Zaahira graduated with a Biotechnology (BSc) from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in 2014 with majors in molecular biology, microbiology and genetics; she then continued post-graduate studies at UWC as a member of the Environmental Biotechnology Laboratory (EBL). In 2015, she graduated with a BSc (Honours) in Biotechnology with distinction, and thereafter pursued a Masters’ degree in Nanoscience under the National Nanoscience Postgraduate Teaching and Training Programme (NNPTTP) and graduated in 2018 with distinction. In 2018, she was awarded a DST/NRF internship and was placed at the South African National Bioinformatics Institute (SANBI) at UWC. In 2019, she started an internship at Medical Diagnostech (Pty) Ltd and is currently employed as laboratory technician.