USolwazi Malegapuru Makgoba, owazalelwa emakhaya eSekhukhune, esifundazweni saseLimpopo, unomsebenzi oncomekayo owathatha iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-30. UMakgoba, wavela ngokuzithoba waba yenye yezungqwele eNingizimu Afrika. Njengodokotela wezifo zomzimba, udokotela, ummeli wezempilo yomphakathi nokufunda, uMakgoba ukhombisa ukuzinikela okukhulu kwezesayensi yezempilo futhi ubambe iqhaza elibonakalayo kulo mkhakha.
Umsebenzi wokuba uSolwazi waqala ngo-1976 ngesikhathi ethola iziqu ze-Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) ngamalengiso, e-University of Natal Medical School. Ngemuva kwalokho, wathola iziqu ze-Doctorate in Philosophy (DPhil) e-University of Oxford,futhi waba ngumuntu wokuqala omnyama e-Nuffield Dominion Fellow e- Oxford ngo-1979, kanye nomuntu wokuqala omnyama waseNingizimu Afrika ukuqokwa ku-National Institute of Health’s Fogarty Visiting Programme ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yama-1980s.
Njengesazi sokuzivikela ezifweni esaziwa umhlaba wonke, umsebenzi kaMakgoba we-lymphocyte, uholele ekuqondeni kancono umzimba womuntu. Kusizile ekulolongeleni ukuvela komkhakha futhi ngenxa yalokho, uMakgoba waba ngowokuqala ukuthola i-South African-German Science Award for ‘Top Researcher’ ngo-2012. Ngo 2013 wahlonishwa ngenge “pioneer in higher education transformation,” waklonyeliswa nge-Order of Mapungubwe in Silver.
“ukuzinikela kwakhe nokunikela kwakhe okuhle emkhakheni wezesayensi nemithi, kuleli nakwamanye amazwe; nangegalelo lakhe ekwakhiweni intando yeningi eNingizimu Afrika.”
Uphumelele kaningi, kodwa impumelelo yakhe evelele futhi eyifa eyohlala njalo u-R364 million we-KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute we-TB kanye ne-HIV (KRITH). Njengoba sakhiwe esikoleni sezokwelapha sase-University of KwaZulu-Natal, lesi sikhungo sithandwa kakhulu ngokuba indawo esezingeni lomhlaba phezulu lokuxzulula izinkinga.
Uthathe umhlalaphansi eminyakeni eyishumi yokuba yi-Vice-Chancellor e-University of KwaZulu-Natal, kusukela ngomhlaka 01 Januwari 2004 kuya ku-31 Disemba 2014.