Dr. RS Gwala holds a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). He is an independent researcher. Study interests include business management, public administration, corporate governance, marketing, research methodology, small business development, financial technology, leadership, and leadership development in both the public and private sectors. He has written and published over 20 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He also attended and presented papers at the international conferences starting in 2022. He believes that academia should be an integral part of supporting the public sector to deliver services and improve the lives of people. Academia is at a vantage point to provide meaningful developmental imperatives for all sectors of society. The close collaborations between governments, the private sector, and academic institutions stand to solve societal problems and come up with innovations that will advance the future economies. He was born in Ndwedwe, KwaZulu-Natal, but now resides between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.