Chemical Engineering Master's student Neville Cory has developed a sensor that is powered by a cellphone flashlight to measure blood glucose.

The Klerksdorp-born student, who grew up in the small village of Geita in Tanzania, says diabetes is an untreatable disease that has been affecting people for centuries.  

Cory who has already summited Mount Kilimanjaro, says the only available tools to combat diabetes is through strategic monitoring.  

“I have had first-hand experience of the effects of diabetes, due to my grandfather who was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes many years ago. This therefore sparked the interest to challenge the traditional ways of modern-day glucose testing, which involves pricking your finger and depositing drops of blood onto a single use enzymatic testing strip,” Cory continues.

“This strip is then analysed by a glucose meter, which is an electronic device that determines the amount of glucose present in your blood.”

The 27-year-old student, who first enrolled for his Diploma at CPUT in 2015, adds that the amount of glucose in the sample is measured in millimoles (mM). Normal human blood contains anywhere between 4-7 mM of glucose; however, diabetics suffer from massive glucose spikes which reach as high as 20 mM. He states that previous researchers have attempted to synthesize non-enzymatic glucose sensors, however the detection range (linear range) falls short of these spikes and thus those sensors cannot accurately determine the amount of glucose present at high concentrations.

“I have therefore synthesized a non-enzymatic photo-electrochemical (PEC) glucose sensor that, with the use of a standard 6-Watt LED light, that can be found in most modern-day smartphones, achieved superior photocurrent generation with a linear range of up-to 29 mM.”

Moving around the country and especially to another country granted Cory the opportunity to experience a host of different cultures and communities which really opened “my eyes to see how wonderfully diverse the world is”. He says his enrollment at CPUT was made possible with the assistance of former Extended Curriculum Programme Senior Lecturer, Dr Moses Basitere, who assisted him through the registration process.

“I will never forget his kindness and willingness to assist.”

For his Master’s degree, Cory is supervised by Dr Mahabubur Chowdhury. “It was under his expert guidance and mentoring that I am on my way to reaching my goal of attaining a Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering.”

He says the CPUT staff members that he was in direct contact with were always extremely helpful and kind. Cory mentioned Hannelene Small, Derrick Dlamini, Ntombifuthi Bingo and Alwyn Bester who assisted him with “small and great things without any hesitation".

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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Department of Chemical Engineering Lecturer Dr Moses Basitere was floating on cloud nine after being inaugurated as one of ten new members of the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS).

“I really feel excited that I was chosen as one of the 10 young South Africans to join SAYAS and also that my hard work and dedication to research and community engagement is being recognised on a national platform,” Basitere said.

SAYAS members are young scientists below the age of 40, who have PhDs and are deemed excellent in their fields of expertise. These includes pure and applied sciences, humanities, social sciences and the arts. It was launched in October 2011 and provides a national platform where leading young scientists can access international networking and career development opportunities. 

The luminous Basitere said: “I am grateful for my postgraduate supervisors who laid a good foundation and passion for meaningful research…I also think that the two research niche areas (Treatment of industrial wastewater and Engineering education, which focused on improving teaching and learning) has also contributed to my nomination as both this research niche area contributed to society and student development. 

“Personally coming from a village of Lufule in Venda, Limpopo, this achievement can motivate someone coming from the same background that they can achieve anything through hard work and dedication, it also means that it doesn’t matter where you come from and the struggle you have faced, one can always reach their dreams through hard work and determination.”

The ambitious lecturer aspires to become an associate professor at CPUT and hopefully to join the Academy of Science of South Africa(ASSAF) in the near future.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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The ushering of first-year Chemical Engineering students into university learning has evolved significantly and culminated in major developments in student academic performance when four top teams recently competed in a thrilling final of the department’s design competition.

The department’s First-Year Level Coordinator, Ayesha Reiners, said the students had been conducting an integrated project since February as part of a teaching and learning strategy to develop graduate attributes. “The topics in the project were carefully selected to address real-life problems often confronted by chemical engineers in the industry,” Reiners said.

She added that the topics were designed around themes such as waste management, renewable energy, electrochemistry, water purification, Ion separation and biofuel synthesis.

The grand finale was in the form of high competitive exhibitions. The winning team developed a novel method of extracting lead from an aqueous solution onto a bio-sorbent. The team managed to extract more than 95% lead from a synthetic solution. The runner-up successfully converted used cooking oil to biodiesel achieving a 100% conversion.

Student Namhla Siboya said the ground-breaking project managed to combine both education and fun into an instinctive and positively refreshing learning experience. “We had great tutors and mentors who constantly pushed us to do our best,” said Namhla.

Retired CPUT Chemical Engineering Lecturer, Bruce Hendry, was one of the adjudicators. Hendry said he had an exciting experience with the students and was impressed with their projects. “I was also impressed by the preparations behind projects,” he said.

Reiners added that the project runs throughout the year and is embedded in most subjects. The students work in teams with lecturers mentoring them. Students report back regularly in a collaborative seminar. They are given feedback during the seminars but are encouraged to work independently. “This is to inculcate a culture of independent learning, problem-solving, teamwork and engineering design amongst other attributes,” she concluded.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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CPUT researchers are pushing the boundaries of research and embarking on innovative projects.

Chemical Engineering lecturers, Dr Arthur Mpela, Dr Seun Oyekola, Joy Alexander and Wighens N.ILunga have developed innovative technology that will improve the quality of wastewater that is being pumped out to sea by wastewater treatment plants

Project leader, Mpela says research conducted in South Africa has revealed that wastewater pumped out to sea does not comply with the standards set by the South African environmental laws.

Current methods used by wastewater treatment plants fail to remove enough hazardous material, such as ammonia and persistent organic pollutants.

Mpela says ammonia that is found in wastewater has a detrimental impact on aqua life as it consumes oxygen, needed by fish and plant species.

Together with his research team, Mpela has over a period of two-years developed an advanced and cost effective process for the removal of persistent organic pollutants and ammonia from wastewater.

The project is proving to be a huge success, with test showing that the wastewater subjected to the new process, meets the standards set by South African environmental laws.

Mpela says they are now taking the project one-step further and exploring how this wastewater can be recycled and used in industry as well as for drinking water.

The project has also been chosen as a case study for the Development Research Uptake in Sub-Saharan Africa (DRUSSA) programme.

Drussa is assisting 24 African universities, including CPUT, with the implementation of strategies that will ensure the successful uptake of research.

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

CPUT recently increased its number of specialised research units with the addition of the Biocatalysis and Technical Biology Research Group (BTB).

This unique research group, which consists of researchers from various backgrounds in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Microbiology, Biochemistry and Biotechnology, is researching biological ways to make useful chemical compounds such as anti-oxidants.

The group was formed by acclaimed researcher Prof Stephanie Burton, who was previously based at the University of Cape Town and before that at Rhodes University.

With Prof Burton’s move to CPUT to take up the Director of Postgraduate Studies post in January 2009, the group also relocated to the institution.

They are now based at the Bellville campus, in a state of the art “green” building, which was designed to house the BTB research group and their laboratory.

Dr Marilize Le Roes-Hill, who has been with BTB for several years, said they are working on a number of projects, of which many are potentially beneficial to various agricultural industries in the Western Cape Province.

Currently researchers are investigating the use of constructed wetlands to address winery waste water, since the wine industry produces huge volumes of waste water.

However, with strict legislation on pollution, they have to look for ways to treat waste water pollutants.

“Some of the wine farms have natural wetlands where they pump the winery waste water into. The water goes through the wetlands and by the time it reaches the rivers, most of the toxins have been removed,” she said.

Researchers found that fungi, bacteria and plants in the wetlands work together in order to break down pollutants.

However, some farms do not have natural wetlands and the possibility of constructed ones could be a solution to winery waste water pollution.

The BTB researchers are also investigating citrus waste water in order to see what organic oils, antioxidants and carbohydrates could be removed from fruit waste water and used to generate value added products.

They are also looking at biocatalytic production of antioxidants and investigating how they can be used in the health, nutraceutical and cosmetic industry.

Other projects are focusing on the production of bio-ethanol and the development of efficient bioprocesses.

Dr Nuraan Khan, who recently joined the group after completing her doctorate at the Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics at the University of the Western Cape , said the group is collaborating with a number of international researchers based in Italy, New Zealand, United Kingdom , Australia and Germany .

They are also working with researchers at the Universities of Cape Town, Stellenbosch , Western Cape and Rhodes, as well as a number of international research groups. Dr Khan said the group consists of 12 researchers, of whom five are postdoctoral Fellows. However, plans are in place to expand the group.

“We would like to attract postgraduate students from CPUT to join the research group to do Masters and doctoral degrees,” said Professor Burton

The BTB group’s strong record of successful completion of research projects has also seen it enjoy funding from a number of sources. Over the past 16 years, the group has raised a total of R24 000 000 in research funds.

The group's main funders have included the National Research Foundation, Water Research Commission, Innovation Fund, BHP -Billiton, Winetech, TMO (Pty) Ltd and the Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP).

By Candes Keating

Photo: Prof Stephanie Burton (sixth from left) and the members of the BTB Research Group stand outside their new research building.

Written by CPUT News
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Lecturers at CPUT are finding unique ways to make sure students learn from the top experts in the industry.

Postgraduate Chemical Engineering students, completing modules in rheology and non-Newtonian fluid flow, will have access to 20 hours of lectures from the renowned Prof Raj Chhabra of the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur India.

An adjunct Prof at CPUT, Prof Chhabra recently visited the Material Science and Technology research group. With the help of Bernie Karlie from the Fundani Centre, Prof Chhabra’s lectures were recorded, edited and packaged in a course form.

Head of the Material Science and Technology group, Prof Rainer Haldenwang says the course will be a core subject that all postgraduate students in the group will be expected to complete as part of their degree requirement.

By Candes Keating

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CPUT staff and students were rewarded for creating show-stopping stalls at Open Day 2012.

SECOND PLACE:  Event Management and Tourism Management with their Arabian Night-themed stall

This year the Chemical Engineering stall clinched the top prize for capturing the interest of thousands of visitors who lined up to take a look at the impressive machinery on show.

Visitors to the stand got the opportunity to pour sand into a high-tech machine and watch how it separated the magnetic particles.

THIRD PLACE: The HIV/ Aids unit

Clinching second prize was the Event Management and Tourism Management stall which boasted an Arabian Night-themed stall, while the HIV/Aids Unit walked away with third prize.

Student Recruitment Officer Grant Barends encourages learners and other interested parties to come out to the Cape Town campus and visit the more than 60 impressive stalls.

Open Day continues on Saturday at the Multipurpose Hall from 9 – 3pm.

The Cape Town Campus is located on the corner of Tennant and Keizersgracht Street.

By Candes Keating

Written by CPUT News
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A generous donation of over R2 million will ensure that Chemical Engineering and Chemistry students secure internships within the industry.

With the current economic situation, many companies have been unable to carry the financial cost of student internship positions.

As a result, many students have been battling to find internships, which are a key component of all courses at CPUT.

But thanks to the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA), students are now assured of internships.

Manager of Co-operative Education, Fundiswa Nofemela, says the funds will allow CPUT to place students in the workplace, as well as cover the cost of their monthly stipends.

“The companies have always been willing to take students, but could not pay them. Out of this funding, we will cover the placement of 70 students,” she says.

Nofemela, who worked closely with the various departments in securing the funding, says this is a huge boost for the Work Integrated Learning programme, as a portion of the funds will be used to roll out a customized training programme for industry mentors.

“We identified a need to train industry supervisors who work closely with students. The training will equip them to be more effective in mentoring our students. We need to be sure of the training our students are getting in the workplace,” she says.

The training is a first for CPUT and will also play a major role in helping CPUT to strengthen ties with the industry.

Head of the Chemistry Department, Dr Bhekumusa Ximba also welcomed the funding.

Dr Ximba says students are required to spend a year in industry, during which they must complete a number of tasks, including a research project.

He says the funding will go a long way to ensure that students meet the requirements of their course.

By: Candes Keating

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Turning raw materials into something of value is top on the agenda of a group of Chemical Engineering Researchers, known as the Green Technology Research Unit (GTRU).

The group has spent the past few months working on an innovative project which saw them producing biodiesel from simple products such as palm oil and alcohol, which has no harmful impact on the environment.

Lead researcher, Dr Arthur Mpela, says such projects have already been undertaken across the globe, however, it has been limited to the use of edible vegetable oil (with an end-product more expensive than existing fossil diesel) or waste vegetable oil that has to be pre-treated, a process that spikes production costs.

“We opted for palm oil, which is the cheapest oil available in Africa,” says Mpela.

To produce the green-friendly biodiesel, the researchers mixed the palm oil, alcohol and a secret catalyst in a reactor for up to three hours. The by-product is glycerin, which is used to make soap.

The group’s first batch was recently put to the test in a lawnmower, an engine at the Mechanical Engineering labs and a 4x4 vehicle, and Mpela says it was a huge success with their biofuel keeping the engines running.

TEST: Dr Arthur Mpela and a student pour biodiesel into the tank of a 4x4 vehicle as part of a series of tests to determine the quality of the biodiesel they produced

Emmanuel Kongolo, a student working on the project says their end result is proof that innovative techniques can turn a raw product into something as important as fuel.

“This entire project gave me a broad understanding of the processes involved in producing fuel,” he says.

Emmanuel says the team of researchers are proud of the results so far.

“We are contributing to the well-being of the environment and this is exciting,” he says.

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

Hard work pays off.

This is true for Chemical Engineering graduate, Sipiwe Shoko, who was awarded the Faculty of Engineering Dean’s Medal at the eighth graduation ceremony that took place on the Bellville Campus.

The medal is one of 12 awarded this week to the two top achievers in each faculty.

Shoko obtained distinctions in 25 of her 26 subjects, with an aggregate of 83.7% for the diploma.

Shoko is proof that CPUT is producing highly skilled graduates who will play key roles in growing and sustaining the country’s engineering sector.

The role graduates will play in the country was emphasized by Commander Tsieti Mokhele, the guest speaker at the ceremony.

The CEO of the South African Maritime Safety Authority, Mokhele urged graduates to not just be “engineers” but to become builders of industry and of society. He also urged graduates to provide leadership in the country.

Mokhele says the country does not need graduates who are “demanders” but rather men and women who will deploy their skills appropriately and play a positive role in developing South Africa and the continent.

Written by Candes Keating
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Provides coverage for the Engineering and Applied Sciences Faculties; the Bellville and Wellington Campuses, and research and innovation news.

Department of Chemical Engineering Lecturer, Dr Buntu Godongwana, who was recently awarded the Thuthuka Grant Award for 2021, says the financial support will assist in the procurement of equipment and materials required for his team’s research.

“It will also assist us in participating in various forums, local and abroad, in order to share ideas and engage fellow researchers in our chosen field,” Godongwana remarks.

The recipients were recently announced by the National Research Foundation (NRF) and the Department of Science and Innovation. The new Thuthuka awards are for applicants who responded to the 2021 call for applications and have been made according to the strategic objectives of the Thuthuka Funding Instrument and the available budget.

Godongwana says his team’s NRF grant application was made to support fundamental and applied research about the Photocatalytic Oxidation (PCO) of Hydrocarbons. “Catalysts are broadly defined as substances that enable a chemical reaction to proceed at a faster rate, without them undergoing any permanent chemical change. They occur all around nature, such as enzymes in the human body facilitate all the biochemical reactions that sustain life.

“The specific catalysts of interest for our research are heterogeneous catalysts applied in Agri-food preservation.”

The Gugulethu born academic continues: “We are very excited with our successful application. The NRF Thuthuka award is aimed at supporting emerging researchers to develop into more established researchers, thereby increasing the pool of knowledge generation and innovation in South Africa.

“We are more excited by the prospect of supporting prospective Master’s and Doctoral students as this fund allows us.”   

During his studies, Godongwana was selected as one of a group of eight students to receive the inaugural Mandela-Rhodes Foundation (MRF) scholarship, and he was also named the Learning Cape Festival Icon by the Western Cape Government. During his doctorate studies, he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship as a visiting researcher for 12 months at Montana State University.

Reverting back to the NRF Thuthuka award, Godongwana says more than the monetary value, the award serves as an affirmation and recognition of their hard work in contributing to the advancement of ‘our chosen area of research’.  “It means others recognise our work and desire to see more from us in the future. The award will assist in capacity building in the University, but it is also a recognition that the research undertaken at CPUT is of an appreciable level of competence.”   

Godongwana continues: “The future belongs to those who prepared for it and there is no greater preparation for the future than empowering yourself with knowledge”. This is the mantra that inspires us… It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that the child of a farm worker can become the president of a great nation”. Our progression from the humble beginnings in the township of Gugulethu to sharing our ideas in international platforms with world leaders in our discipline is living testimony of Madiba’s words.”

Godongwana and his team have started a youth organisation in Gugulethu to educate young people about the dangers of alcohol abuse, teenage pregnancies, and HIV awareness.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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Chemical Engineering Master’s student, Ariel Ndala’s research work on Nitrogen doping has been accepted and is very close to publication online in one of the top electrochemistry journals, Electrochimica Acta.

Electrochimica Acta is an official peer-reviewed scientific journal of the International Society of Electrochemistry, covering all aspects of electrochemistry. The Democratic Republic of Congo national’s research topic was: Amperometric detection of nitrite using cobalt oxide thin film. The primary focus was to develop a new soft chemical route for the simultaneous nitrogen doping and surface chemical functionalisation of thin films. The second-born of five children, Ariel explains that Nitrogen doping in metal oxides has been proven by several researchers to improve electronic properties via various doping techniques, such as thermal treatment, hard chemical route and plasma treatment.

Apart from Nitrogen doping, surface chemical functionalisation of metal oxides has also been reported to tune their electronic properties, he says. “To achieve this, I treated a cobalt oxide thin film with an amino acid and showed that the amino acid partially dissociates to provide necessary nitrogen for doping in the metal oxide lattice structure while the undissociated amino acid molecules chemically functionalise the metal oxide surface.”

Ariel enrolled for a National Diploma in Chemical Engineering at CPUT in 2015 and in 2017 he graduated cum laude. He further enrolled for a BTech in Chemical Engineering which he completed in the same year, and this qualified him to do a full-research Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering in 2019.  The calm and patient student is poised to graduate in the December graduation ceremony.

His supervisor, Dr Mahabubur Chowdhury says: “The potential application is huge as one can develop films and treat it by various amino acids to engineer the material for a specific application. He showed that the amino acid-treated thin film had ultrafast nitrite sensing capability and very wide linear range.”

Chowdhury adds that it was also very selective towards nitrite even in the presence of five times higher counter interference. “He is a brilliant chap who is disciplined and can think out of the box, which is an essential skill in postgraduate students.”

Reflecting on his journey which comprises of hard work, discipline, and consistency, Ariel says: “I feel very excited and motivated about this achievement as I am waiting for it to be published within a week or two in Electrochimica Acta.”

Ariel, adds that he is “just a human being striving to become a better version of himself”. He is also pursuing music as his hobby, learning music theory, and practicing it on a trumpet. The young man who appreciates the support from his parents aspires to make a positive impact on his community. “I would say their [parents] support has been invaluable and unfailing. My achievement is also theirs... All the rewards will mean nothing if I am not able to contribute to the well-being of the community I am [coming] from. All I can give as advice is ‘the sky is the limit’. Everything is possible here on earth. It might not be easy, but it is possible. Hard work works.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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Assoc Prof Karabo Ntwampe can’t help but see a touch of the surreal in his move into the new Chemical Engineering building on Bellville campus. 

Ntwampe entered the Chemical Engineering Department as a 19-year-old student tutor back in 1999 and now returns as the new Head of Department.

The past 11 years has seen him do every kind of job as he climbed the ranks through the Biotechnology and Consumer Science Department, finishing off as their HoD.

Sponsored to study by then Somchem, now Denel, Ntwampe worked for the munitions company after finishing his BTech in Chemical Engineering but returned to CPUT to finish his Masters (cum laude) in 2005 and immediately registered as the first doctoral candidate in Chemical Engineering the next year.

“Funnily enough, they rejected my proposal,” Ntwampe remembers with a wry smile.

While he wanted to register in Chemical Engineering his thesis topic strayed into Biotechnology, specifically concentrating on wastewater treatment, and it took a lot of arguing to be heard. Eventually, he discovered when the research committee would meet and invited himself to attend.

“I do understand that I was the first full-time PhD student they had and at the time research was not as big a focus for the university, it was geared more around teaching,” he said.

Together with fellow students Ntwampe and his colleagues formed a postgraduate student association to support each other as they tried to navigate the paperwork of further studies. What they quickly learned was they needed to understand university processes in order to navigate their studies. “We started off by complaining but that didn’t get us very far. What we learned was we also needed to provide solutions.” Today that group has produced four professors, seven doctors and a deputy vice-chancellor at a Tanzanian university among other accolades. “That’s what led me to try to actually help other students,” he said about the association.

Ntwampe has built up the interdisciplinary Bioresource Engineering Research Group over the years – they expect their sixth doctoral candidate to graduate this year – and hopes to build on its success to shepherd the Chemical Engineering Department to produce an even greater numbers of Masters and Doctorates than they do currently.

He believes moving into the new building is the perfect pretext for rebuilding a culture of inclusivity and tolerance and breaking down the distance he senses growing between staff and students.
“In this new building it’s a new future for us. People should see it as an opportunity to engage and start anew.”

That’s a long term project though. In the short term, once all the office furniture is squared away, Ntwampe wants to start a roof garden: “When we moved in and I saw the space I immediately thought ‘this is a space where students can come to engage and unwind.’ We might not have the view of District Six campus but we will have our own paradise.”

Written by CPUT Web Editor

Studying abroad introduces students to new experiences, perspectives, and cultures, providing an invaluable opportunity for personal and professional growth, and for some, these opportunities can feel out of reach.

However, Ndjate Katambwe has been fortunate as he was recently awarded the MEXT Scholarship 2024. The MEXT is a scholarship given by the Japanese government under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology to international students who wish to study in graduate courses at a Japanese university. Ndjate has now enrolled in a doctorate course at Tohoku University.

Born in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a French-speaking country, Ndjate had to learn English first after he was accepted to study Chemical Engineering at CPUT in 2014. From there he went on to graduate with a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering Summa Cum Laude under the supervision of Prof Tunde Ojumu and Prof Leslie Petrik in 2022.

Reflecting on his successful academic career, Ndjate says: “I really did have a great supporting system from family to friends, colleagues, peers and church. They all play a major role in my academic journey. It keeps the fire burning in me to be surrounded by people who believe in me and push me to strive for greatness and never stop believing in my dreams.”

He continues: “I really am grateful to receive this scholarship because I know that it is not easy to be selected and awarded the scholarship with so many people taking part. I am happy and look forward to this new chapter in my life and academic journey.”

The firstborn of a family of five always watches his hard-working father providing “for us and that is so inspiring to be there for your loved ones”. To do research, the football fanatic was inspired by Petrik. “Oh man, just how dedicated she is to research work and her students. The way she treats other people with compassion, empathy, and kindness.

“She will forever be my greatest inspiration. Firstly, we are human, and then all the others follow.”

The scholarship that he received shows that whenever “we decide to work together we can achieve big and great things”. “It also shows that we are able and have the capacity to go international by seeking more collaborations which exposes students and the university to so many opportunities like the one I received. I am a proud ambassador of CPUT in general and of the Department of Chemical Engineering in particular.”

His research focuses on carbon capture and utilisation; however, he says there is not an official title yet, “but we are looking into direct ocean capture (DOC). Trying to capture CO2 directly from the ocean”.

Predicting the future is not always easy but Ndjate, who likes hiking, would like to have a career as a researcher. “Because this is what really pushed me to come this far to PhD level.”

When he was a lecturer at CPUT he tried to find a balance between his busy schedule and family and keep it in check. “Because research can really consume you and you forget about other priorities in life. Like Jim Rohn once said, ‘When you work, work. When you play, play. Don't play at work. Don't work at play. Make the best use of your time. When you are working pour it on and when you are playing - have a good time, but don't play at work.’ It is so easy to mix the two.”

Hiking helps his mind to relax and think about other things other than work. “I do my best to spend some quality time with friends and family.”

He also revealed that that CPUT had alleviated his financial burden and for that, “I will forever be grateful. The support is immeasurable because, behind every student who graduates, there are thousands of people working behind the scenes. And for that, I extend my gratitude to every single one of them [staff] for the role that they are playing in our journey as students.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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