by Kgothatso Monono

Abdicate Nkuna, a determined Tshwane University of Technology student from Giyani in Limpopo, South Africa, shone at the 4th Annual Continental Convention for Young Women of Africa, held from 10-13 December 2024 at the Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Advanced Diploma in Computer Science student at TUT’s Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (FoICT), views the invitation, which was extended by  the Deputy President for National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), Karabo Mohale, also a TUT alumnus, as a recognition of her hard work and commitment to promoting women in technology and leadership.

FoICT student, Abdicate Nkuna, who shone at the 4th Annual Continental Convention for Young Women of Africa,

In addition to being a moment of personal pride, her participation at the event also afforded her an opportunity to be a voice for young women, especially in the ICT sector. Sharing her excitement about the opportunity, Nkuna emphasised how the convention aligned with her passion for advancing gender-sensitive leadership in technology. "My participation allowed me to contribute to important discussions that could shape the future for young women in Africa," she said. 

The convention focused on promoting gender-sensitive leadership to foster innovation and economic growth. 

"As a leader, I understand the importance of gender-sensitive leadership in unlocking potential. Promoting innovation and economic empowerment aligns with my vision of inspiring young women, especially in ICT, to pursue their goals and make a positive impact," Nkuna said.

Nkuna’s personal experiences, both as a peer educator and the former President of the Student Representative Council (SRC) at the Polokwane Campus, were central to her presentation at the convention. She took the opportunity to share her journey in advocating for student well-being and her work in creating inclusive environments for women in leadership. "I wanted to emphasise the importance of creating inclusive environments where women have equal opportunities to lead and innovate," she explained, underlining her belief in the power of gender-sensitive policies within leadership and innovation frameworks.

The event also offered valuable opportunities for young women across Africa, providing a platform for networking, mentorship and career-building initiatives. Nkuna was part of the Commission for Education and contributed to the presentation on “Is the African Education System capable of educating Africans fit for the 21st century?” 

She highlighted the significance of such events in bridging the gap between African innovations and the global tech industry. "The convention can help to create international partnerships and showcase Africa’s unique innovations," she said.

According to Nkuna, events like the Continental Convention can be life changing. “For me the convention was an opportunity for personal growth and to be a catalyst for change. I am enthusiastic about creating platforms that connect young women with opportunities in the tech world and providing mentorship to build confidence and empower women to use technology for solving major societal challenges” she added. 

No walk-ins for late applications will be allowed in January 2025. Prospective students who wish to apply to study in 2025 must check the website (www.tut.ac.za) for information about programmes still open for application, the requirements and apply online.

by Thembeka Manetje

Dr Robert Hans, Head of the Department of Computer Science at the Tshwane University of Technology’s Soshanguve Campus, who recently received an NRF C3 rating, has added another prestigious achievement to his success. He received the Best Presenter Award for his thought-provoking paper titled A Comparative Study of Supervised Machine Learning Algorithms for Student Study Prediction at the 3rd International Conference on Data Science and Emerging Technologies. The event took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on 12 & 13 December 2024, at UNITAR International University, a pioneer institution renowned for its virtual learning model. 

The paper, which explored the efficiency of various machine learning algorithms in predicting student likelihood of engaging in a studying activity, garnered significant attention for its intriguing approach and potential impact on educational technologies. Dr Hans' research seeks to harness the power of data to enhance student learning experiences and outcomes, making it highly relevant in today’s tech-driven academic environment.

As educational institutions around the world seek to innovate and improve learning outcomes, Dr Hans' work offers valuable insights into how technology can be leveraged to create a more personalised and data-driven approach to education. His award-winning presentation has highlighted his position as a thought leader in the intersection of machine learning and education, paving the way for future breakthroughs that could transform how we approach student success.

Congratulations to Dr Robert Hans on this remarkable achievement, which further affirms the Faculty of ICT’s role in advancing knowledge and shaping the future of technology and education.

Dr Robert Hans, who recently received the Best Presenter Award for his thought-provoking paper titled A Comparative Study of Supervised Machine Learning Algorithms for Student Study Prediction at the 3rd International Conference on Data Science and Emerging Technologies.

By Phumla Mkhize

A love for Maths and a passion to help small businesses work easier with the help of technology has catapulted Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) graduate, Ezra Seroto to superstardom in the software-programming industry.

     TUT graduate Ezra Seroto, the builder of popular App Spaza Eats, is making waves in software development.  

Seroto is a sought-after software programmer and the developer of popular smartphone application (App) Spaza Eats, which is is a marketplace connecting 500 townships with local traditional cuisine sellers, spaza shops, fresh produce sellers and electronics providers. 

Seroto, who studied at TUT from 2008 to 2011, graduated with a National Diploma in Information Technology: Software Development in early 2012.

With over 60 000 customers who use the App, Spaza Eats has onboarded 2 500 restaurants on its platform, according to Analytics X, the company that owns the App. Of the restaurants onboarded, more than 300 are informal business owners. Founder and CEO of Analytics X, Talifhani Banks, said the App has provided employment to over 800 people across six provinces. The company projects that about 4 000 direct and indirect jobs will be created through the App in South Africa in the next few years.

For Seroto failure is just a setback and a great teacher

Spaza Eats combined Seroto’s love of solving problems and his passion for helping small businesses. Unperturbed that the previous developer failed to build the App and quit, Seroto said for him failure is just a setback and the greatest of teacher.  

He worked with Analytics X in 2023 to build the popular App.

“I have built plenty of systems,” he said, “When you are building you keep learning. I now have more than 10 years of experience in building systems. I already had some plug-ins that I had built from my side. So, it was easy to do plug and play from other things that I had built before.” 

Seroto counts among the projects he has built, the live streaming platform Motionsense HD. Better known as MSHD Live, the platform is a live virtual broadcasting media and productions company specialising in content, events and digital media solutions.

The 36-year-old from Serare village in Tzaneen, Limpopo said he initially wanted to pursue studies in the medical sciences, but his physical sciences gave him a reality check. 

“In high school I loved maths. I even stopped playing soccer with my friends to practise maths,” he said.

Seroto, who now lives in Polokwane with his wife and four children, said armed with good maths marks he came to TUT Soshanguve.   

“At TUT, I just said I wanted something that had to do with mathematics and allow me to solve problems. That is how I was introduced to IT,” he said.

He said when he started learning about programming, he fell in love with it. 

“Maths is about solving problems. Software development is also about solving problems” he said.

Seroto has developed systems for diverse industries 

Seroto has been working with accounting firm, Moepathutsi Consulting, since 2017, building different systems for the firm. 

“We started with a project management system which also has human resource and client relationship management components,” he said. 

Seroto said Moepathutsi Consulting works with contractors in the mining sector. 

“Sometimes we analyse problems and collect some data at the mines to find out the challenges that contractors are facing,” he said.  

“We also ensure that the contractors are able to manage their own profile in the system,” he said adding that the system is complete and that all he does now is to maintain it and add more features. 

Seroto said he is looking forward to taking some students on board in 2025 so that he can share his skills. 

“I have registered a new business and have hired a few people to help me with sales,” he said about his plans.