Latest News
by Phaphama Tshisikhawe
Two Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) staff members are among the 200 most promising young South Africans, in 15 various categories of knowledge and enterprises. This list, comprising young South African movers and shakers, below the age of 35, is annually and rigorously compiled by the Mail & Guardian (M&G) newspaper.
“We are excited about the two young TUT Zens who have been selected among other young South Africans on the upward mobile list to watch. Indeed, we are very proud of TUT Zens, Paulina Ngubeni and Dimpho Xaba,” said Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Tinyiko Maluleke.
Paulina Ngubeni (33), winner of the tourism and hospitality category, is a New Generation of Academics Programme (nGap) lecturer at the Faculty of Management Sciences’ Department of Tourism Management. She is a work integrated learning (WIL) coordinator responsible for placing and monitoring students for experiential learning. Under the guidance of Ngubeni, students who benefit from WIL can address industry challenges through entrepreneurship, since it offers a unique platform to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems.
Ngubeni is also a Haaga-Helia University’s School of Applied Sciences and Vocational Teacher Training alumnus.
She holds a Master’s in Tourism and Hospitality Management from the University of Johannesburg and is currently pursuing a PhD. Her research aims at developing a framework for the casino sector that can be used to empower women in host communities using corporate social responsibility spending.
According to her, her biggest motivation is witnessing students with a similar background enrolling in higher learning institutions to set new standards of excellence.
Dimpho Xaba (33) who won the agriculture category is a Faculty of Sciences’ lecturer at the Department of Crop Science, where he develops learning material and teaches vegetable crop production. He also develops materials for short courses. He holds a diploma and BTech in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development.
Xaba is not only a lecturer, he is a farmer whose love for farming developed when he was a boy growing up near Brits in the North West. He established the Thusanang Bakone Group and now farms wheat, maize, soya, potatoes and bees. Xaba is also involved with the Youth in Agriculture and Rural Development (YARD), which promotes the involvement of young people in agriculture.
Further to this, he provides advise to small-scale farmers. A specific achievement Xaba is proud of, is raising funds for undergraduate and postgraduate bursaries, as well as for students doing the work integrated learning programme.
In addition to these two dynamic young TUT Zens, the 2024 M&G list also contains five TUT alumni, Refiloe Jane (31), Hilda Magaia (29), Azaria Khoza (31), Tsego Molefi (31) and Ofentse Melato-Dube (34).
TUT Zens who have been selected among other young South Africans to the M&G 200 most promising young South Africans, Paulina Ngubeni (right) and Dimpho Xaba (left)
By Kgaugelo Selane
The launch of the City of Tshwane’s (CoT) 2024 Higher Education Innovation Challenge, an initiative designed to inspire students from local universities and colleges to develop new solutions for the city’s problems, will hugely benefit the Tshwane student community. The challenge that was introduced in November 2019, is a collaboration between the Innovation Hub and several educational institutions including the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), the University of Pretoria, the University of South Africa, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Tshwane North College and Tshwane South College.
In introducing the challenge, Deputy Mayor, Nasiphi Moya, highlighted its aim to engage students in finding creative solutions for service delivery issues in Tshwane. "The Innovation Challenge is open to both fulltime and part-time students from these institutions and participants can choose from three of the categories to create their solutions," said Moya.
Innovative proposals submitted by students will be reviewed by a panel of experts. Winners will receive prize money ranging from R30,000 to R50,000, during an awards ceremony in November 2024.
The three categories in the challenge are:
• Multi-Service Municipal Digital Booking System: create a system to streamline access to various municipal services.
• Electronic Burial Management System: create a system to enhance the management of cemetery operations.
• Human Resources Management System for the Expanded Public Works Programme: create a system to improve the monitoring and effectiveness of this employment initiative.
Dr Hamilton Mphidi, Head of Innovation and Technology Transfer at TUT.
"The goal is to prepare future entrepreneurs who can solve pressing city challenges and improve the quality of life in South Africa," Moya explained. She emphasised the importance of education and innovation in driving economic growth and solving problems in the digital age.
According to Dr Hamilton Mphidi, Head of Innovation and Technology Transfer at TUT, the challenge is a great opportunity for TUT students to showcase their talents and contribute to meaningful changes in the community. He noted that in 2021, Pinky Mokwena, a TUT student won the first prize of R150,000.
"This challenge marks an important moment in promoting collaboration between the industry and higher education institutions. It's an opportunity to share knowledge and transfer skills within our community," he said.
The 2024 Higher Education Innovation Challenge also demonstrates CoT’s commitment to using education and technology to build a dynamic and competitive entrepreneurial community. By involving students in this mission, the city aims to inspire a new generation of innovators who can develop solutions that meet Tshwane's needs.
Dr Mphidi also encouraged TUT students and their peers from other institutions to participate in the challenge, that will enable them to make a positive impact while gaining valuable experience in innovation and governance.
Delegates from the various Tshwane-based higher education institutions attending the launch of the 2024 Higher Education Innovation Challenge.
Dr Takalani J. Mpofu is a Senior Lecturer at the Tshwane University of Technology’s Department of Animal Sciences as well as the TUT’s Animal Research Ethics Chairperson. Dr Mpofu who holds a PhD in Science (Animal Production) with a specialisation in Animal Health and Genetics from TUT, recently received a Y2 rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF).
His PhD thesis explored the health status of the indigenous goat populations owned by small-holder farmers against gastro-intestinal parasite infections using the coprological (in medicine and biology, coprology or scatology is the study of faces to determine a wide range of biological information about a creature) and hematological (study of the physiology of the blood) examination, which earned him a 2020 TUT Doctoral Student of the Year Award. During his PhD at TUT, he received an Erasmus+ mobility grant wherein he visited and studied at the Warsaw University of Lifesciences (WULS) in Poland. Dr Mpofu’s work in Animal Sciences earned him a 2021 Young Researcher of the Year Award in the TUT’s Faculty of Science, while he was awarded the NRF-Thuthuka grant under the Post-PhD track in 2023.
In 2017, Dr Mpofu joined TUT as an intern, then a Postgraduate Student Assistant and a part-time Lecturer in 2020. In 2021, he was permanently employed as a Lecturer followed by a promotion to Senior Lecturer in 2022. Prior to joining TUT, he worked as a Natural and Life Sciences Educator at the New Generation Girls Academy and also as a Livestock Manager at Elimark farm.
Dr Mpofu has authored and co-authored more than 20 peer-reviewed scientific publications and 30 conference proceedings. He currently supervises 13 Masters and PhD students while he teaches Animal Science Research at Postgraduate Diploma level and Small Stock Production to senior Diploma students. Dr Mpofu serves as a Technical Advisor and Peer Review Panel for the NRF and is also a reviewer of several DHET Accredited peer-reviewed journals.
AREA(S) OF EXPERTISE
Dr Mpofu’s research interests include all aspects of genetic resistance of farm animals to diseases and parasites, specifically small ruminants (goat and sheep). He has a particular interest in developing a genetic testing kit for the selection of genetic resistant animals. Secondly, he is also involved in research on the sustainable application of livestock water footprints in different production systems and regions of South Africa as well as green agriculture and its impact on skills requirements.
To this end, his research focus strives to achieve several SDGs:
• Goal 2: Zero Hunger, Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing; and
• Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.
TUT's Dr Takalani J. Mpofu who recently received a Y2 rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF).
By Kgaugelo Selane
A group of ten students from the Tshwane University of Technology's (TUT) Departments of Journalism and Integrated Communication impressed during the recent Presidential Inauguration, working as part of the media team for the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS).
Notices
- July 2024 Senior Students Registration
- Database Registration
- FEBE Test Week (15 - 29 June 2024)
- Update: Special assessments for qualifications that phased out in December 2023 and December 2024
- Examination Information
- 11th International Adventure Conference
- Secure your NSFAS allowance: Register Now!
- 2024 Online Bus Registration
- ALERT: BEWARE OF APPLICATION AND REGISTRATION SCAMS
- Application enquiry system and user options
- Important Notice Regarding TUT Cyber Security Incident