‘I expected retirement to be devastating’: Former UCT VC Phakeng on life after varsity tenure

Former University of Cape Town vice-chancellor Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng says she expected retirement to be “utterly devastating” but that hasn't been the case.

Phakeng left UCT earlier this year after almost five years as vice-chancellor. She took early retirement after a months-long internal governance battle.

Life outside the tertiary institution has seen her working in the corporate world. This week Phakeng announced a partnership with a bank to publicly speak on financial matters on her YouTube channel, FabAcademic, which she started a month ago.

“We will be discussing everything about money and I want the content to be relatable, engaging, fun, yet insightful,” she said.   

Some on social media criticised her decision, asking whether she went from being a vice-chancellor to a social media influencer.

“People should be free to do what they want, and if they are comfortable and happy — no-one should question or judge them. Of course, ‘VC to retirement’ is a more conventional route but I’m not one to conform to societal norms.

“If I can be less stressed, make a meaningful impact and earn better doing something different, why on earth would I choose retirement for the sake of conventions? I have a family to feed and a scholarship to sustain,” an unfazed Phakeng said in response to criticism.

Others supported the professor and shared their experiences on their career changes.

“I’m all about breaking stereotypes, so I’ve worked all my life to show the human side of academics, perhaps it’s now time to show a different side of ‘influencers’. They didn’t tell me life starts after retirement,” Phakeng said.

She said she was grateful how things turned out as she expected “retirement to be utterly devastating”.

Here is how people on social media reacted: 

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