WeeklySA_AdminPROSPERITY: Business school prepares students to be responsive to the critical needs of South Africa and the African continent within the context of a dynamic global environment…
By Own Correspondent
A South African student, Boitumelo Nkatlo, has returned from a trip to Harvard Business School which he won following the entrepreneurship skills he demonstrated in his ground-breaking business project.
Nkatlo joined global leaders in entrepreneurship as they gathered at the prestigious Harvard Business School’s Africa Business Conference, held in Boston, USA, last month.
Regent Business School is a proud member of the Honoris United Universities network, the first pan-African private higher education network committed to preparing and educating the next generation of African leaders and professionals to make a regional impact in a globalised world.
As the platinum sponsor of this conference, Honoris United Universities believes in the power of entrepreneurship and innovation for the prosperity of the African continent and its communities.
This belief is manifested through various partnerships with international organizations and institutions that work towards uplifting and encouraging young entrepreneurs in Africa.
Regent is a private higher education institution with their headquarters located in the heart of the central business district and the industrial hub of Durban, with learning centres located in Durban, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, East London and Eswatini (in Manzini and Mbabane).
Boitumelo Nkatlo’s winning invention, BNAqua Solutions, is a testament to this belief.
It is an inventive solution that addresses the water scarcity issues faced by communities in South Africa. His invention, which is fully recognised and licensed in his name, treats acid mine drainage water and transforms it into safe drinking water, using waste metallic materials.
As the winner of this prestigious competition, Boitumelo Nkatlo attended a two-day Harvard Business School’s Africa Business Conference in Boston, USA in March, where he was afforded access to a host of activities specifically for students including a campus tour, introductions to the Harvard faculty, an MBA open house, and a networking lunch.
His excitement and gratitude for this once in a lifetime opportunity were evident, “I am truly grateful to Honoris United Universities and Regent Business School for enabling me to attend the Harvard Business School’s Africa Business Conference in Boston, USA., where I made valuable contacts within the African continent.
“Some noteworthy interactions were with the chairman of OCP Group, a fertilizing manufacturer based in Morocco, Mostafa Terrab; Ghanaian entrepreneur Fred Swaniker and Standard Bank South Africa chairman Nonkululeko Nyembezi.
“The break-out sessions which I attended covered some incredibly relevant topics, and I particularly enjoyed the sessions focusing on Africa’s creative economy and financial inclusion. A highlight was a private meeting with Prof Anywhere Siko, who is a Berol Corporation Fellow and assistant professor in the accounting and management unit at Harvard.
This trip could lead to other life-changing opportunities,” he added.
Dr. Ahmed Shaikh, managing director of Regent Business School, added, “As an institution that places a high value on innovation and entrepreneurship, we are proud to have played a role in Boitumelo’s success.
His dedication to finding sustainable and affordable solutions to address the issue of clean water access is inspiring, and we are confident that he will continue to make a significant impact in the future.”
This recognition is a testament to the hard work, dedication, and innovation of Nkatlo and the school, highlighting the commitment of Honoris United Universities to empower and encourage young entrepreneurs in Africa.
Honoris United Universities and Regent wish Boitumelo Nkatlo well with his future endeavours and remain committed to continued support for the next generation of African entrepreneurs.
CLOSING THE GAP: MORE FEMALE STUDENTS EMBRACE IT CAREERS
CHOICE: With the right IT qualifications and skills, South Africans can be global leaders…
By WSAM Reporter
The Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA) says its computer talent search is attracting more female school children than boys for the second year running.
The computer talent search, run by the Computer Olympiad, which is an IITPSA programme, is run across South African schools to identify learners with information technology talent and skills.
The talent search is understood to be the South African version of the Bebras Contest, which attracts over two million participants from more than 50 countries across the globe each year.
The South African talent search initiative is a free programme that can be undertaken either online, or offline using pen and paper. The challenge is a series of puzzles tailored by age and grade, with five categories for learners ranging from Grade 4 Elementary to Grade 12 and Elite level.
By running the talent search at their schools, the IITPSA believes that teachers can help learners discover that IT is not as intimidating as they may think.
Remarking on participants in this year’s school talent search, IITPSA President, Admire Gwanzura, says the increase in the number of girls participating is encouraging, since certain science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, and the ICT sector in particular, have long sought to close gender gaps in the workplace.
According to the IITPSA, more than 16 700 learners from 174 schools nationwide participated in this year’s challenge, with girls slightly outnumbering boys overall in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Western Cape.
The Eastern Cape saw a noteworthy 50% increase in the number of girls participating compared to last year, says the information technology body. IITPSA is the only South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) recognized and the country’s IFIP IP3 accredited professional body for ICT practitioners.
The IFIP International Professional Practice Partnership (IP3) is the body that focuses on professional standards for the global ICT industry. “The IITPSA and many other organisations have been encouraging girls and young women to consider careers in STEM-ICT for years. In some regions, girls and young women appeared hesitant to enter these sectors. However, we now see a strong cohort of girls embracing STEM-ICT, which bodes well for our future skills pipeline.”
The talent search is for school learners of all ages. It is designed to help them develop the problem-solving and computational abilities they need for all STEM-ICT subjects. Gwanzura believes that careers in IT are interesting, rewarding and offer opportunities in a wide range of sectors.
However, the global IT industry has skills shortages in many specialisations, meaning a skills pipeline of young IT professionals is urgently needed for organisations to progress into the fourth industrial revolution.
“Information technology has evolved and grown over the years.
The growth of the sector has experienced an increase in opportunities for young professionals across many exciting areas, such as cyber security, app development, cloud computing, robotics, artificial intelligence and much more.
“With the right IT qualifications and skills, young South Africans can be the global leaders in technology and innovation. Unfortunately, many young people – especially girls and young women – are hesitant to study IT-related subjects, and this should be changing,” says Gwanzura.
The Talent Search teaches learners to think computationally and solve problems, and helps schools to identify which learners should consider IT, computer applications technology (CAT), science and maths as subjects, he adds. After the Talent Search, learners who have already mastered a computer language can enter the Programming Olympiad.
Students who know how to use applications like spreadsheets, databases and a word processor can enter the Application Olympiad, a challenge for those who take CAT or the International Certification of Digital Literacy, or are otherwise computer literate.
The Talent Search ran from 7 to 11 March, with participating learners writing a 45-minute paper at their schools. Learners participated either online or offline and the tasks and challenges were supervised by their teachers. The top 50% of participants countrywide will be awarded gold, silver or bronze certificates, according to how well they performed in the challenge.
Schools that are interested in the programme are invited to participate by registering on the Computer Olympiad website on Olympiad.org.za/Talent-Search/register/.
