ourbeatTUT ALUMNI NEWSLETTERVol 4 No 1 | 2019

Update from the VC

Fresh Out Of Varsity with Jim Khoza

Thokozani Miya shakes aviation industry

XON CEO tackles crime

www.tut.ac.za

Published by the Advancement and Partnerships OfficePretoria Campus, Building 21:221Staatsartillerie Road, Pretoria WestPrivate Bag X680, Pretoria 0001Tel: +27 (0)12 382 2804

Win!

Dear Alumni,

Welcome to our first edition of 2019!This year we are celebrating TUT’s #15YearsOfExcellence through a variety of engagement platforms and sharing the stories of the Alumni who were part of our historical Technikons prior to the merger.

We also convey our warmest wishes to the newly appointed Senior Alumni Relations and Communication Officer and TUT Alumna, Shalate Portia Davhana. We wish her a very successful career as part of the Alumni Team.

In this issue…Meet Thokozani Miya, TUT Alumnus and Africa’s inventor of the “air taxi” chatter service. The Pietermaritzburg born founder and CEO of Neo Aviation, shares his extraordinary success journey from the time he was a young boy to this day!

In our new beat, Fresh Out Of Varsity, Jimmy Khoza takes us through his daily encounters as the Computer Science engineer at The People’s University.

Engineering graduates are invited to acquaint themselves with the new qualifications offered by the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment (FEBE). We look forward to see you soon on campus for registration!

We congratulate our SAFTA winners for once again putting TUT in the spotlight. Look out for more exciting events from your Alma Mater and keep sending us your stories!

ourbeat@tut.ac.zawww.tut.ac.za/alumni

Enjoy the read!

Congratulationsto our SAFTA winners!

Win!

EDITOR: Shalate Davhana

CONTRIBUTORS: Danie Ferns, Willa Du Ruyter, Mokete Radebe, Zelda Janse van Rensburg and Nadia Ross

GRAPHICS: freepik.com, unsplash.com and shutterstock.com This publication may contain third party advertisements and links to third party sites. The Tshwane University of Technology does not make any representation as to the accuracy or suitability of any of the information contained in these advertisements or sites. TUT does not acept any responsibility or liability for the conduct or content of those advertisements and sites and the offerings made by the third parties.

All you have to do is answer the following question:WHO INVENTED THE “AIR TAXI” BUSINESS IN SOUTH AFRICA?

Please send your answer, name and contact number to:alumni@tut.ac.za before 31 June 2019.Please mark the subject field: COMPETITION

The prize winner of our previous competition is: Fezile Deli

Note: Only registered #TUTAlumni can enter

South Africa’s film and television talent and content producers once again descended upon Sun City in the North West province for this year’s edition of the South African Film & Television Awards (SAFTAs) on 1 – 2 March 2019 .

We send our best wishes to our TUT family.

• BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN SCRIPTWRITING – TELENOVELA (THE RIVER) Phathu Makwarela

• BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING – DOCUMENTARY FEATURE (TRIBE VERSUS PRIDE) Jolene van Antwerp

• BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN ORIGINAL MUSIC/SCORE FEATURE FILM – (DIE ELLEN PAKKIES STORIE) Quinn Lubbe

Win y ou r s e l f t h i s e x c l u s i v e

Branded Wine Cooler

UPDATEfrom the VC

Dear Alumni,

as our graduates and ambassadors in the world of work, you are an important stakeholder group to the University. I would like to thank you all for your support and assistance to help get the academic programme at TUT underway after the disruptions during the first term.

Graduation numbers on a steady incline

Things have been going well since TUT reopened for the second term. Quality of education remains TUT’s highest priority and staff and lecturers have been extremely accommodating in providing students with support and assistance to recover lost time. A new academic calendar has already been published to ensure enough time is provided for students to prepare and complete the prescribed number of teaching and learning hours.

Fortunately, it has not been doom and gloom only. Today I would like to share a number of highlights and new developments at TUT with you too.

TUT success rate

The quality of our education is our number one priority. The University is therefore very excited about support from Government and the Department of Higher Education and Training in terms funds it has received for the University Capacity Development Programme. TUT is currently the highest recipient of funding for the programme to appoint mentors and tutors to assist students. The continuous positive impact of the programme is visible in TUT’s success rate that has been on a steady incline over the past years and currently stands at more than 77%. The aim is to reach at least 80% by 2021.

Graduations

Congratulations to the class of 2018 who have now joined the Alumni family. During the 2019 Autumn and Spring Graduation ceremonies, about almost 15 000 students will be recognised for successfully completing their studies. The annual number of graduates have been on a steady incline over the past years, a fact that also deserves recognition and an award. Without the dedication and excellent support of academic, research and support staff to every student, from the moment they enter our gates until they graduate, we would not have been able to celebrate this level of success.

nGAP funding

Another point worth pondering is New Generation of Academics Programme (nGAP) Grant, Funded by the Department of Higher

Education and Training. Now in its fifth year, TUT is currently one of the highest recipients of the grant and has been allocated four posts, to the value of R2 500 000 per post, for the 2019 academic year.

The approved posts are in:

• Engineering Mathematics

• Polymer Technology

• Computer Science

• Public Affairs

New MoU signed with Haaga Helia University of Applied Sciences

TUT has just signed a second five-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Finnish Haaga Helia University of Applied Sciences towards the development of lecturers. The University is already seeing results from programme aimed at empowering lecturers in teaching methodology. In terms of the new MoU, TUT’s entrepreneurship curriculum will be reviewed and a programme to train the trainers of entrepreneurship will be implemented.

Together with Finnish experts, TUT will also review the curriculum on Cyber Security for the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology. This is to empower students at the Faulty with the latest technology in this highly specialised, but rapidly changing field.

TUT Bursary and Scholarship Fund

As the captain of this people’s university where the majority of our students come from disadvantaged environments, individual giving is close to my heart. I would like to call on every TUT graduate to pay the privilege forward by contributing to the Bursary and Scholarship Fund. Remember every cent counts and your contribution can make a world of difference to empower a talented young person to realise their dreams.

Until we talk again, please take care !

Prof L van Staden Vice-Chancellor and Principal

Fresh out of VarsityTUT has equipped me with adequate knowledge and skills to apply in the workplace.

With Sibongiseni Jim KhozaAge: 23

Place of birth: Kokosi Location, Fochville, GautengQualification: National Diploma Information Technology

(Communication Networks)

1. What is your academic background? • I currently hold a National Diploma in Information

Technology and have enrolled for my B-Tech degree studies this year.

2. What attracted you to this profession? • Gadgets fascinated me from an early age. My curiosity

about how data services translated into images on our screens, is what initially drove my quest to discover and also become the person responsible for designing those displays.

3. What is your current position and what does it entail?• I am a Desktop Support Engineer

• It entails assisting end-users with their logged queries/issues as well as troubleshooting hardware and software.

4. What does a day at the office look like?• My day usually starts at 08:00 in the morning. I receive

the end-user issues, incidents and requests through the ‘service desk’ platform. I then attend to those queries promptly.

• I help users remotely with a variety of queries. For instance, when a user have forgotten their password I have to reset it and unlock that user’s account.

• When I come across new problems, I conduct some research to provide solutions. I am also responsible for ensuring that all users have standard programmes installed on their machines so they can work efficiently.

• I also update users’ operating systems and software to the latest versions.

• At the end of the day, I generate and submit a report of my tasks and progress to my seniors.

• My ultimate goal is to make sure that all the clients are happy with my service.

5. Has TUT empowered you for your current role? Please elaborate.• Absolutely. As a student, TUT has equipped me with

adequate knowledge and skills to apply in the workplace. Furthermore, while studying at TUT, I was a team member on different projects. These enhanced my skills. They also formed part of the academic curriculum. The activities included attending boot camps and workshops where I have met some of the most successful IT gurus.

6. Who was your favourite lecturer? Why? • Mr EM Letsoalo, who is a disciplined lecturer with a

unique teaching technique. His lectures were always inter-active and very productive.

• He would go the extra mile to ensure that we comprehended the content and were on par with the lessons.

• He always made time for his students and would motivate and encourage us to do our best.

• It was easy to consult with him without any fear or hesitation.

7. Would you encourage someone to study at TUT? Why? • Yes, I would. TUT is one of the highly ranked institutions

in the country with ample facilities. The University’s career oriented focus equips students to apply what they have learnt in class in the respective industries.

8. What is your fondest memory of your student days?• Definitely my appointment as a student assistant during

the 2018 registration period. The experience helped me to improve my social interaction and communication skills.

• I helped students with online registration, shared information about enrolments and attended to queries. I also assisted to set up labs for operational purposes.

9. What role should Alumni play at TUT?• Alumni could inform prospective students about the

academic structure as well as the culture and diversity of the institution, giving them a glimpse of the student life. They could also share information about extra-curricular activities in which potential students can participate.

10. Who is your role model and why?• Tiyani Nghonyama, a young, innovative, successful

IT graduate. He owns an internationally recognised company and helps graduates to gain experience through workshops at universities and high schools. That is where new ideas and fresh talent are also discovered.

11. What do you do in your spare time?• I currently work on a project aimed at bringing change to

society and in the economic sector.

12. What is your twitter handle?• @khoza_sj

Alumnus elevates

ENTREPRENEURSHIP to a new altitude!

At 45 years old, the TUT Computer Systems graduate is breaking new ground and redefining business air travel at less than half the cost. His private charter service

provides instant air travel in over 150 airports. He tells Our Beat that what makes Neo Aviation stand out is its cost-effective and time saving business model

Thokozani has spent ample time and resources, flying across the globe to see his dream come to pass. Apart from attending seminars, meeting captains of industry and potential investors, in 2012 Thokozani spent almost a week with the inventors of the “air taxi” in Atlanta , USA, purely to learn about the pros and cons of sustaining an affordable chattering service. He subsequently visited a light aircraft manufacturer in North America, partly to look for business partners. “I needed at least R30million to get the business off the ground. If you’re an entrepreneur, you will find a way to go forward”, he adds.

When one takes a glance at his childhood, it is evident that Thokozani was destined to reach for the skies. He was born in Pietermaritzburg, Kwazulu-Natal, and later his family relocated to, Soweto where most of his upbringing took place. As a young boy, he had the acumen for business. In the 90’s he would sell food, drinks and snacks at the street bashes as well as at church events in Soweto. During his teenage years he spent his time making music and doing gigs - for a fee of course!

After completing high school at Emdeni High School, Thokozani aspired to study Dentistry. During the same time, his best friend was shot in the face and injured his jaw. However, a hospital visit to his injured friend submerged his desire to work at a hospital. He explained; “After I saw the sad condition which my friend was in, I just knew that this was not for me”.

It was then that he intensified his search and explored other career options at Funda Community Training Centre in Soweto. His efforts eventually earned him a diploma in Computer Systems at TUT, at the time when it was still Technikon Northern Transvaal (TNT). Thokozani was an outstanding achiever, as a result, SAB (South African Breweries) granted him a bursary to complete his studies. In his third year of study he was spotted by Denel, a state-owned military equipment manufacturer, which recruited him as the IT Specialist.

Throughout his adulthood, Thokozani has seamlessly juggled his time between his career and numerous business ventures, yet still maintained a great social life. He has run a number of businesses including his own fashion label, a corporate clothing firm and a food franchise while he was still employed. He laughs; “My personal life was there! I just found the time”. He confesses that he enjoyed the Fresher’s Ball the most as the student: “Moss, a guy from Pimville, and I used to dress-up for this event”

Thokozani quickly points out that even though he has a passion for success, it has not been a walk in the park. “Entrepreneurship is really not an easy thing to do”. He laments that his previous experience is what had prepared him to be successful with Neo Aviation.

His career trail includes different positions at Denel, Nampak, Telkom, MTN, Vodacom, SITA, Standard Bank, Nokia Siemens & IBM, just to mention a few.

The air transport revolutionist emphasises that associations and passion can make or break your dreams!

Thokozani Miya is a man full of zest, passion for life and he is always thinking of the

next big thing. The founder and CEO of Neo Aviation, which created turbulence in the local air

chattering business recently, is yet to pronounce another addition to his iconic ‘air taxi’ business

concept.

Twitter: @thokozanimiya

FEBE invites Alumnito register for NEW

qualifications

The Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (FEBE), is excited about the rollout of the new Higher Education Qualification Sub-Framework (HEQSF) aligned qualifications. We now offer Bachelor of Architecture (BArch), Bachelor of Engineering Technology (BEngTech), Master of

Architecture (MArch), Master of Building Science (MBuiSc), Master of Engineering (MEng) and Doctor of Engineering (DEng) degrees and Higher Certificates (HC) across all disciplines in the Faculty.

Our eight departments and 168 full-time staff members who create a vibrant presence at the Pretoria and eMalahleni campuses are excited about the HEQSF rollout.

TUT would like to emphasise that all current non-aligned qualifications are accredited and registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and they remain valid and recognised by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Council on Higher Education (CHE), South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), professional bodies, industry, employers and other relevant stakeholders.

We work closely with industry to deliver well-rounded students. We do not only link with industry through the advisory committees of our departments, but also through a hub called the IndustryGrid. IndustryGrid not only houses our graduate employment office, but allows us to showcase our technological achievements and provides a space where staff and students can interact with government, municipalities, parastatals and all kinds of businesses, including Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs).

I invite you to take our hand to ensure that we keep delivering well-rounded and competent graduates for the engineering sector.

Prof Ben van WykDean: Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment

If you’re interested in enrolling for one of the new qualifications in the faculty, please call Contact Centre at 086 110 24 21 and request the operator to direct your call to the relevant department.

For more information about the qualification framework, please visit: https://www.tut.ac.za/alumni-tut/notices

Understandyour current

POSITIONWe can only hope to get a better understanding of our

current position by scanning our environment and bring some context to our position relevant to the rest of the

world we find ourselves in or within we plan to participate. Most people do not bother much with this very important element of moving from one given state to a desire state resulting in inevitable failure. How many entrepreneurs have lost their lifesavings in a venture because they have not made the time to understand the environment that they will have to function in? Most investors also have an issue to support or invest in other people’s dreams if those that seek financial or other forms of support does not understand their environment themselves – would you?

Business scanning is a process used to observe and record activities in the external and internal environments with the intention to better understand these environments and to assist in decision making about threats and opportunities. There are several methods that could be used for this process from common-sense to more formal activities such as the macro and micro market, customers, competitors, suppliers and swot analysis. Following the clarification of the business Vision, Mission and Objectives is the process of business scanning.

DEBATE Debate with your team members when last you or your organisation have conducted a business scanning process to observe and record activities in the internal and external environments with the intention to better understand these environments and to assist in decision making within your organisation? Have you been able to position your business or organisation relevant to the environment? Being able to respond fast to changing environments provide organisations with a competitive advantage. Do you or your management team understand the value of environmental scanning? What benefits do you foresee from observing and record activities in the internal and external environments?

WATCH: ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNINGWatch this short 4.5-minute video by Teo Hiro, How Internal and External Factors Drive Organizational Change to obtain a better understanding of environmental scanning and its benefits to an organisation, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kt6J-jCcdXk

DO Before embarking on a full-scale environmental analysis, evaluate your current status and understanding of the following factors and its influences on your current or potential business activities, on a scale of low to high;

Examples of internal environmental factors for considerationUnderstanding within business & Influence on business• Management changes • Employee morale• Culture changes• Financial changes and/issues

Examples of external environmental factors for considerationUnderstanding within business & Influence on business

• Changes to the economy

• Threats from competitors

• Political factors

• Government regulations

• Changes to the industry itself

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most

intelligent, but the one most responsive to change

Charles Darwin

Dr Gerhard van Wyk

The above is by no means a complete list of factors or elements for consideration when evaluating your current level of environmental scanning, but it will get you thinking of the importance of updated data and information obtained from regular scanning.

5 - POINT PLAN

An environmental scan is an assessment and analysis of the conditions, circumstances and influences, both internal and external to the organisation, which may affect the organisation’s ability to achieve its objectives, however before starting the process you need to make a few decisions regarding the process and methods you will follow during the scanning process: • What types of environmental scanning will you use?• What process of environmental scanning do you plan to

follow?• What techniques and or methods of environmental scanning

will best suite your needs?• What is the importance of environmental scanning for you

and your organisation?• What advantages will the process of environmental analysis

bring to you or your organisation?

Strategic analysis focusses on the analysis of the External environments: Macro, Markets, Customers, Competitors and Internal environment: Resource allocation and focusing on how the organisation will respond to the changes in the external environment supported by a SWOT analysis. Let’s start with the macro environmental analysis. We will unpack these in more detail as part of the analysis process going forward.

@4Vision4Growth

Author of: So What’s your Plan?

Using technology to fight crimeSouth Africa is dubbed as one of the countries with alarming

crime statistics in the world. News platforms and social media are flooded with occurrences of gross criminal

activities daily. Over and above having to live facing the possibility of a gunshot, residents also live in the fear of being defrauded of their money by cyber crooks.

These unprecedented levels of crime have left communities resorting to forming their own security clusters and regrettably, some using the illegal mob justice systems to punish suspected criminals. It is clear that the country needs innovative and effective methods to address this scourge before it is too late.

Carel Coetzee, CEO of ICT Solutions provider, XON says that technology is the only way to win the battle against physical and cybercrime.

Where two worlds meet, we see the opportunity to combine world-class technology in both areas to increase the efficiencies in combating crime

Carel is a TUT Electrical Engineering graduate with a strong background in the field as well remarkable experience in operations management. He earned the latter from number of organisations including Centera and Qdata Networks. Carel identified a gap in the market in 1996 and set about filling it. “I resigned from Qdata Networks to start XON when I saw an opening in file and printer sharing. To enable this, computers had to be networked for both local area networks and wide area networks. Email, which was also relatively new, presented a huge opportunity for enterprise email and scheduling solutions, which we planned to capitalise on.”

XON’s experience in the physical and network security space combined with NEC’s world-class technology in physical and cyber security solutions, culminated in the creation of the Cyber Defence Operation Centre. “We are the only security services provider on the continent that focuses on the exciting space where the physical and the cyber worlds meet, where we combine cybersecurity intelligence and information gathered from social media to complement physical solutions like facial recognition.”

Carel’s penchant for entrepreneurship was evident from a young age, having been involved in a couple of small ventures in his teenage years – ventures which helped pay the bills as a scholar and student – before starting XON more than 20 years ago. “What motivates me is the challenge of uncovering an opportunity and creating something out of it,” he says.

Disclaimer: This is the revised version of the article originally published on www.theceomagazine.com on 18 June 2018.