Makhubela has a PhD from the University of Cape Town in South Africa with her research focusing into the design, synthesis and characterisation of novel platinum group metal based organometallic complexes supported on macromolecules and biopolymers for applications in catalysis, with an emphasis on clean catalytic transformations in aqueous media, metal catalyst recycling and sustainability. Dr Makhubela received the UCT Science Faculty, Oppenheimer Memorial Trust and National Research Foundation (NRF) Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowships in 2012. Her postdoctoral studies involved the design synthesis and evaluation of new PGM metal-containing polymers and metallodendrimers as anti-cancer agents. This work has revealed promising insights into the cytotoxic mechanism of ruthenium and osmium containing complexes/macromolecules against cancer cells, that should aid rational design of metallo-drugs in the future.   She is an NRF Research Career Advancement Fellow, a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Hope Fellow and Young Affiliate Member of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). Her current research is directed at developing organometallic complexes and nano-catalysts to promote the catalytic transformation of carbon dioxide and renewable bio-derived feedstock to valuable chemicals, fuel additives and biodegradable materials.