Mr. Fredy Mashate

Fredy Mashate is a highly skilled young Project Manager, with over 10 years of experience in community and science engagement within the South African Context. With a combination of technical and interpersonal expertise, he has successfully managed large, complex projects from planning to implementation. Fredy currently serves as the Eastern Cape Provincial Coordinator for Eskom Expo for Young Scientist, where he works with a range of industry related stockholders to encourage and develop scientific research within the school environment while popularising science, technology and innovation in the process. A law graduate that fell in love with Science Engagement, Fredy has since became an avid advocate for science education, strongly believing in the role of science education as a viable pathway for sustainable development.

Fredy’s career in science engagement was amplified during his time as Manager of South Africa’s National Science Festival, Scifest Africa – the largest Science festival in Africa, where he actively contributed towards the public awareness, appreciation and understanding of Science, Technology and Innovation, reaching thousands of people during his tenure. His hope is to contribute towards a science literate society that is equipped to come up with scientific solutions for their everyday problems. Throughout his career, Fredy has developed a reputation as a result oriented and collaborative leader who is able to manage complex and high pressure projects with ease.
A Mandela Rhodes Scholar who doubles as a Mandela Washington Fellow, Fredy is celebrated as a leader, academic and community champion. His contribution to community development has attracted a range of awards over the years, including the Investec Rhodes Top 100 (2014 & 2015); Rhodes University Community Engagement Gold Award (2016) and the Brightest Young Minds (BYM) Award (2016) but just to mention a few.

Fredy is a holder of a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB) from Rhodes University and a Master in Commerce from the same institution.

Conference Presentations:

(2021) – Presented a non-academic paper at the STEMI Olympiads and Competitions Community of Practice Conference 2021. Paper titled: Collaboration is more than just working together towards the same goal.

(2022) – Presented a non-academic paper at the Southern African Association of Science and Technology Centres (SAASTEC) Conference, 2022. Paper titled: Scifest Africa in a Pandemic:
Exploring the Operational Implications.