Adrian Wyngaard was surprised to hear he graduates his MEng Electrical Engineering summa cum laude at this year’s autumn graduation.

The 26-year-old had never even considered working towards this kind of accolade, concentrating instead on the work that interested him.

He is one of the first two students to ever achieve this particular distinction at CPUT – it means both of his examiners for his Masters gave him more than 75% in their final assessment.

Wyngaard’s thesis was overseen by Dr Kessie Govender, a physicist in the Electrical Engineering department.

Govender started the Quantum Physics Research Group in 2014 and Wyngaard joined a year later. He says the other lecturer who also helped get him started on this particular path was Prof Christine Steenkamp from Stellenbosch University.

Growing up Wyngaard was the child who took things apart and he always knew he wanted to study computer engineering. Originally he wanted to get into designing the circuitry that makes up the computer but he soon realised he was interested in both programming and circuit design after his first year at CPUT.

He did his in-service training at the South African Astronomical Observatory and connected to the research environment, which spurred him to return to CPUT.

His Masters topic was Saturated absorption spectroscopy of rubidium and feedback control of Laster frequency for Doppler cooling, which meant investigating how to use a laser to cool atoms.

“We knew it could be done, but could we do it in our lab,” asked Wyngaard.

“Dr Kessie is an experimental physicist and has been working on quantum technologies previously at UKZN. When he joined CPUT he started a new research group in this field."

“We are one of three academic groups in South Africa doing this kind of research.”

He thinks the summa cum laude pass mark will help on his CV when applying for funding. He points out that applying for grants and attending conferences is still slow going because CPUT does not have a physics department dealing with fundamental research so they have to continually justify what the research group is doing. 

“It shows the calibre of students coming through the group. We are learning about quantum physics that is not taught on our engineering curriculum."

“It shows students can learn on their own, and yes, I know that is expected on a Masters level. But, it took two or three years to cover the work required and I did this while also working on my thesis.”

Next, he wants to work on a doctorate as the group continues and see where research and development take them.

Written by Theresa Smith
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Provides coverage for the Applied Sciences and Engineering Faculties and the Wellington Campus.

The Institutional Language Unit at Fundani CHED recently celebrated International Translation Day to reinforce and recognise the imperative effort made by language experts of different languages in different organisations, private as well as government.

The event's purpose was to highlight the universities' ongoing work in promoting indigenous African languages through translation and interpretation services. It was also an opportunity to share insights and collaborate on how universities can further enhance these efforts to foster multilingualism in the Western Cape and beyond.

Various speakers on the platform elaborated on the importance of translations and their challenges. In his opening address, Dr Ignatius Ticha, Faculty of Applied Sciences Language Coordinator said: “Today, we celebrate not only the invaluable work of translators and interpreters worldwide but also the critical role that translation plays in promoting multilingualism and preserving the diverse linguistic heritage of our institutions.”

Ticha, a CPUT Language Group member, welcomed guests from the University of Cape Town (UCT), Stellenbosch University (SU), the University of the Western Cape (UWC), and the Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB)).

“Your presence here signals our shared commitment to advancing the use of indigenous African languages in higher education and society at large.

He commended PanSALB for always being at the forefront of the movement to promote and “preserve the richness of South Africa’s languages, particularly Indigenous African languages”.

Delegates from each institution present were given an opportunity to present the work done by their respective institutions to promote African languages through translation services, interpreting, and terminology development in fostering multilingualism.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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Delegates attending the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Higher Education Dialogue called for action to tackle issues of GBV head-on.

Held on the Bellville Campus this week, the dialogue was organised by the Division of Student Affairs in partnership with the Institutional Transformation Unit in response to the recent spate of sexual assault, GBV and femicide incidents perpetrated against women in higher education institutions.

The dialogue was attended by student leaders and staff members of CPUT, the University of the Western Cape, Stellenbosch University and gender activists. Also in attendance were officials from the Department of Higher Education, Science and Technology as well as the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE).

Prem Coopoo, CPUT’s Dean of Students, said GBV was the new silent pandemic that required everyone to be activists in their homes. “The real solution to GBV lies with men, men should tell perpetrators that they will expose them,” said Coopoo.

She added that various forms of support should be given to victims of GBV and that the greatest travesty of justice is when anyone approaches victims of rape and GBV to withdraw charges against their perpetrators.

CPUT Central SRC President, Sipho Mokoena, lamented the fact no one speaks to the rapist but women are taught to avoid rape by wearing certain type of clothing and walking in certain places at certain times.

Sixolile Ngcobo, CGE’s Provincial Manager, said now was the time to take action and for individuals to realise that solutions to GBV begin with their actions and reactions.

Co-ordinator: Gender Non-Violence at Stellenbosch University, Thembelihle Bongwana, observed that women had once in their lives been forced to perform sexual favours for men in order to even enter the higher education space both for learning and accommodation purposes.

“In the context of our institutions of higher learning, it is quite imperative that we call for heightened oversight and review of existing policies, and disciplinary codes, and bridge the gap in much-needed policy reform through our Institutional Forums, and this can only happen if it is championed by chancellors, Rectorates, DVCs, Faculty Deans, Senior Management Teams and other Statutory Bodies.”

Dr Navindhra Naidoo, Emergency Medical Sciences senior lecturer at CPUT, asserted that hegemonic masculinity perpetuated the dominant social position of men and the subordinate social position of women

Written by Kwanele Butana
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CPUT has graduated its first batch of lecturers in a short course on Service Learning and Community Engagement.

The regional programme was coordinated by the Community Interaction Centre at Stellenbosch University in partnership with the Community Engagement Unit at UWC and the Service-Learning Unit at CPUT.

SL and CE have become core functions of the higher education sphere in recent years and through teaching, learning and research- universities are encouraged to engage with the communities around them to solve a variety of societal issues.

CPUT’s own SL unit won a top prize at a recent conference attended by all Universities of Technology and was commended for great strides taken in encouraging all courses to adopt the programme.

Lecturers Nicholas Pinfold, Pavla Mokeona, Fattinald Rangogo, Dr Felix Nchu and Desmond Jackson kept CPUTs flag high during the short course with three of them graduating with distinction.

All of the lecturers are already involved in highly successful projects with Pinfold’s class having redesigned the layout of an informal settlement and Jackson’s class having used innovative sandbag building techniques in the construction of low cost housing. Mokeona’s project includes a partnership with WESGROW to develop emerging enterprises and Nchu’s students train the community to establish and improve their food gardens.

The graduates were part of an inaugural class selected from the three universities and it is hoped the course will later become mandatory for all lecturers at higher education institutions who engage in Service-Learning.

Written by Lauren Kansley

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Liaises with the media and writes press releases about interesting developments at CPUT.

Postdoctoral fellow Dr Taskeen Docrat did CPUT proud at the recent Virtual Postdoctoral Research Summit.

Docrat took first prize in the category: Elevator pitch presentation for her presentation: The Abili"Tea" Of Rooibos to Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease.

She is a postdoctoral fellow at the Applied Microbial and Health Biotechnology Institute (AMHBI), under the supervision of Prof Jeanine Marnewick, and is involved in the development of in vitro Alzheimer’s models that will aid testing of potential therapeutic agents.

The summit was organised by the Postdoctoral Society at Stellenbosch University, and was open to postdocs internationally.

“This exhilarating summit showcased cutting-edge research, roundtable discussions, workshops, industry tables, satellite events as well as keynote lectures and speakers from around the world,” said Docrat.

“The protective functions of the widely consumed Rooibos herbal tea are of growing interest. Our research is unique as limited information on how Rooibos affects the brain exists. We aim to establish the neuroprotective mechanisms exerted by the antioxidant compounds in Rooibos for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders.”

She said pitching her research in under three minutes was no easy task.

“You must know exactly what your main idea is and then present it clearly. Being my first elevator pitch I did not expect to scoop first place, it was an exciting experience. I am thankful to Stellenbosch University for selecting me as the first prize winner! I strongly believe in getting your research recognised beyond the walls of your lab and creating good collaborations.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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The world renowned Golden Key International Honour Society is due to be launched at CPUT in the third quarter of 2009.
The CPUT chapter will acknowledge and reward academic excellence among the top 15%of the university’s BTech and postgraduate students.

Golden Key, founded in the USA over 30 years, is one of the world’s largest academic honour societies. CPUT is the country’s first University of Technology to join this prestigious group.

Membership of the Society is by invitation only. The Society includes students in all fields of study and is based solely on an objective evaluation of the students’ academic achievements, with the primary goal being to enable members to realise their potential. The initiative is being co-ordinated by Transformation Manager Sam Henkeman and Alumni Officer Nandipha Madadasana, who will act as the University’s Golden Key chapter advisors.

In preparation for the launch, a preliminary information session was held on Cape Town Campus on 26 May 2009 in order to inform shortlisted students about the benefits of accepting the invitation to the Society.

After being welcomed by Madadasana, the students were addressed by Golden Key South Africa’s Johannesburg-based Director Charlene Günter, who explained the purpose of the Society and answered student questions. Henkeman closed the session and the Dean of Students gave thanks to those who had attended.

The Golden Key initiative forms part of a bigger student driven project being developed, which is aimed at creating a sense of belonging, unity and developing a common identity among members of the CPUT community.

To date, the Golden Key Society has over 370 chapters at colleges and universities in seven countries including the USA, South Africa, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand and United Arab Emirates.

In South Africa there are chapters at the University of Cape Town , Stellenbosch University , University of the Free-State, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University , Rhodes University , University of Pretoria , University of Johannesburg and the University of the Witwatersrand .

Governed by an international Board of Directors, the Society offers more than $500,000 annually in scholarships and awards to its members, along with a variety of other opportunities, both in the academic and career fields.

A number of Golden Key chapters are involved in a wide variety of volunteer projects in their local communities such as Habitat for Humanity, Terry Fox Run, Make a Difference Day and various literacy service opportunities.

The Society’s membership stretches beyond academic recognition. Some of the offered benefits include graduate career assistance, scholarships, an online career centre, as well as leadership, community service and networking opportunities.

Golden Key South Africa is also an institutional member of the International Education Association of South Africa (IEASA) and an affiliate member of the South African Graduate Recruiters Association (SAGRA).

By Thando J. Moiloa

Photo: Attending the Golden Key preliminary information session, along with the shortlisted student achievers, were (third from left to sixth from left) Alumni Officer Nandipha Madadasana, Transformation Manager Samuel Henkeman, Charlene Günter of the Golden Key International Honour Society and Dean of Students Cora Njoli-Motale.

Written by CPUT News
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Staff and students at CPUT join the family and the Stellenbosch University (SU) community in mourning the death of Prof Russel Botman.

Botman, the Rector and Vice-Chancellor of SU died in his sleep at his home in Stellenbosch on Friday night.

He made history in 2007 when he was appointed as the first black Rector and Vice-Chancellor of SU. He was reappointed for a second 5-year term in 2012.

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Knowledge and Information Technology Service, Prof Louis Fourie, who is currently acting as CPUT’s Vice-Chancellor, commended the late Botman for his contribution to South Africa.

“Prof Botman was an academic leader of note, who made a large contribution to Higher Education in South Africa,” says Fourie.

“He will be remembered for his efforts to enhance collaboration between the four universities in our region, as well as his emphasis that the broader community must benefit from the expertise of academia.”

On behalf of the CPUT community, Fourie expressed his sincere condolences to Botman’s wife, Beryl, his four children, family as well as staff and students at the SU.

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Cards addressed to the Botman Family, c/o Wildré Kok, can be delivered by hand at the reception desk at the Stellenbosch University Admin B building, Victoria Street, Stellenbosch, or sent by mail to Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602.

Use the hashtag #russelbotman in tweets.

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.

A ground-breaking research project which looks at how factors such as race, gender, class and language intersect to create inequality among university students is on the cards.

The three-year project sees a team of academics from four universities exploring how these demographic characteristics combine to create inequalities among students and whether universities perpetuate the latter. The team comprises of CPUT academics Prof. Lungi Sosibo and Drs Agnes Chigona, Misiwe Katiya and Daniella Gachago as well as Drs Lorna Dreyer (Stellenbosch University) and Sadhana Manik (University of KwaZulu-Natal) and Prof Vuyokazi Nomlomo (UWC). Funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF) to the tune of R661 975, this is the second NRF grant that Sosibo, the team’s leader, has been awarded in succession.

“Working on this multi-site and inter-disciplinary project, we are a team of experts in the different areas of language, Information and Communication Technology, education as well as diversity and transformation,” says Sosibo.
“Our research outputs will include articles in journals accredited by the Department of Higher Education and Training, papers presented at peer-reviewed conferences, book chapters as well as Masters and Doctoral graduates.”

She adds that the collaborative nature of the project makes it a unique experience as each participant brings a different perspective based on the history of the university and personal background.
“The project will be enhanced by the team’s diversity as we boast both intermediate and established researchers.” 

Nomlomo says the project talks to her passion as she has worked extensively with language in education.
“I’m excited about collaborating with colleagues from other institutions and in the end we’ll have a broader perspective of higher education, its past, present and future.”

Written by Kwanele Butana
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For the first time in the Western Cape the Deans of Nursing Programmes at all four major universities will be joining forces for International Nurses Day.

Deans from University of the Western Cape, University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University and CPUT Health and Sciences faculties will meet at CPUT’s Bellville Campus to address nurses from across the private and public sectors on May 12.

Nurses will network, reaffirm their pledge and light the lamp which symbolises their dedication to nursing, tell stories about their careers and be addressed by the ex-matron of a big city hospital.

International Nursing Day commemorates the birthday of one of the most famous nurses in history - Florence Nightingale.

CPUT’s Dr Hilda Vember says the theme is "Nurses - A force for change - A vital resource for health".

The collaborative effort is hopefully the first of many more events of this nature.

“We decided to collaborate as we are always talking about doing projects together, but up till now, we have not done so. We are so fortunate in the Western Cape that all four universities are in close proximity to each other, unlike our counterparts in the other provinces. So this will be a first, but hopefully it would be the beginning of collaboration amongst all four institutions,” says Vember.

Written by Lauren Kansley
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Liaises with the media and writes press releases about interesting developments at CPUT.

CPUT’s nano-satellite research has caught the attention of the Bavarian government and a recent symposium explored ways of leveraging this interest.

The symposium saw a delegation of Bavarian government officials and academics meeting their South African counterparts at CPUT’s Bellville campus to discuss nano-satellite Earth Observation Applications as Catalyst for International Collaboration as well as view the facilities at CPUT’s French South African Institute of Technology (F'SATI).

The partners in the collaboration are CPUT, F’SATI, Stellenbosch University, Cube Space, the South African Department of Science and Technology, the Bavarian government and universities, the National Research Foundation and the South African National Space Agency.

Dr John Volmink, CPUT’s Acting Vice-Chancellor, said Space Science Engineering and Technology is one of the university’s research focus areas.

Volmink added that the university’s satellite programme has been supported by the national government.

Prof Robert van Zyl, head of F’SATI at CPUT said marine protection and ocean governance is one of the four critical areas which were explored by the South African government to unlock the potential of the country’s vast coastline.

Amal Khatri, Executive Director at South African National Space Agency (SANSA) said low-cost satellites are more viable and have better access to funding.

“There is a need to invest in nano-satellites,” added Khatri.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Determination has led lecturer in Enology and Crop Protection, Anton Nel to obtain his PhD in Agriculture at Stellenbosch University recently.

Nel’s research focus was about pinking on South African white wines. “This was a very difficult study as I needed grapes that will pink when the wine was made. Unfortunately, one cannot test for pinking of grape juice, so you have to take the chance. As a winemaker, you also have a small window period per year in which to do the winemaking and analysis. If you missed it, you have to wait another year to repeat. That made the whole study very stressful,” Nel recalls.

The father of two started with his undergraduate degree in 2004 at the age of 36 at Stellenbosch University. After obtaining his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, Nel wanted to learn everything the university could teach him so he obtained his Master’s in Agriculture in 2010.

“After that, I thought that it’s time I give something back, so I started my PhD in 2014.”

Nel who started to work as a lecturer at CPUT in the same year, adds: “In the beginning it was easy. You do research, plan experiments, start a bit, but as time goes on, everything became exponentially difficult. While colleagues got classes or sabbaticals, my teaching load became heavier with no classes. In the end, I got a sabbatical, but I was more at work than at home.

But determination put me through.”

He explains that pinking is phenomena where white wines got a pink colour after some air contact. Nel reveals that nothing is known about what causes pinking and that he set out to investigate winemaking processes that will lead to pinking.

“That’s novel work as no one in the world ever did that. I also had a sensory analysis, which was also novel work as no literature exists on the sensory aspects of pink white wines. Getting wines to pink proved also to be difficult, so it costs a lot of time, travel, etc, to get what I want.”

Nel who is also a Health and Safety Representative for the Department of Agriculture in the Wellington campus is very proud of his achievements. “It’s something that I set out to do. As a small child, I always said I wanted to become a scientist. Now I am a wine scientist. This achievement came with very long and hard work and one is normally very tired after a full day’s work. Things that I enjoy, like reading or collecting kept me going as it was this that gave me the joy to go forward. My support of my wife and family also carried me through a difficult time,” he continues.

“My life was not easy. I never had a mentor to teach me the ways. I made a lot of mistakes in my life to come where I am now. I have learned a lot of things and I am using this knowledge to plough back to my students.”

His studies took away a lot of family time. He started when his son was four years old, he is now 21 years. “That means for 17 years of his life, I wasn’t really there. My daughter is now 10, so I don’t want to make the same mistakes I did with my son.”

When he is not working nor studying, Nel will be busy with another research topic. This one is about the extraction of wine phenols during white winemaking and the maturation of the skins for an extended period of time. “This research was also never being done here in South Africa. I belong to some associations of which I am sitting on the board of directors, so these things keep me going.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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If you are determined that the direction of your travel is going to be upwards there will be no limit to what you can achieve.

This was the message to graduates from Prof Jimmy Volmink, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University, who was the guest speaker at a graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences.

He encouraged graduates to learn to reach beyond self-interest.

“In the 21^st century we find ourselves in a world which is becoming more and more selfish, polarised, hateful and fearful. If we are to survive we will need to find a way to reconnect with our humanity. What the world desperately needs today is more compassion,” said Volmink.

“I want to challenge you today as health and wellness professionals to find a way to show compassion and demonstrate solidarity towards your patients, clients, colleagues and society in general. Let us work together to overcome the shortcomings that we see around us and in the health system in particular and show leadership as makers of change.”

An emotional Simone Smith was the Dean’s Medal recipient in the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences.

Smith, who graduated with a BHSC in Medical Laboratory Sciences obtained distinctions in 17 of her 20 subjects and achieved a final aggregate of 81 percent over the years of her study.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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A CPUT alumna has advised graduates to have the courage to follow their hearts and live their dreams in a way that strengthens the nation as well as Africa.

Ilhaam Groenewald, Chief Director of Sport at Stellenbosch University, was the guest speaker at the graduation ceremony of the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences on the Bellville Campus on Saturday.

Groenewald said she believes that everyone has a deep vision that speaks inside them and inspires one to action.

“Seek the wisdom of the people around you and tap into their experiences.”

She urged them to aspire to bring about change and follow their passion.

“There’s power in passion, therefore you need to live your passion,” she said.

“The choice is yours; you can be a victim of your circumstances or a hero of your actions.”

She encouraged the graduates not to follow somebody else’s path.

“Your desire to explore must be greater than the desire not to make a mistake.”

She added that CPUT had made an immense contribution to her journey of passion as she obtained two degrees from the then Peninsula Technikon and in the process was appointed a Student Assistant.

The ceremony marked the beginning of the 2017 Autumn Graduation which will continue throughout the week with three ceremonies per day.

The graduation will see the university confer a grand total of 7 268 diplomas and degrees, including Masters and Doctoral degrees.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Efforts to develop Africa’s future energy workforce will receive a welcome boost with several universities in Africa identified to benefit from the roll-out of Electrical Engineering Masters and Doctoral programmes specializing in Smart Grids.

The DAMOC project, short for the Development of a Harmonized Modular Curriculum for the Smart Grid, is an ambitious programme funded by the ERASMUS + KA2 initiative, which promotes platforms for cooperation in innovation and the exchange of good practices in the international higher education sector.

CPUT’s Centre for Substation Automation and Energy Management Systems (CSAEMS) has been identified to participate in the DAMOC project, along with Stellenbosch University, University Of Pretoria, as well as two Tanzania-based institutions, which include The Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology and the University of Dar Es Salaam.

Director of the CSAEMS and a leading expert in Smart Grids, Prof Raynitchka Tzoneva, will lead the CPUT delegation, who this month will attend the project’s kick-off meeting in Germany.

Smart grid technology is a highly specialized area of electrical engineering, which focuses on development of standard-based monitoring, protection and control integrated power systems that allow electricity suppliers to monitor the flow of electricity, improve transmission and storage, as well as facilitate the distribution of energy generated from alternative sources, such as wind turbines. The skills developed in this area are crucial for the development of the energy sector and will help address Africa’s energy woes.

“Envisioned outcomes of this project are new, interdisciplinary master and doctor courses implemented at partner institutions in Africa, running laboratories, online courses, and improved networking between the partners,” says Tzoneva.

The Masters and Doctoral courses will include modules such as emerging standards for smart grid, power electronics, integration of renewable energy into the power system, cyber security, and virtual power plants.

Tzoneva says specialised laboratories will also be set up at CPUT and the Nelson Mandela African Institute Of Science and Technology.

The European partners include Dresden University of Technology in Germany, Università degli Studi Guglielmo Marconi in Italy, and Karlstad University in Sweden.

The project will receive support from the South African National Energy Development Institute – South Africa.

The DAMOC project will run over the course of three years.

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.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, Prof Rishi Balkaran has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the Cape Higher Education Consortium (CHEC).

The Board of the CHEC operates under delegated authority from the Councils of the four institutions, CPUT, Stellenbosch University, the University of Cape Town and the University of the Western Cape.

The vision and mission of CHEC is to establish the Western Cape as a strong higher education region in a restructured national system which, through systemic inter-institutional co-operation and academic programme collaboration, will be:

• Distinctively responsive to regional, national and international developments in the knowledge economy of the 21st century.
• Sensitive to historical realities in promoting equity across its institutions.
• Cost-effective and of high quality.

Reflecting on his appointment, Balkaran says: “I am excited about my appointment and will ensure that I deliver to the mandate of CHEC.”

“I hope to continue with the sterling job of the previous chairperson, Prof [Nico] Koopman. As a collective, we have to deliver to vision and mandate. Certainly, we will be looking at the trends affecting Higher Education as well as working together in enhancing student success.

A lot of hard work, perseverance and being a team- player has taken Balkaran to where he is today. “I am always excited about [new] ideas and find ways to do things better. Keeping students and staff [is] at the centre of what we do is critical to me.  There is nothing more inspiring than seeing students succeed in their careers.”

Balkaran, who joined the CPUT in January 2019, has more than 20 years of experience in the Higher Education sector.

He says CPUT has benefitted tremendously from the CHEC initiatives and this benefit extends to its other University members. “We will continue with CHEC’s very successful staff development initiatives and other programmes from the previous years,” says Balkaran.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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Results of a South African study conducted by a group of investigators from the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), Stellenbosch University (SU) and the US National Institute of Health (NIH) have demonstrated for the first time in an African population, the added value of combining glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and glycated albumin (GA) to diagnose dysglycemia, the combination diabetes mellitus and pre-diabetes. 

Diabetes mellitus, which is a condition characterised by chronic elevation of blood sugar, is a fast-growing disease worldwide, and much so in countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where the number of people with diabetes is estimated to increase by 134% from 24 million in 2021 to 55 million by 2045, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) South Africa (4.2 million), Nigeria (3.6 million), Tanzania (2.9 million), Ethiopia (1.9 million), and Democratic Republic of Congo (1.9 million) are currently the top five SSA countries for the number of people with diabetes. Diabetes in SSA is further characterised by the low detection rates, with about 54% of SSA people with diabetes being unaware of their condition, against 44.7% at the global level.

The low diabetes detection rate in Africa is explained by several factors, including the lack of screening programs, the low prioritisation of large segments of the population (young adults and non-obese people) for diabetes screening where programs are available, and the lack of accurate and practical diagnostic approaches.

In this first detailed study in an African population, the investigators used data from nearly 1 300 adult mixed-ancestry South Africans residing in Cape Town to examine the ability of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and glycated albumin (GA) in combination to diagnose diabetes or dysglycemia. HbA1c and GA are tests used to monitor blood sugar control in response to treatment in people with diabetes. Still, they have also been proposed for diabetes diagnosis, although not yet widely adopted in African settings due to their variable performance.

 “In mixed-ancestry, South Africa, HbA1c and GA levels varied in opposite directions with increasing levels of adiposity as measured by the body mass index (BMI). Consequently, combining the two tests improved the detection of dysglycemia above and beyond the achievements of each test taken separately. This improvement was observed across all levels of BM,” says Professor Andre Pascal Kengne, the lead author of the publication and Director of the Non-Communicable Diseases Research Unit (NCDRU) at the SAMRC.

Unlike other diagnostic tests for diabetes, HbA1c and GA do not require fasting. “These findings in mixed-ancestry South Africans are in line with results from our previous studies in African-born Blacks living in America, which have shown that combining HbA1c and GA improves dysglycemia diagnosis, particularly in individuals who are non-obese,” says Dr. Anne E. Sumner, senior author on the paper and Senior Investigator in the Section on Ethnicity and Health, Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. “This study suggests an approach that can be operationalised and incorporated into existing screening programs for diabetes in African settings,” adds Dr. Sumner.

Data used for the current study are from the Cape Town Vascular and Metabolic Health (VMH) project, an extension of the Bellville South research programme initiated in Cape Town in 2008. “These new findings are a handy addition to our efforts to improve the understanding, prevention, detection and control of common cardiometabolic diseases in mixed-ancestry South Africans and other African populations over the last two decades” says Prof Tandi E Matsha, co-lead author of the paper, Principal investigator of the VMH project, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Wellness at CPUT, and Director of SAMRC/CPUT Extra-mural Cardiometabolic Health Research unit.

“Population-based screening for common chronic infectious diseases such as HIV infection is already taking place across Africa using minimally invasive blood sample collection”, note the investigators. “Adding HbA1c and GA to these programs provides an opportunity to co-screen people for dysglycemia’ they conclude. HbA1c is already available as a point-of-care test, and a similar approach can be developed for GA.

*The study was published in clinical medicine, a Journal of The Lancet group, with the title “Combining HbA1c and glycated albumin improves detection of dysglycemia in mix-ancestry South Africans”; and is fully accessible here: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(22)00173-0/fulltext

Written by SAMRC

The Strategic Initiatives and Partnership division recently launched the Sisonke Supervision Mentoring programme, which offers opportunities for capacity building to grow CPUT’s cohort of skilled PhD-qualified staff to supervise and mentor novice researchers.

This is due to the steady increase in Master’s and Doctoral post-graduates seen across Africa, and at CPUT, many more well-prepared supervisors are needed. Building sustainable higher education supervision mentoring programmes is necessary to expand the number of doctoral post-graduates who work not only in the higher education and research sector but also in the industrial sector.  

In his presentation, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research, Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, Dr David Phaho, outlined the CPUT Postgraduate Roadmap to 2030.   “It’s been a long time coming, but the efforts have been fruitful, and we have an opportunity here to do great things for this institution.”

His talk outlined the following:

• Postgraduate education and CPUT Vision 2030.
• CPUT Postgraduate enrolment trends: 2011 to present.
• CPUT research output trends: 2011 to 2021.
• Postgraduate enrolment in the Covid-19 world. Current state of play.
• Strategic levers to increase postgraduate students: 2021 to 2030
• How do we measure progress and Watchouts?

Phaho said the drive to enhance postgraduate success at CPUT will be primarily informed by the following Vision 2030 Focus areas.

• Innovative teaching and learning and learning environments.
• Smart Research Technology Innovation and Partnerships (RTIP) that is relevant and has an impact.
• Smart internationalisation.
• Innovative engagement and strong links with quintuple helix partners
• And brilliant student engagement and learning experience.

Director of the Research Directorate Office, Prof Dina Burger, said: “What is clear to me is that it’s important to have a system in place, but  it has to do with the soft issues, it has to do with the supervisors and the postgraduate students, predominantly, that journey, that relationship  that is what lies at heart, I think of successful postgraduate education.”

Burger said there was a need to improve the number of postgraduates and academic staff in terms of doctoral degrees.

The guest speaker, Prof Johann Mouton from the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology (CREST) at Stellenbosch University, said it’s widely recognised that South Africa needed more highly-skilled academics and scientists – both for their reproductive capacity (to train and mentor the next generation of scientists) but also their knowledge productive and innovative capacity.

“What we have witnessed over the past 20 years is a steady increase in demands placed on our universities to grow and transform this capacity. And most of the ‘indicators’ show that the sector has responded admirably – both as far as quantitative outputs (graduates and publications), are concerned, as well as qualitatively (through creative and novel initiatives such as the Sisonke programme).”

In his closing remarks, Vice-Chancellor Prof Chris Nhlapo said he hoped that the Sisonke programme would assist CPUT to navigate the challenges and ensure that all the challenges that result as a consequence of not having the capacity and not having an adequate programme around the training of the supervisors themselves.

“And you are right, Prof Burger, that to a large extent, we rely on how we supervise. So, if my supervisor were not good, I would likely perpetuate that. So I hope that the Sisonke programme is going to draw the line to say henceforth, we will have to build the capacity of our novice researchers, build the capacity of our mid-career researchers, build the capacity of our established researchers because, at every level, there is a need for development… So we are looking forward, as an institution, to say  from the executive management  point of view, we are fully behind you…”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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A Complicated pregnancy and a son who was born prematurely at 30 weeks, weighing only 739g, couldn’t deter CPUT alumna Christynn Jacobs’ plan of becoming the first black female jam manufacturer in South Africa and building a legacy for “our children and the generations to come”.

The Hermanus-born businesswoman grew up in a beautiful, small fishing village called Hawston, where she attended the local primary school. She matriculated at Hermanus High School in 2003. In 2004, Jacobs enrolled for a Bachelor’s degree in Science at Stellenbosch University, but she dropped out as “I was still unsure of what career path I wanted to follow”. She took a gap year before deciding to pursue a career in food, so she enrolled at CPUT in 2006, where she completed her BTech in Food Technology in 2009.

After her studies, Jacobs worked very hard at building a successful career.  “I worked in the food industry for about 10 years. I focussed on gaining as much experience as possible to ultimately work for myself, which meant making sacrifices and working hard, long and after hours. I managed to build a very comfortable life and decided to risk it all to start my own business.”

Her humble beginnings in Hawston, which is a very close-knit community, and where people look out for each other has nurtured Jacobs to “stay humble and always remember where I come from”.

 “I was very fortunate to grow up in a large, loving family that was always supportive.  I learned a lot from them.  People are very dear to my heart, so I need to give back to my community,” she enthuses.

The hardworking, tenacious 35-year-old entrepreneur who sets very high standards for herself and others and her husband, Nigel, also her business partner, registered their Jacobs Jam Company in 2019.  Shortly after, the couple learned that they were expecting their firstborn child. During this time, they were busy setting up the business, which included writing the business plan, sourcing finance, developing products, sourcing and designing the equipment and processes, etc. “I had a complicated pregnancy, and our son was born prematurely at 30 weeks, weighing only 739 grams. He was in the Intensive Care Unit for 72 days. This meant the family room at the hospital became our office and boardroom. It was a very challenging time, but we managed to push through and make it work.”

Their “very first commercial production run was on 6 November 2020, and almost exactly a year later, on the 26th of November 2021, we obtained the titles of Entrepreneurs of the Year 2021, Best Emerging Business and Best Overall Business at the Western Cape Entrepreneurial Awards. This was an extremely proud moment”.

“Starting this business has given me independence and the creative freedom to apply my skills and knowledge to make decisions crucial to the business's success. I get to work in the field, and that is my passion. Most importantly, I wanted to be more flexible and spend more time with my family. By starting this business, I’ve achieved that, and there’s nothing more rewarding,” Jacobs continues.

“It is important to work hard to make a comfortable living, but working yourself to death and not enjoying the fruits of your labour is pointless.” 

Up until now their business focus has been on manufacturing jam and mainly for the Western Cape, however they would like to grow the business, expand into other regions, and increase their product lines.  “I’m currently working on developing other products, such as juices, sauces and bompies (ice lollies), which will launch later this year. The fundamentals, mentorship, and support that I received not only from the university but also from my partner Nigel, who is also an alumnus of CPUT, is pivotal.  It enabled us to start a business from scratch and make it the success it is today.”

She attributes her success to hard work, perseverance and sacrifice. “For me, it’s essential to build a solid foundation for my children and give them opportunities I didn’t necessarily have.

“The next mega food group must still be born, and we’re determined to be it.”  The couple has worked for big companies and climbed the corporate ladder to the top. “I, being a food technologist, and his background as a fast-moving consumer goods marketer is a rare find. It just made sense to combine our expertise and knowledge of the industry to start our own business within the food industry.”

Reflecting on juggling work and family, Jacobs says: “We’re always jamming at Jacobs household. When I am not at work, I spend quality time with my family, whether doing activities at home or going out and enjoying what our beautiful region offers.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

A new short course focused on Point of Care Testing (POCT) will be offered by the Department of Biomedical Sciences from next month.

The practical-based course believed to be the first of its kind in Africa, was designed at CPUT and will ensure that POCT operators have the necessary background and practical skills to produce a reliable result that meets all international standards.

POCT refers to testing carried out where the patient is or near the patient, and the results are available quickly. POC tests can be done for Covid-19, diabetes, anaemia and several other conditions.

The course will be taught by the Department’s Terry van Jaarsveld, who has many years of experience in operating POCT services in the Middle East and South Africa, and Stellenbosch University’s Prof Rajiv Erasmus, who has been part of international committees to oversee the quality of Point of Care Testing.

“As simple as it may be, health providers must ensure that the results are reliable and accurate and compare well with those obtained from an accredited medical laboratory. This means that all processes involved must be carefully planned, and operators need to be trained and certified and proven capable of carrying out this testing,” they said.

 In South Africa, point-of-care testing is conducted in clinics, emergency departments, pharmacies, ambulances, wards, and outpatient departments.

“Implementation of a high standard of quality POCT service must be well-planned and comprise of systematic processes, commencing with simple, but quality sample collection at the testing site, easy-to-use testing formats, and straight-forward interpretation of results.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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CPUT proudly opened its doors recently for the Global Institute for Teacher Education and Society (GITES) Annual Symposium of Teaching for Social Justice.

The theme of the symposium, held at the Cape Town Hotel School, Granger Bay Campus. was: Examining and envisioning education in South Africa from current inequalities to future equities – addressing social justice and inclusivity in pursuit of a ‘good society’.

Prof Zayd Waghid, Acting Director: GITES, CPUT, delivered the opening remarks and outlined the role of GITES. Waghid said the GITES Annual Symposium on Teaching for Social Justice was started in 2023. “The symposium aims to provide a platform for experts in the field of social justice education to engage in discourse around the need to transform society through pragmatic and innovative ways at the micro, meso and macro levels. The symposium aims to create an awareness of the need to disrupt comfort levels of t prevalent in various education contexts.”

He added that the symposium focuses on bringing students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, in-service teachers and government officials, by creating spaces for meaningful dialogue by bringing theory and rigorous research to practice and policy.

Keynote speakers included: Prof Jonathan Jansen from Stellenbosch University; Prof Thaddeus Metz, from the University of Pretoria, and Dr Savo Heleta, from Durban University of Technology.

In his presentation, Jansen gave reasons “why professors of education should not teach future teachers”. “We have not taught in schools for decades. We norm our teaching on middle-class school standards. We frontload teacher education with theory and literature, he continued.

“Because of these factors we are far removed from the routines of management and teaching in working-class schools.”

Heleta delivered his presentation on Eurocentric education under coloniality and neoliberalism: How to envision socially just and decolonised education in South Africa? He said decolonisation was not even a footnote. “Most university leaders, academia, and policymakers weren’t bothered with the coloniality of knowledge and colonial and apartheid-era curriculum that continued long after 1994. Epistemic decolonisation became a buzzword in South African higher education in 2015-2016, primarily due to student activism under the #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall banners.”

Metz, a Research Professor of Philosophy, made a presentation on Being Excluded from Knowledge for Its Own Sake: An Underappreciated Injustice.

Reflecting on the event, Dr Yohana William said the topic that Jansen presented was important at the current juncture where South Africa, as many other developing countries, “is still battling with redressing the current inequalities in education for future equities and pursuit of a good society as the symposium theme suggests”.

William said the education system is not neutral. “It is a tool or an instrument that reproduces and exacerbates the existing inequalities and classes through both the existing pedagogies and political/hegemonic decisions characterising the schooling process (what is and what is not).”

Meanwhile, Dr Andrew Wambua said Jansen stated that love and connection matter more than correct teaching. And that consistency in school management is key. He said according to Metz, if qualified people cannot access higher education, then that is injustice. “Education should reach masses and should not be offered just for the sake of it.” He added that Heleta urged the attendees to decolonise “our curriculum and thinking”. “Education remains deeply segregated. Societal inequalities are often on display at and between universities. There is a need for critical pedagogy and decoloniality to resist neoliberalism, coloniality, and Eurocentric hegemony.”

In his take-ways, Dr Adedayo Theodorio said Heleta pointed out that multilayered injustices are happening across the globe and that the injustices in many ways influence higher education. “Challenges such as the absence of justice, oppression, and dissociations in South Africa’s society remain a sickening root cause of inequality in the society and higher education.”

Theodorio said the Department of Higher Education and Training should consider decolonisation fully instead of neoliberal visions. “SA universities could consider collaborating with local universities in SA instead of entirely collaborating with foreign universities.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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