology. I am interested in lexical complexity, how it affects students’ reading comprehension, and I would like to design a web-based text complexity analyser, with a special focus on low-resourced African languages,” said Nkazimlo.
Her ambition is to be a lifelong learner and teacher, constantly evolving and growing both professionally and personally. Nkazimlo aims to stay curious, learn from others, and share her knowledge to make a positive societal impact.