Qualifications:
BSc (Swaziland), BPharm (Rhodes), MSc (Pharm)(Rhodes), PhD (Rhodes)

Position: Professor of Pharmaceutics

Affiliation: Pharmaceutics, Rhodes University

ORCID: 0000-0003-2374-8460

 

Professional Affiliations:

• Swaziland Medical and Dental Council
• Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa
• American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists

 

Awards and Grants:

• Research Development Grants for Y-Rated Researchers

 

Teaching:

• Pre-formulation Studies
• Capsules and Microencapsulation
• Granulation / Tableting
  Radiopharmaceuticals
• Aerosol Dosage Forms
• Rectal Drug Delivery Systems
  Sterilization and Disinfectants
• States of Matter and Phase Equilibria
• Surgical Dressings
  Blood Products
• Disperse Systems
• Solubility/Distribution Phenomena
• Ionic Equilibria and Buffers

Research Interests:

 

Professor Sandile Khamanga specialises in the advancement of pharmaceutical technology and innovative drug delivery systems. His research bridges applied pharmaceutical science with statistical and mathematical modelling to optimise therapeutic efficacy and formulation performance.

 

His key areas of interest include:

 

• Pharmaceutical Technology & Drug Delivery:
  • Design and development of novel drug delivery systems
  • Pulmonary and intranasal drug delivery optimisation
  • Ocular and transdermal delivery approaches
  • Taste masking strategies for bitter or unpleasant-tasting medicines

 

• Mathematical & Statistical Modeling:
  • Mathematical modeling for formulation and process optimisation
  • Application of statistical models in pharmaceutical research
  • Use of design of experiments (DoE) in formulation development

 

• Operations Research & Applied Mathematics in Health Systems:
  • Application of queuing theory to optimise healthcare services
  • Analysis of waiting times in pharmaceutical and clinical environments
  • Modelling using Poisson distributions, eigenfunctions, and canonical analysis

 

Research Goals:

Professor Khamanga aims to develop patient-centric drug delivery technologies and improve pharmaceutical production efficiency through continuous manufacturing and modelling approaches. His interdisciplinary research integrates pharmaceutical sciences with systems engineering and applied statistics to solve real-world problems in medicine formulation and health delivery systems. His work focuses on formulation, stabilisation, and characterisation of nanosuspensions, with emphasis on their physicochemical properties and biopharmaceutical performance. He employs rheometry to investigate the flow behaviour, pseudoplastic (shear-thinning), plastic, and thixotropic flow properties of semi-solid, colloidal, and nanosuspension systems, viscoelastic properties, and stability of nanosuspensions under various processing and storage conditions, supporting their development for both paediatric and targeted delivery applications. These measurements are essential for understanding processability, stability, and performance of formulations during manufacturing, storage, and administration, particularly in advanced drug delivery systems.

Professor Khamanga investigates the design and application of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) as innovative materials in pharmaceutical science. His research explores MIPs as smart drug delivery carriers with selective binding sites tailored to target molecules, enabling controlled and site-specific drug release. Additionally, he studies MIPs as functional excipients to enhance the stability, targeting, and responsiveness of formulations. The work combines polymer chemistry, materials science, and pharmaceutical technology to advance the development of next-generation delivery systems for personalised medicine.

Professor Sandile Khamanga applies Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (TISM) and MICMAC analysis as advanced systems-thinking tools for exploring complex interrelationships among factors in pharmaceutical sciences and healthcare systems. His research uses TISM-MICMAC integration to develop structured models that interpret and classify key variables affecting decision-making in drug delivery system design, formulation strategy, and healthcare process optimisation. These tools support a deeper understanding of hierarchical relationships, driving-dependence power, and strategic prioritisation in multidisciplinary contexts. He links TISM and MICMAC to Sustainable Development Goals.

Recent Publications:

1. Vumazonke, S., Khamanga, S.M. and Ngqwala, N. (2020) Detection of Pharmaceutical Residues in Surface Waters of the Eastern Cape Province. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019. 17 (4067). p.1-13.
2. Chikukwa, M.T.R. Walker, R.B. Khamanga, S.M.B (2020) Formulation and Characterisation of a Combination Captopril and Hydrochlorothiazide Microparticulate Dosage Form. Pharmaceutics. 12 (712). p.1-19.
3. Pedzisai A. Makoni, Janeeta Ranchhod, Kasongo Wa Kasongo, Sandile M. Khamanga. Roderick B. Walker. The use of quantitative analysis and Hansen solubility parameter predictions for the selection of excipients for lipid nanocarriers to be loaded with water soluble and insoluble compounds. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal. doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2020.01.010 
4. Mazonde, P. Khamanga, S.M. and Walker, R.B. (2020) Design, Optimization, Manufacture and Characterization of Efavirenz-Loaded Flaxseed Oil Nanoemulsions. Pharmaceutics. 12 (797). p.1-22.
5. Melamane, S, Walker, R.B. and Khamanga, S.M. (2020) Formulation optimization of smart thermosetting lamotrigine loaded hydrogels using response surface methodology, Box-Behnken design and artificial neural networks. Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy. 46 (9). p.1402-1415.
6. Makoni, P.A. Khamanga, S.M. and Walker, R.B. (2021) Muco-adhesive clarithromycin-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers for ocular delivery: Formulation, characterization, cytotoxicity and stability. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology.61 (2021). p.1-15.
7. Pascal Ntemi, Roderick B Walker, Sandile M Khamanga. Formulation, development and assessment of novel phyto-elastosomes loaded with Devil’s claw extract. June 2021 DOI:10.21203/rs.3.rs-631706/v1.
8. Bwalya A. Witika *, Pedzisai A. Makoni *, Scott Kaba Matafwali, Madan S. Poka, Patrick Demana, Sandile M. Maswazi Khamanga, Siyabonga Malemane. Lipid-Based Nanocarriers for Neurological Disorders: A Review of the State-of-the-Art and Therapeutic Success to Date. Pharmaceutics 2022, 14, x. https://doi.org/10.3390/xxxxx.
9. Bappaditya Chatterjee, Abhishek Reddy, Moushami Santra, Sandile Khamanga. Amorphization of drugs for transdermal delivery-a recent update. Pharmaceutics. 2022 May; 14(5): 983. https://doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14050983.
10. Dasram, M.H.; Walker, R.B.; Khamanga, S.M. Recent Advances in Endocannabinoid System Targeting for Improved Specificity: Strategic Approaches to Targeted Drug Delivery. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23, 13223. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232113223.
11. Simise Sikhondze, Pedzisai Makoni, Roderick Bryan Walker, Sandile Khamanga. Chitosan coated metronidazole SLN for potential ocular delivery: In vitro characterization. Pharmaceutics 2023, 15(7), 1855; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics15071855.

 

Researchgate:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sandile-Khamanga

Current Projects:

• Cubosomes and hexosomes as novel nanocarriers
• Cubosomes as a potential oral drug delivery system
• Queuing system analysis for outpatient pharmacy services
• Optimization of taste masking for paediatric oral medications
• Analytical method development and validation
• Design, synthesis, and formulation of iron oxide nanoparticles (FeNPs) for diverse pharmaceutical and biomedical applications
• Advanced systems modelling and artificial intelligence (AI) methods to improve healthcare diagnostics and decision-making processes: integrating TISM and MICMAC

 

Hobbies and Interests:

• Travelling
• Cycling
• Reading books
• Cooking
• Gardening