Madipoane Masenya (ngwan’a Mphahlele) was born in Moletjie, Ga-Manamela, a
village located in the Western side of Polokwane, South Africa. Having been nurtured
by a patriarchal Christian church at Ga-Mphahlele, her home village, never, has
Masenya, even in her wildest dreams, ever thought that she would end up not only
earning a terminal degree in the Biblical Sciences (Old Testament Specialisation),
but also receiving ministerial credentials for ordained ministry!

She earned her Masters degree from the University of South Africa with the following
topic of research:  “In the School of Wisdom:  An Interpretation of Some Old
Testament Proverbs in a Northern Sotho Context”.  As part of her doctoral research,
Masenya engaged in research on womanist/feminist biblical heremeneutics at
Garrett-Evangelical Theological seminary in Evanston, Illinois during the months of
March 1995, through to June 1995. Her doctoral research focus was on the Old
Testament and Bosadi(womanhood) Hermeneutics and the title of her thesis was: 
Proverbs31:10-31 in a South African Context:  A Bosadi(Womanhood) Perspective. 
Her doctoral work is now available in the form of a book titled: How Worthy is the
Woman of Worth?  Rereading Proverbs31:10-31 in African-South Africa, published by
Peter Lang in New York, USA.

She started her career as a junior lecturer at the University of the North, now
University of Limpopo in 1982.  She then moved to Setotolwane College of Education
until when she rejoined the University of Limpopo as lecturer in 1991. In 1996, she
joined Unisa as lecturer in the then Department of Old Testament.  She is now
Associate Professor as well as Chair of this same Department, now called, the
Department of Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies.

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