Nontombi Marule is the Director of Innovation and Technology Policy & Strategy at the Department of Trade Industry and Competition (thee dtic). She holds a BSc Honors degree in Chemistry and Applied Chemistry and a Master of Management degree in Innovation Studies. She is responsible for the development of policies & strategies as well as the introduction of new incentives and support instruments for technology development, commercialisation, and innovation to promote enterprise competitiveness and industrialisation.  Her unit focuses on strengthening conditions for developing high-growth, technology-based enterprises and promoting collaborative efforts of knowledge generators and innovators.

She previously worked at the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) as a Deputy Director: Emerging Research Areas. She was responsible for the implementation of the National Nanotechnology Strategy and the development of the National Photonics Strategy.  Prior to joining DSI, she was part of the radioanalytical scientist's team at the Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (Necsa) for more than 6years. 

She serves as an adjudicator/judge in a number of innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship competitions including Da Vinci's TT100 and SAB Foundation Social Innovation and Disability Empowerment Awards.