Dr Yvonne Maphosa says the Vice-Chancellor’s Prestigious Achievers Award “is not just a bursary, it’s an acknowledgement of outstanding postgraduate students who have shown academic excellence and an embodiment of the CPUT graduate attributes”.

Here Maphosa talks about how grateful she was to receive it.

The Zimbabwean-born academic obtained her Doctorate in Food Science and Technology during the CPUT Autumn Graduation Series 2022.  Maphosa completed her BTech in Food Technology (Cum Laude) in 2013 and was awarded the Vice-Chancellor’s Medal as the best graduating student in the Faculty of Applied Sciences. She passed her Master’s with distinction and graduated in September 2016.

Reflecting on her career journey, the bubbly author says: “A PhD is not a walk in the park. It requires a lot of emotional and financial support. It’s a very difficult journey that requires commitment and strength. I was blessed with the support of my family, friends and fellow postgraduate students. I had amazing supervisors as well. They held my hand and guided me through. I will forever be indebted to them. The CPUT postgraduate centre was also very helpful and always there to assist.”

The last born of six says a PhD is very expensive and the VC’s Prestigious Achievers Award provided for her tuition, residence and everything she needed to successfully complete her PhD.

The VC’s Prestigious Achievers Award played a huge role in the completion of her studies.

“It also came with tremendous non-financial support from the committee and the VC’s office, all of which I’m deeply grateful for.”

A believer and a go-getter, Maphosa says: “It is [a] motivation to keep on excelling. It inspired me to be the best I could be.”

Growing up in Mambale village, deep in the rural areas of Plumtree, Zimbabwe, working hard came naturally for Maphosa. “Working [hard] was instilled in me from a young age. Waking up early to work the fields before running many kilometres to school, then running to the river to fetch water after school taught me that in life you have to work hard. It also taught me balance and time management.”

Maphosa, who has always been an A student, has won numerous prestigious awards throughout her academic journey in the form of funding, medals, trophies, certificates, and scholarships. “They serve as acknowledgements, reassurances and motivations to accomplish more.”

Besides being an academic, she is an award-winning author. and has published two fiction novel series; The y in yOUR Man is Silent (national bestseller) and Grasping at Straws (award winning).

Maphosa is also involved in charity work. She runs a campaign called Buy-A-Pad with Yvonne. She collects and donates sanitary pads to disadvantaged women and girls. She also has a writing competition, Luvone, aimed at discovering young, unpublished writers. From this competition, the book: Luvone: an anthology of short stories was published. Maphosa is involved in several community projects in Zimbabwe, especially those aimed at empowering the girl child and advocating for women rights.Summiting Mount Kilimanjaro was another highlight of her life.

In her message to prospective students, Maphosa says: “Be yourself. You can only realise your true potential if you are truly yourself. Don’t waste your life mimicking other people or chasing the wind at the expense of your dreams. Focus! Set your goals and work towards them.”

Maphosa also acknowledged the support she received from the Vice-Chancellor and the awards committee.  “Thank you for awarding me the Vice-Chancellor's Prestigious Achievers Awards. I am sincerely humbled and elated that you found me a suitable beneficiary for this honourable award. It made a remarkable difference in my PhD journey and my life as a whole. I’m truly grateful.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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Master’s and Doctoral students who have shown academic excellence and embody the CPUT graduate attributes can now apply for the Vice-Chancellor’s Prestigious Achievers Awards Programme.

The purpose of the annual awards is to provide financial assistance to deserving candidates who are registered for a Master’s or Doctoral degree at CPUT.

CPUT students who are eligible to apply for this award are as follow:

• Students who would like to further their Master’s or Doctoral studies at CPUT;
• Students who have achieved excellent results such as 75% and above;
• Students who have a proven track record of exceptional achievements; and
• Students who display CPUT’s graduate attributes.

If there is extensive hardship, for example, financial difficulties, trauma, physical disability, accidents, learning disability, poor living conditions, disadvantaged/difficult backgrounds, long distances to travel to attend lectures, lack of parents, illness, or other personal circumstances, the Vice-Chancellor may exercise his discretion and consider the applicant.

The students must not have been found guilty of any misconduct or unethical conduct, including in a court of law. Any false information in the application will automatically disqualify the applicant.

Applications close on 30 March 2021.

Further information, including the details of the application process, can be found here.  

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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The Vice-Chancellor’s Prestigious Achiever Award was recently launched and has already identified its first recipient. The annual award will be bestowed on deserving students who have shown academic excellence and embody the CPUT graduate attributes.

Vice-Chancellor Dr Chris Nhlapo says the purpose of the award is to financially aid CPUT students who have achieved excellent results throughout their academic studies and can make a contribution to society by completing their Masters and/or Doctoral studies.
“This award is not a replication of existing interventions. Rather it is a way of ensuring that Dean and Vice-Chancellor medallists remain connected to CPUT and come back to complete their Masters and Doctorates with us, later becoming professors,” says Nhlapo.

The first recipient of the award is Mechanical Engineering Doctoral candidate Zamavangeli Mdletshe whose research topic is developing and testing a renewable energy-based thermal desalination system. Zamavangeli was identified by her supervisor Dr Velaphi Msomi who encouraged her and her mother to allow the talented student to continue on to Masters and later her doctoral studies.

“She wanted to go to work and was so shocked when I asked her to consider doing her Masters. She received funding from the NRF and started in 2016 and within 14 months she was completed and graduated with Cum Laude,” he says.
“At her graduation, I asked her mother to give her another three years to complete her doctoral degree and she agreed.”

Unfortunately the previous funding opportunity was no longer on offer and Zamavangeli was in danger of dropping out until Msomi responded to a staff email about the Vice-Chancellor’s Prestigious Achievers Award.
“I wrote to the VC and I was so shocked when he wrote back to me almost immediately. We discussed Zamavangeli and her situation,” says Msomi.

The event was also attended by former VC and Dean Medallists and their loved ones. 

Former VC Medallist Anthony Ezeonwuka thanked Nhlapo and CPUT for investing in talented students.
“More financial support can make things easier, it would motivate more students to be like Zamavangeli and be the best they can be,” he says.

Click the following link to apply now -http://www.cput.ac.za/…/le…/vc/vice-chancellors-bursury-fund

Written by Lauren Kansley
Tel: +27 21 953 8646
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