The Department of Biotechnology and Consumer Science recently hosted a Food Industry Seminar with two guest speakers to provide students with an opportunity to learn about the speakers’ careers, organisations and industry.

The event, which was hosted at the District Six campus, was attended by the Consumer Science first-year students. The Department of Biotechnology and Consumer Science Lecturer, Theloshni Govender said the seminar allowed students to learn about the career opportunities within the food industry. The students received firsthand information about the speakers’ career paths and their position with their current employers and their day-to-day workplace activities and challenges.

“Most importantly, what does the industry expect from its future employees.”

The guest speakers were Anton Van Wyk, General Manager at Woolworths Village Square, Durbanville and Marcia Perumal, Quality and Regulatory Manager at SK Chemtrade, who is also a CPUT alumna. Van Wyk, who delivered the first presentation, provided an overview of his company This included his views on effective business and data-driven decisions. He also talked about key internal and external challenges, including post Covid-19 recovery. Van Wyk also encouraged the students to “practise positive [positive] attitudes to become positive about their future”. “With your attitude-you can change the world… You must be the change that you want to see in this world.”

He also told the students the following:

• Listen to understand.
• Show empathy.
• Take action.
• Make a difference.

Perumal who holds a Diploma and a BTech in Consumer Science: Food and Nutrition from CPUT, delivered her presentation on Grain Milling. She also elaborated on her career path from her first employer to current one. The presentation also provided an overview of her current employer and effective business operations. Based on her experience, she highlighted that learning on the job is something that students must be prepared for. She said it was a great honour and privilege to be able to give back to “our young people’, and to assist in bridging the gap between the institution and industry.

The students engaged with the speakers in an open platform as this enriched the learning experience and this will make them better prepared for working in the food industry and understand the industry expectations.

Reflecting on the event, Perumal said: “I am very glad actually that Theloshni has incorporated this into the course. When I studied here, we didn’t have that, and I think the more the students can hear from the industry, the better. So, they’ll know what is out there, what opportunities are out there for them when they graduate because sometimes you are sitting in a classroom, you don’t know the different fields that you can go into, the different positions you can get into…”

She added that the class seemed like a positive group of young people. Govender added that the guest speakers bring in vast knowledge and experience within the food industry and that they plant seeds of inspiration, and the students successfully sow them. She said the Department works hand in hand with “our” food industry partners to ensure “our students” meet the academic and skill expectations of the industry.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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First-year students in the Business and Information Administration (BIA) Department are part of the social entrepreneurship movement at CPUT and believe that active citizenship benefits all in society.

As part of their Business Administration subject, they raised R82 000 for the Red Cross Children’s Hospital Trust and Andrew Murray Children’s Home (AMCH)  in Wellington.

The District Six Campus students donated R70 000 to the trust while the Wellington Campus students, who are part of a multi-disciplinary service learning project on their campus, raised R12 000 for the AMCH.

The BIA students have since 2005 raised R500 000 for the Red Cross Children’s Hospital.

Lecturers Belinda Berman and Dr Lyn Kleinveldt together with the students recently celebrated this milestone by handing over the R70 000 cheque to the trust’s Fundraising and Bequest Relationship Officer, Pauline Solomons at the District Six Campus. The cheque was accompanied by donations from The Hadjidakis Group, Scent Pac, Shoprite, Clicks and Lewis Stores.

Last month, first-year Marketing students also handed over a R25 000 cheque to the trust as part of their contribution towards the hospital’s emergency centre upgrades.

The Wellington Campus students and their lecturer Mohamed Badat celebrated their fundraising achievement and the group facilitators handed the R12 000 cheque to AMCH’s Financial Manager, Raymond Driescher for the Bursary and Mentorship Tertiary Education Fund . The AMCH is a child and youth care centre which provides residential care for 150 children between the ages of one to 18, whilst integrating therapeutic and developmental programmes to assist them in reaching their potential.

The fundraising initiative is integrated into the Entrepreneurship unit in the subject, and students are not only taught about the financial aspects of raising funds but also teamwork, conflict management, communication and marketing.

Berman, who is also the subject’s co-ordinator, thanked the students for their efforts in making a difference and helping to save the lives of children.

HoD: BIA, Prof Visvanathan Naicker, emphasised the need for creating a caring society and praised the students for their spirit of giving and taking the time to care for needy children.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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Vice-Chancellor Prof Chris Nhlapo has challenged staff members to scale up excellence and to work with him to take CPUT into the next decade.

Addressing hundreds of staff members at the annual staff welcoming event, Nhlapo made a clarion call for leadership to be manifested across all levels of the institution and for all staff members to contribute to one smart CPUT.

“Your title doesn’t matter, Show leadership in your space. Every single teammate is the CEO of their own entity, their own department, their own unit called their job.”

He said that at last year’s event he remembered feeling that a spirit of regeneration and energy was starting to flow.

Nhlapo highlighted some successes over the past year. These included:

• Securing the District Six Campus with ClearVu fencing
• The instalment of a cutting edge intelligent CCTV system
• The refurbishing of Freedom Square
• The recapitalisation of the fleet
• New state of the art floodlights for the Bellville Stadium.

This year the institution would continue to focus on four areas: maintenance backlogs, student housing, facilities upgrades and consolidation of faculties and departments.

Nhlapo thanked staff for their hard work and introduced new senior management team members who will help to ensure that business continuity in key areas ensues.

“As we enter the new decade there is one particular aspect that I want embraced: excellence. I expect excellence and leadership at every corner. We have to scale up excellence.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Cape Town campus is nestled on the historic slopes of District Six with a bird’s eye view of the city’s most notable landmark - Table Mountain.

The campus is home to the Faculty of Business, which is the institution’s largest faculty, and the Faculty of Informatics and Design. Various courses from the Faculties of Engineering, Applied Sciences, and Health and Wellness Sciences are also offered here.

Cape Town campus boasts a well-stocked academic library, computer labs and a branch of the Disability Unit. A stone-throw away from main campus is the Centre for E-Learning which is home to the Myclassroom Learner Management System.

The heart of all student gatherings is the amphitheater where a number of functions are hosted by the student affairs department. The large student centre offers staff and students various places to eat.

Despite being in the city center, students are amply catered for with parking facilities around campus and those using public transport have the benefit of using the MyCiti service which has a bus stop right outside campus.

Maps and contact details for Cape Town Campus

Written by Marick Hornsveld

CPUT Vice-Chancellor Dr Chris Nhlapo urged first years to take responsibility for their academic future.

Nhlapo was speaking to students and their parents at the annual Welcome event on the District Six campus and stressed the measures that the institution was taking to accommodate students both academically and emotionally.

Apart from the support from the First Year experience programme, which aims to encourage students through the difficult first year, Nhlapo also encouraged them to enjoy the new environments in which they now find themselves.

"Our Wellington campus in the Boland is located in some of the most scenic parts of the city while our Cape Town and Bellville campuses are a short drive from the best beaches and tourist locations," he said.
"Contact your Student Development Officers to join the variety of excursions and outings that are planned through the year. Be sure to take advantage of your time with us."

Nhlapo concluded his address by thanking parents for trusting CPUT with their children's academic future.
"We acknowledge your support and thank you for it."

Written by Lauren Kansley
Tel: +27 21 953 8646
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Liaises with the media and writes press releases about interesting developments at CPUT.

CPUT’s Cape Town campus will officially be renamed District Six campus today.

The event sees the celebration and memorialisation of the rich heritage of District Six and acknowledges the pain that was caused when the then Cape Technikon was built on the site.

It has been 52 years since the neighbourhood was declared a whites only area and the District Six community was forcibly removed using the Group Areas Act of 1950. More than 60 000 people were forcibly removed and relocated to barren outlying areas on the Cape Flats. Shortly afterwards on a portion of this land the Cape Technikon was built to service the technical educational requirements of white students exclusively. In 2001 the National Plan on Higher Education saw the merger of various higher education institutions including the Cape Technikon with Peninsula Technikon. In 2003 the merged institution was renamed the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).

CPUT has acknowledged that the institution unfairly benefitted from the injustices of the past and the renaming of the Cape Town campus is just one step towards a more inclusive working relationship with the displaced District Six community and current residents that has strengthened since 2015.

Appreciating that memorialisation without the support of District Six stakeholders would be pointless. CPUT established a District Six task team that has been working hard to ensure that the reconciliatory gestures by the university are more than just symbolic. As such, the university has formed collaborative partnerships with D6 community organisations like the D6 Six Community Forum, Reunion of Hearts, D6 Homecoming Centre, St Mark’s Anglican Church and Moravian Hills Church, and D6 High Schools, D6 Homecoming Centre, former and past residents, and religious institutions with the aim of creating beneficial projects and initiatives.

Handing back 42 hectares of land to the Department of Rural Affairs and Land Reform was one of these gestures as are a number of genuine efforts to engage in difficult dialogues with the community about their pain and loss. Other efforts include access to bursaries and to CPUT facilities like the Multi-purpose hall and other university spaces on the Cape Town campus.

According to Jacqui Scheepers, Manager of Community Engagement and Work Integrated Learning, “The initiative themed ‘Re-imagining CPUT in District 6’ was conceptualised in 2016 by the Service-Learning and Community Engagement Units to involve staff, students and society in projects which could re-imagine the space and structures on the Cape Town campus as a means to strengthen the relationships between CPUT, District 6 Homecoming Centre; including past and current residents. This initiative stands to benefit the community of D6 who require training, mentorship and support as well as leading to opportunities for students to implement the scholarship of engagement through meaningful projects, including providing research opportunities for postgraduate students. Students and staff from multi-disciplines will work collaboratively with communities to exchange their knowledge and skills”.

Finally we believe that educating our students about the history of the space that they now occupy is a critical component of the sensitisation process.

Written by Lauren Kansley
Tel: +27 21 953 8646
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Liaises with the media and writes press releases about interesting developments at CPUT.

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First-year Business and Information Administration students used their creativity and skills to make a difference in their communities through a project that raised more than R34 000.

The project involved either providing a service or selling a product and the students worked in groups to produce innovative and feasible business ideas that would generate income for a social cause.

Meagon dos Santos, lecturer and subject co-ordinator, said service-learning and community engagement are important components of the curriculum in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences.

The Service-Learning and Community Engagement project are weighted assessments integrated in Business Administration 1.

“The projects allowed the students to apply their entrepreneurial knowledge and abilities in a real-world context. The funds raised from this initiative were donated to two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that provide care and support for vulnerable children and youth: the Leliebloem House Child and Youth Care Centre and the House Andrew Murray Child and Youth Care Centre.”

The District Six Campus students generated R28 000, which was donated to Leliebloem House, and the Wellington Campus students generated R6 500, which was donated to House Andrew Murray.

Dos Santos stated that the project was a rewarding and enriching experience for the students, as they learned valuable lessons about teamwork, problem-solving, communication, and social responsibility. This was evident from one group, The Hangout, who received sponsorship for the use of three pool tables for a week from a company called M-Games. These pool tables were custom-built and placed strategically in the student centre on the District Six campus, which allowed them to generate an income.

Jesse Wannenburg, the team facilitator for this group, stated that the pool tables added a fun and recreational element to their project and it also brought about a sense of teamwork among their group members. Another group, Socks Emporium, which made the most profit, sold socks that they purchased from the popular online store, Shein. Their biggest challenge was keeping up with the demand for their socks and at one point, customers had to be placed on a waiting list.

Dos Santos added that the project had a positive impact on the community, as all the first-year students contributed to the well-being and development of the children and youth at the two NGOs. “It demonstrated the potential and power of service-learning and community engagement as pedagogical tools that can enhance the students’ academic and personal growth.”

Carla Stewart, the Marketing Manager at Leliebloem House, shared the appreciation of the organisation and the children at Leliebloem House and handed artwork created by the children to the Department. She indicated that the funds would contribute greatly toward their Educare Campaign for 2024.

Written by CPUT News
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The Department of Ophthalmic Sciences is excited to announce the opening of its new Eye Clinic, which will offer a range of essential eye care services to CPUT students.

Situated at the Trafalgar Stone Building on the District Six Campus, the clinic is opening its doors to students from today (5 June 2024). The services offered by the new facility will include free vision screenings, comprehensive optometric examinations by qualified optometrists, and affordable spectacles provided by senior Opticianry students.

Head of Department, Angelique Walbrugh, said the Eye Clinic will operate on an appointment basis, ensuring an efficient and organised service. Students can book their appointments here.

The clinic will be open from 10:30 to 15:30 on Mondays and Wednesdays during the academic term.

A formal community launch of the Eye Clinic is scheduled to take place during Eye Care Awareness Month, which runs from 21 September to 17 October this year. This event will highlight the clinic’s role in promoting eye health and providing accessible care to the CPUT community.

Walbrugh said the new clinic will serve as a supervised training facility, offering invaluable practical experience to students.

Opticianry students are required to compile a 120-case patient record as part of their Health Professions Council of South Africa Board requirements.

“The programme includes a buddy system, where junior students are paired with senior students at each station. This system allows senior students to reinforce their skills by teaching them, thereby enhancing their learning experience.

“The Eye Clinic will not only benefit the students receiving care but will also provide critical clinical and professional experience to Opticianry students across all years of study. Increased patient interaction will help these students develop the essential skills needed in the ophthalmic industry, ensuring they are well-prepared for their future careers,” said Walbrugh.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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CPUT recently hosted the 8th ‘multidisciplinary ‘U6 Plus International Conference at District Six Campus and this year’s conference was themed: Research, Innovation and Technology for African Development.

The U6 Plus consortium is a collaboration of more than seven universities: CPUT; Jaramogi Oginga University of Science and Technology, Kenya; Kwara State University, Nigeria; The University of The Gambia; University of Cape Coast, Ghana; University of Ilorin, and University of Abuja, both in Nigeria.

The consortium was launched in 2012 at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria and was established to foster academic linkages and educational collaboration among the six universities. The original name, the U6 consortium, reflected the six founding universities; the consortium has since expanded to encompass more than seven universities and is now known as the U6 Plus.

“The success story has been the establishment of the Herbal Research Centre domiciled at the University of Ilorin,” said its current Director, Prof Learnmore Kambizi. The researchers from member institutions have since published 15 scientific articles on a collaborative basis under the U6 Plus consortium. Member institutions host the U6 Plus International Conference on a rotational basis.

The conference was officially opened by the current Chairperson of the U6 Plus Consortium, Vice-Chancellor Prof Chris Nhlapo. High-quality papers were presented at the conference, with all the subthemes covered. The Local Organising Committee (LOC) was well prepared for a hybrid conference. However, 90% of the papers were presented in person. “There was a lot of interest in this conference from many African universities and the pace that was set by CPUT can propel the U6 Plus Consortium to another level,” said Kambizi.

The conference was a huge success as attested to by all the seven vice-chancellors who made their remarks at the closing ceremony. The active involvement of postgraduate students and emerging researchers was evident which “is a good sign for continuity of the consortium. “Just like other departments at CPUT, the Department of Horticulture was well represented with eight papers presented by postgraduate students,” Kambizi noted.

The unwavering support given to the LOC by Nhlapo and the whole CPUT Executive Management of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology “is highly appreciated”. “This kind of support enabled the successful hosting of the 8th U6 Plus Conference in style. Active involvement of LOC members across all our faculties was very conspicuous and this is commendable,” Kambizi remarks. He added that over 40 full papers were submitted to be published in the proceedings of the first U6 Plus International conference.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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CPUT recently marked a significant milestone with the official launch of the institution’s first high-tech business lounge, highlighting the university’s commitment to innovation and excellence.

Situated at the Hanover Street Residence on the District Six campus, the venue comes equipped with state-of-the-art technology and is envisioned as a hub for networking, innovation and growth, enabling professionals to connect and collaborate.

The lounge features a 24-seater boardroom, a discussion lounge area with all amenities, air-conditioning and a fully customisable furniture arrangement system to accommodate more people when needed. It is located in a quiet corner away from disturbances, ensuring that discussions are held in a business-enabling environment.

The interior design of the lounge was done by alumna, Amore Strauss, a BTech in Interior Design graduate. Strauss has worked for well-known Cape Town interior design businesses and showed a keen interest in giving back to her university.

"At CPUT, we have always strived to push the boundaries of innovation and excellence,” said Business Manager, Johnny Basson, during the official opening.

“Our vision for this lounge is to create a space that embodies these values – a place where business meets comfort, and where technology enhances productivity and collaboration.”

He said the high-tech business lounge is designed to cater to the needs of today’s dynamic professionals, providing a seamless blend of work and relaxation. “Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including high-speed internet and top-notch security, the lounge aims to foster an environment of efficiency and convenience. “

The facility is expected to elevate CPUT's third stream income generation and to create lasting network opportunities beneficial to the institution and its broader community.

Acknowledging the efforts behind the project, Basson extended his thanks to his dedicated team, including project manager, Residence Finance Specialist, Phillip Chibvuri, as well as all partners and departments who played pivotal roles in bringing the vision to life.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Chris Nhlapo unveiled the plaque and cut the ribbon, symbolising the official opening of the venue.

He said the project is in line with international best practice and thanked all role-players who contributed to it.

Chibvuri said, the project was done as part of “a larger scale thinking with the design of our living and learning spaces”.

He said the “residence facelift project” which was launched by the Residence Business Unit, focuses on utilising spaces optimally and incorporating the design element to speak to clients and their wellbeing. “Research has shown that there is a deep connection between interior design and productivity, and this is what we are fostering in our own spaces, particularly the residences. We have long been craving for orange juice but while in an orange tree. The university community should expect more in due course as we intensify our approach to residence services, designs, look and feel as well as sustainability.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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