The Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships (SIP) Directorate recently hosted high-profile delegations from three esteemed international universities: The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS) from the Netherlands, along with Hainan University and Sanda University from China.

The delegation from Hainan University was here with a clear mandate to establish strong partnerships between the two institutions, focusing on collaborative opportunities for faculty and student exchanges, as well as joint research initiatives in critical areas such as agriculture, food sciences, and engineering.

Sanda University’s objective was unequivocal: to forge an intercollegiate relationship with CPUT, facilitate meaningful student exchanges, and promote research cooperation. Simultaneously, THUAS aimed to solidify collaboration between the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment and explore further opportunities with the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences.

Dr Tasmeera Singh, Manager of International Relations at the SIP Directorate, highlighted the significance of THUAS’s visit, which included productive discussions at Newlands Stadium and plans to actively pursue a joint Erasmus project. The potential for collaboration with both Sanda and Hainan universities is substantial, and follow-up meetings with CPUT academics are already underway to advance these initiatives.

Singh is delighted that there will “be future meaningful collaborations with these partners in the near future”. She continued: “We are extremely positive about the future developments of these visits. We look forward to collaborations in terms of the internationalisation of research and internationalisation of the curriculum.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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The annual CPUT Career Fair moves to the Cape Town campus on Wednesday.

The event was successfully hosted at the Bellville campus last week with an emphasis on the Engineering and Health and Wellness faculties.

Wednesday’s event will be tailored to Business and Informatics and Design students with employers from Amazon, Dimension Data, Absa and Distell exhibiting amongst others.

Co-operative Educations Bronwyn Abrahams says students should treat the Career Fair as the first step of an interview process and urged them to research potential employers and be prepared with a CV.

“Be well dressed, polite and treat it like an interview. You never know, it may lead to a job,” says Abrahams.

“Also keep your options open and don’t be stuck on just wanting to work for one company.”

Around 18 employers are expected to exhibit with officials from the Department of Labour also on hand to answer questions and give advice on CVs.

The event takes place in the Multipurpose Hall.

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 is celebrating the promotion of three Professors positioned within the faculties of Engineering and Informatics and Design.

Recently, CPUT staff members Gary Atkinson-Hope, Theo Haupt and Melius Weideman were promoted to the rank of Full Professor within their respective departments and disciplines, after decades of dedication to their research.

After matriculating, Professor Gary Atkinson-Hope worked in field of electrical engineering for eleven years before realising his affinity to the world of academia. He obtained a Higher Diploma in Electrical Power Engineering and then entered the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers as a Graduate Member as a result of his academic achievements in advanced studies. In 1973 he was appointed as a lecturer at the Cape College for Advanced Technical Education (CCATES). While lecturing over the next few years Prof Atkinson-Hope completed a National Technical Teachers’ Diploma and went on to graduate with a BProc Law degree at the University of South Africa in 1983.

Prof Atkinson-Hope was appointed at the then Cape Technikon as a lecturer in 1989 and by 1993 he had obtained a Master’s qualification. A year later, he became Head of Department of Power Engineering with the vision and mission to develop power systems skills in this important field and to undertake and promote research. Then within a decade, Prof Atkinson-Hope obtained a MSc and a PhD in Electrical Power Engineering and was then promoted to Associate Professor in 2004 and in August 2008 was promoted on merit to Full Professor by CPUT with over 25 years of experience.

Prof Melius Weideman is an HOD: Research Development in the Faculty of Informatics and Design. After spending a number of years in industry, working in electronics and design, he joined the then Cape Technikon in 1984. He graduated with a PhD in Information Science from UCT in 2001, and was appointed as Associate Professor in 2004. Current research interests include website visibility, search engines and usability design, and many of his local and international publications focus on these issues. Prof Weideman manages two websites. One contains information relating to research matters, including funding, and the other supports his about-to-be-published academic book. This second website will also provide free access to relevant full-text academic publications.

During 2007 he was selected from 40 international applicants to become the first Fellow at the Munich University of Applied Sciences, and he spent some months teaching and doing research there in 2008. That year, he also did a series of workshops on invitation at an Austrian University, focussing on Internet and website marketing. Currently, he leads the NRF niche area of FID, and has collaborative links with industry and local and international universities through work and consultation done on improving their websites.

Located within the Faculty of Engineering, Prof Theo Haupt serves as Co-ordinator for the Southern African Built Environment Research Center (SABERC), as well as President for the Association of Schools of Construction of Southern Africa (ASOCSA). Prof Haupt is a Visiting Professor at the University of Johannesburg ’s Department of Construction Management and Joint International Co-ordinator for the CIB TG59 – People in Construction.

Presently, he acts as Editor-in-chief for the Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology (JEDT) and Editor for the Journal of Construction (JOC). Prof Haupt has written for and edited several books, journals and delivered numerous conference papers and lectures both locally and abroad.

The Inaugural Professorial Address of Prof Theo Haupt will take place on 20 November 2008. For more information, contact the Marketing and Communication Department on (021) 959 6286.

By Thando J. Moiloa

Written by CPUT News
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Engineering students and lecturers involved in the building of the Formula 1 racing car that will compete at Silverstone in the UK ­were given a warm send-off recently.

Relatives, friends, and colleagues of the Cape Speed­ Team descended on the International Departures section of the airport to wish the team well for their trip.

Clad in their blue CPUT blazers and matching scarves the team looked every inch the winners they are as they jet off for a three-week trip where they will be participating in the 2012 Formula Student competition in which 110 universities are participating.

“We wish you all the best. We are sure it is going to be good there and hope you are going to do well,” Severus Cerff of the Marketing and Communication Department says.

Speaking on behalf of Vice-Chancellor Prof Vuyisa Mazwi-Tanga, Cerff thanked everybody who was involved.

Anar Daniels, co-host with Reddy D on Good Hope FM, also gave some words of motivation to the team. “Go to London and represent Cape Town and South Africa. It is a huge achievement to be the only university to represent South Africa at such an event. Even if you come back with nothing you are still our ambassadors,” he says amid cheers from the well-wishers.

Chesire’ Adriaan, an engineering student and member of the Cape Speed team says the days before their departure was a big rush.

“We had to get all things done in time for our trip. Our visas, team building exercises, presentations to prepare, and finally packing of the luggage,” he says.

By Thami Nkwanyane

Written by CPUT News
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An academic initiative that started 13 years ago is still benefiting CPUT staff and students well over a decade later.

In 1998 Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic Prof Anthony Staak helped spearhead an initiative to make engineering textbooks more user-friendly for a disadvantaged South African audience.

Under the auspices of the Tertiary Education Linkages Program (TELP), the initiative saw no fewer than 13 titles being published, many of which are still in use today.

Prof Staak explained the significance of the textbooks at a Juta relaunch of the titles held at the Bellville IT centre recently.

“At the time Engineering was, and still is, one of the scarce skills,” he says.

“We faced tremendous challenges and one of the problems was that textbooks, many of which were published abroad, were inappropriate for our students.”

Prof Staak says SA students needed a simpler option with a South African context to help them understand complicated engineering theories.

After collaborating with five other SA Technikons and four US universities the project got under way and ended up being one of the most successful TELP projects ever.

In a second phase of the project the textbooks were supplemented with 7 CD’s which lecturers could use in the classroom- an early example of multi-media use in classrooms.

Juta’s Mthunzi Nxawe urged the gathering of engineering specialists to consider adding to the body of work by publishing their own titles.

CPUT Chemistry lecturer Andre Spies and former staff member Alphonso Hendricks along with Ronald Engelbrecht were given a special commendation for their work on the Physics for Engineering textbook.

By LAUREN KANSLEY

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In another first for a university of technology, the Agrifood Technology Station (ATS) has launched a Jet Cook Steam Infusion Product Development Facility.

A cutting-edge cooking system that is revolutionising the food manufacturing sector, the Jet Cook Steam Infusion plant is the only unit of its kind at a higher education institution in South Africa, and will be used to support small, medium and micro-sized enterprises as well as larger manufacturers in the food sector.

A collaboration between CPUT, the British based manufacturer DCN Norris and its’ local representative Courlander’s Agencies, this fluid processing unit relies on its innovative steam infusion system, cooking up to 500 kilograms of sauces and other products much more efficiently than conventional methods used in industry. It does this by reducing multi-processing stages, such as mixing, heating, pumping and homogenising, into one simple stage.

Director of the ATS, Larry Dolley, says the new facility is a welcome addition to the ATS and will allow them to expand their offering of support services to the food manufacturing sector.

“There is great value in the equipment, including the training of students, running industry trials as well as for SMMEs needing to understand and experience the value of this new technology,” says Dolley.

According to a statement released by DCN Norris, the British based organization that manufactures the Jet Cook Steam Infusion, the device “operates by collapsing steam into the product at high velocity through a specially designed nozzle. As the steam collapses it pulls the product (liquid) through, creating a re-circulating effect (partial vacuum) in the re-circulating pipe.”

Dolley says additional benefits of the system include reduced energy consumption and waste water. It also allows manufacturers to reduce starch and salt content.

The ATS, along with DCN Norris and Courlander’s recently conducted trials across multiple products on the system, to demonstrate its capabilities to the South African food industry. Products produced during the trials ranged from cheese sauce to lasagna filling, custard and minestrone soup.

For more information on the Jet Cook Steam Infusion Product Development Facility and the services provided by the ATS, please contact Larry Dolley at: +27 21 959 6276 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Click here to visit the ATS website.

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.

Just four months into her Radiography undergraduate programme, Prof Izanne Human made a bold career move and opted to pursue a qualification in Environmental Health.

Her decision paid off and more than two decades later, Human’s contribution to the Environmental Health profession has been nationally commended.

The head of the Environmental Health Programme at CPUT, Human was recently awarded a Presidential Award in recognition for her contribution towards the Environmental Health profession.  The award is an initiative of the South African Institute of Environmental Health and is the highest national accolade for professionals in this field.

Attributing her success to her passion for the sector, Human says the profession is all about helping communities.

“Environmental Health is about preventative health. You are enhancing the quality of life through preventative measures,” she says.

Human has experienced all facets of the profession, having held high level positions in government and, over the past decade, built a reputable academic career.She has published extensively, is involved in peer review processes and is also an external moderator for several institutions.  Her expertise is also relied on by institutions in Africa who call on her when they need to revise their academic programmes.

“Academia is very rewarding. There is nothing that makes you feel better than knowing a student obtains success in industry. It makes it all worth the while.”

Human says her career has had many highlights, however, the one that stands out most is when CPUT awarded Dr Selva Mudaly an honorary doctorate in Environmental Health in 2016. The honorary doctorate was the first of its kind to be awarded in this field in South Africa as well as globally, and Human was responsible for authoring his motivation.

“He is the father of Environmental Health and it was such an honour to play a role in honouring him.”

While Human has already achieved so much, she insists that there is still much more to do. She has her sights set on more research projects, networking and establishing international links that will benefit students and CPUT.

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.

Nawahl Razak has a penchant for risk taking.

Known for having run various small businesses during her spare time, Razak, who is a laboratory technician in the Department of Maths and Physics, recently took on her biggest venture and turned a homemade recipe into a business.

Razak is the brains behind the Milk Nut Company, a startup specializing in the manufacture of vegan milk products.

“I started creating milk for myself and then began reading about vegan milk options. The more I read the more recipes I tried,” she says.

Relying on her physics knowledge, Razak perfected her recipes, producing two vegan milk products, one from oats and the other from peanuts. Both products are manufactured using fewer additives and processes, are low in calories, has high amounts of healthy fiber and contains decent amounts of iron and calcium.

With a growing trend of people opting to purchase products directly from local producers, Razak is positive that her products will fill a gap in the market.

“People are supporting small business owners because they want to know exactly what their products are made of,” she says.

Razak is now looking at expanding her product range and is currently being supported by the Agrifood Technology Station, a CPUT based specialized unit that provides a range of innovative services to support small, medium and micro-sized enterprises operating in South Africa’s food sector.

Razak says while it has been an exciting journey, innovation is not easy, neither is running a business.

“It’s up to me to keep pushing and to make a success out of this venture. You have to take a risk and follow it through.”

*To find out more about the product please mail Razak at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

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.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Chris Nhlapo, who recently led the CPUT delegation on their visit to the University of Montpellier, has applauded the “highly successful South African Higher Education and Research week in France”.

The CPUT delegation of eight included Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships, Dr David Phaho,  Faculty of Applied Sciences Dean, Prof Joseph Kioko,  Head of Department: Food Technology, Prof Jessy Van Wyk, researcher at the Centre for Water and Sanitation Research,  Prof Bongani Ncube, Assistant Dean: Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Professor Veruscha Fester, Dean: Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Marshall Sheldon, and Busiswa Luqhide,  Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator in the  Office of the Vice-Chancellor.

CPUT was invited to the event by the French Embassy in South Africa in collaboration with the South African Embassy in France and the National Research Foundation (NRF). The event aimed to reinforce the mutual understanding and knowledge of France's respective academic landscapes and achieve the objective of expanding bilateral scientific and educational cooperation to South African universities.

The CPUT delegation met the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. It has had several engagements with various universities on diverse topics of collaboration and partnerships, namely, Science Po, Toulouse University, University of Paris Saclay, University Paris-Est Creteil, University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and University of Montpellier.

In an interview at Montpellier with Ecom News about the exchanges between the University of Montpellier and South African universities, Nhlapo said: “We are involved in satellite missions, so we have launched several satellites with them in space, and we also had several staff and students’ exchanges.”

Reflecting on the benefit for CPUT, Nhlapo said: “It’s an opportunity for international exposure for our students. If you look at the F’SATI or the French South African Institute of Technology, it has been there for more than 25 years, there are a lot of projects, and we are looking at the sustainability of the model because the model works”.

Nhlapo said all delegations from 23 South African Universities and more than 40 French higher education and research institutions “benefitted immensely”.

The Vice-Chancellor was also impressed by the annual Montpellier Sustainability Global Day during this visit. “The Scientific workshop and panel discussions on various topics related to sustainability were world-class and very high level. This was organised in partnership with University of Montpellier, CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research), IRD (Institute of Research for Development) and CIRAD (Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement).

Nhlapo was impressed by the Brussels conference between the European Union (EU) and Africa, which was aptly themed: Imagining a new Euro-African scientific partnership.  He said the CNRS and the IRD organised this in the framework of the French Presidency of the European Union Council.

“I would also like to thank the NRF for funding this visit, the South African Ambassador in France and the French Ambassador in South Africa for making this once-in-a-lifetime experience possible,” Nhlapo adds.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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In a follow-up engagement on potential collaboration projects, a CPUT delegation recently hosted South African Weather Service (SAWS) delegates at the South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre.

The Executive Director, Dr Jonas Mphepya, led the meteorological service delegation, while Dr David Phaho, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships, led the CPUT delegation.   This was a follow-up from a virtual preliminary engagement, which took place in February 2022, between SAWS, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (FEBE) and Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships (SIP).

In his brief welcoming speech, Phaho expressed the Institution’s eagerness to have an “engaging conversation”, and SIP Director, Prof Judy Peter, provided the background concerning the February engagement. Dr Nelisiwe Maleka, Manager of Research Uptake at SIP, said the engagement aimed to explore potential research collaborations, student development, and skills enhancement training.  All representatives agreed to review the current Memorandum of Agreement and identify possible research collaboration projects. 

Mphepya indicated that the work at SAWS cut across all sectors. Furthermore, SAWS values the input of academics in the South Africa Value Chain, which includes observations, numerical weather prediction, forecast generation, issuing official warnings, tailored services, and business data integration. “There is a need to expand the value chain and strengthen capacity building in meteorology, aviation, and marine,” said Mpheypha. He also highlighted the importance of partnership in the “global front and African countries”. In addition, the Director of the Technology Transfer Office, Dr Revel Iyer, emphasised the importance of translating research solutions to the market and ensuring uptake. 

Potential research collaboration projects identified during the first engagement are:

• Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) to explore the development of genuine Apps for big data
• Use of ICT for experimental learning
• Sensor development (low-cost sensors) and satellite development, where we can conduct collaborations and capacity building.
• A key component of the ocean economy for ocean gathering relates to reacting to and building risk modelling.
• Student development (select three or four career-studentship Masters and Doctoral programmes where they will work and be supported by SAWS)
• Create opportunities for exchange programmes for staff and students

Below are possible areas of collaboration that were explored and consolidated.

SAWS

• Observations/Met Equipment
• Infrastructure/Software Development & Applications
• Weather & climate knowledge value chain
• Training (RTC)
• Product/Services/Research
• Opportunities – Student Opportunities

Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment

• Satellite for weather monitoring and sensor development

Faculty of Applied Sciences

• Marine Sciences, Ocean Economy
• Student development (bottom-up approach from undergraduate to postgraduate)

These should be aligned to CPUT V2030

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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Various departments in the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences have been working in unison to assist schools with a Life Sciences revision programme and plan to continue the good work this year.

The collaborating departments are Emergency Medical Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Somatology, Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences, Ophthalmic Sciences and Dental Technology, and the Centre for Community Engagement and Work Integrated Learning, Service Learning division.

Dr Kareemah Najaar, senior lecturer in the Department of Emergency Medical Sciences, said the pandemic has further disadvantaged many underprivileged matric Life Sciences learners because they cannot access Wi-Fi or smartphones. Thus online remote learning was not an option for them.

She said the development of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) remains a focus area for the country's economic growth.

To support the STEM vision and provide socio-economically disadvantaged students with an opportunity to qualify and apply for science programmes at the tertiary level, Najaar sought to expand inter-departmental collaboration within the faculty.

She said Dr Wendy Solomon (Biomedical Sciences) and Michael Paulse (Somatology) had been integral to this project since 2019.

“We realised that for this community engagement to be more effective within the current climate, inviting our sister departments to join could only amplify and accelerate the vision.”

In August last year, Wynberg High School hosted the Grade 12 learners of Lavender Hill High School.”

Four major topics, selected by the teachers, Nabeelah Israel (Wynberg) and Monia Lewis (Lavender Hill) were revised. A maximum of 15 learners were placed with three tutors.

“121 learners attended the session with an astonishing number of faculty lecturers, postgraduates, and undergraduates available as tutors and facilitators. The tutors diligently provided a safe environment for the students, and consequently, the system's efficiency was remarkable to observe.”

The collaborating departments created an environment where the participating matric learners could still physically attend a Life Science Revision programme while conforming to COVID-19 protocols.

“The Covid-19 ‘friendly’ classroom was designed into a classical horseshoe shape, with desks spaced adequately apart. Thus, The students could engage with the tutors who positioned themselves within the centre of the horseshoe while maintaining a safe social distance.”

Before entering the classroom, a register was taken, all participants’ temperatures were recorded, and their hands were sanitised. In addition, all desks were sanitised before each session and after, and the classrooms remained well-ventilated. It was compulsory to wear a facial mask covering the mouth and nose.

 “This model proves that it is possible to conduct revision programmes for those who do not have access to basic technology such as Wi-Fi and smart devices under COVID-19 conditions. We are excited to run our revision programmes with the 2022 matric students. We are most certainly prepared for the challenges that may have previously limited us, in the past,” said Najaar.

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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To address concerns about how and where to access bursaries and graduate placement programmes, GradStar has created the GradStar app, where recruiters from top companies in South Africa can search for graduates and students to earmark them for current and future programmes.

To this end, students are encouraged to do the following:

• Download the GradStar App on their mobile devices and register (this allows recruiters to see what the students are studying and match them to the correct programmes).
• Enter the DHL GradStar Awards (this process will assist with various workshops and work-readiness assessments and the eventual recognition of the Top 100 students in the country).

“We look forward to welcoming every student and graduate to the GradStar Community, which serves the best interest of our youth, and which is why it is free to all students and graduates,”. Read a statement from the GradStar Team.

After receiving over 8000 entries from students nationwide in 2021, the Gradstar Team selected a CPUT student as a runner-up of the Top Ten Most Employable Students in South Africa.

Third-year Bachelor of Geomatics student in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Simphiwe Ngubane, was selected as a runner-up of the ‘Ten of the Finest’ in the GradStar Awards.

Simphiwe said he was incredibly honoured and privileged by the achievement.

Now in its sixth year, the DHL GradStar Awards recognise the most employable full-time students in the country and is the only programme where thousands of students enter to be recognised by the top employers in the land.

Written by Kwanele Butana

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Vice-Chancellor Prof Chris Nhlapo recently hosted Dr Moncef Meddeb and Vincent Perrier, a delegation from the Embassy of France in South Africa, at the Cape Town Hotel School.

Nhlapo said the purpose of the visit was to strengthen CPUT’s current collaboration partnerships with the French, “taking the lessons learnt from the successful F’SATI (French South African Institute of Technology) and expanding to the North and West of France”.  The Vice-Chancellor said: “We want to strengthen staff and student exchanges… How CPUT will participate in the one-week in-person event in France dedicated to promoting the South African higher education and research landscapes.”

The Embassy of France in South Africa is organising the efforts with all French and South African stakeholders to arrange a one-week in-person event in France devoted to advancing the South African higher education and research landscapes between all involved Higher Education Institutions in France.  “The participation of the South African universities is key for a successful week and to achieve the objective of expanding the bilateral scientific and academic cooperation. All South African universities are invited to express their interests and participate in this week-long event in France, to be held between 27 June 2022 and 2 July 2022,” the French Embassy statement read.

The event will include presentations and discussions to showcase the South African academic landscape and current partnerships and “discuss the existing instruments and some relevant ideas and avenues for future partnerships. All French Higher Education Institutions are invited to attend and contribute to the discussions”.

During the event at the hotel school, Prof Veruscha Fester, Assistant Dean: Research, Technology Innovation and Partnerships, Dr Bongani Ncube and Prof Oscar Philander gave presentations and gave an overview of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment. Meanwhile, Prof Joseph Kioko, Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, with Prof Jessy Van Wyk, Dr Sune Henning, and Prof Maretha Opperman, provided presentations and an overview of the Faculty of Applied Sciences.

Reflecting on the outcomes of the event, Nhlapo said: “It was an excellent meeting with great ideas and possibilities being that of including Applied Sciences (Agrifood Technology Station, Chocolate making etc) and Water Research, especially the newly acquired Research Chair by Dr Ncube from Engineering,” he continued.

“As we normally say, ‘collaborate or collapse, we believe in collapsing the boundaries to collaboration’. It means increasing our footprint in France and consolidating the successful partnership we already have with the French. It also means strengthening and monitoring our current programme with the French.”

After a closed meeting, Nhlapo also revealed some of his agreements with the delegation: "We agreed on several initiatives to strengthen and sustain our relations. We agreed on staff and student exchanges. We also agreed with them assisting us in our recruitment drive for a Research Chair in Nano-Satellite”.

Nhlapo also revealed that the University aims to expand the hotel school, “They [French] are also known for the art of French Gastronomy”. “Ferrandi, at the heart of Paris, is known worldwide in culinary arts and hospitality management. It is, therefore, our intention to strengthen this area for our Hotel School.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

On Thursday 13 January the Cape Peninsula University of Technology is set to launch its third satellite mission into space from the Cape Canaveral launch site in the USA.

The MDASat (Marine Domain Awareness) constellation has two main priorities namely ocean economy and healthcare and has been mandated by the Department of Science and Innovation to enhance South Africa’s ocean’s sovereignty. Operation Phakisa, a fast-track implementation of the National Development Plan, focuses on effective marine domain awareness. The Software Defined Radio payload being used in the mission aims to enhance the security and protection of South African marine resources.

MDASat is CPUT’s third satellite mission and follows on from ZACUBE-1 (TshepisoSat) and ZACUBE-2’s successful development, launch and operation. In the interim, a suite of commercial CubeSat parts have also been developed by CPUT engineers and these will also be in use on the satellites.  

CPUT’s Acting Chief Engineer on the project Nyameko Royi says increased visibility in space by more nations bodes well for all.

“This mission would mark the first constellation of satellites developed and designed in Africa. The more we get people involved in space the better, the more data we extract from space- the better for the world. This is a significant milestone for CPUT and South Africa,” he says.

Dean of the Engineering and Built Environment Faculty at CPUT Prof Marshall Sheldon says the MDASat launch is the latest development in a long timeline of space engineering events at the university, which first began in 2008.

“Each successful development and launch is a paradigm shift away from the traditional space industry norms and we are proud to be at the centre of that. Attracting more undergraduate and postgraduate learners to careers in space science will ensure we can continue celebrating future successes,” she says.   

MDASat Specs

The first three satellites of the MDA constellation will carry an upgraded AIS receiver payload from ZACube-2 and will be capable of the following;

•        Over-the-air upgrades which mean software can be developed and uploaded to the orbiting satellite when ready.
•        Raw data: The payload captures raw data and enhances the opportunity for diagnostic testing on signal interference and decoding messages.
•        Long-Range AIS: These are two specific channels to be used as uplinks for receiving AIS messages by satellite.
•        More effective messaging scheme: The first-generation payload was limited in how it could save data and have it extracted by the ground station. The enhanced data interface will optimize the use of the data transmitter’s bandwidth.

These enhancements pave the way for the future MDASat-2’s development and launch and minimize the risk of damage to the current payload.  

SpaceX, the company founded by SA-born entrepreneur Elon Musk, will be launching the constellation on 13 January 2022 at 17:25 pm (Florida time 10:25 am).

Members of the media and public can watch the launch live using this link www.spacex.com/launches the webcast starts about 10 to 15 minutes before lift-off and ends shortly after payload deployment.

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.

Bellville Campus was abuzz with excitement when about 200 learners from across the Western Cape participated in the first provincial Coding and Robotic Hackathon.

The theme for the event centred around Building a Smart Home for Mrs Sarah Jacobs, an elderly woman who faces daily challenges due to her health conditions. Western Cape Education Department (WCED) Chief Education Specialist Ebrahim Peck said: "You, young innovators are tasked with designing solutions to make her life easier and safer.”

Peck continued: “By designing a smart home for Mrs Jacobs, you are contributing to creating more inclusive and accessible living spaces for everyone. It’s a small step towards a bigger change.”

The Grade 3 and 4 learners tackled unplugged challenges while Grade 7 to 9 learners tackled prototyping smart home solutions. In this high-energy event, learners ideated and formed teams to tackle specific challenges within a constrained timeframe. Partakers leaped into real-world problems, applying their skills to develop innovative solutions. Students from the Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment adjudicated the innovative projects, giving learners the opportunity for exceptional exposure.

Deputy Chief Education Specialist: Coding and Robotics Intermediate Phase: WCED, Ashric Don, said the hackathon had been WCED’s dream since last year to bring the children together in one place to solve real problems. Don said the learners had undergone training before the event.

On the event day, the learners presented their final products to the audience. Peck said the event was about innovation, creativity and collaboration. “This hackathon isn’t just another competition; it’s a chance to solve real-world problems using technology, creativity, and teamwork.”

Don also thanked CPUT for opening its doors to learners, and for exposing learners to a university environment. “We wanted a university to host it, and there is a two-fold effect, because many of our learners have never seen a university and we wanted that experience to be part of the day. They come to the university, walk around this department, see what Engineering is all about, and work with Engineering students who are part of the judges. That is another part of this event being hosted at CPUT.”

He added: “I am grateful to CPUT’s leaders for opening the doors for us, Dr Marco Adonis, Prof Suresh Ramsuroop: Dean: Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment and [CPUT] Education Faculty. I am hopeful that we can take this partnership for further competitions.

Peck encouraged the learners to “take a dive in with enthusiasm”. “Take risks, be bold in your ideas, and most importantly, have fun. Remember this is a day for exploration and innovation. To our parents, teachers and guests, thank you for supporting these incredible learners. Your encouragement and guidance are invaluable”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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In an effort to promote sciences, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation, the STEM Club offered students a platform to exhibit their best research projects to the CPUT community.

This year's category winners are Mzameli Mashiyi, who is developing an African language speech recognition AI (Technology) and Nomava Mgidi, who is addressing unemployment through fashion design (Social Science).

This was part of the annual STEM Expo Competition at SARETEC as part of the National Science Week, where students were given opportunities to upscale their research projects via the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) for possible commercialisation. During this year's Expo Competition, the STEM Club worked closely with the Community Engagement (CE) and Work Integrated Learning (WIL) units. The neighbouring high school learners were also invited to be part of the programme and to view the exhibitions. CE and WIL also conducted a workshop with the learners.

The guest speakers included Jacqueline Scheepers: Manager: Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Unit, Dr Xena Cupido: Fundani CHED director, Dr Mark Jacobs: Maths lecturer, Dr Gillian Arendse: Nuclear Physicist for iThemba Labs), and Ntokozo Mashaba: last year's winner. Dr Frikkie George, who is also CPUT STEM Support Lead, said the lively and animated talk of Dr Arendse “gapped the interest of the attendees”.

George, who also coordinated the event, said they witnessed fewer exhibitors this year but “the quality of the projects was impressive”.

However, the STEM Expo Competition was well attended. “We explore the possibility of accessing funding for the winners to up-scale their projects for commercialisation. This event showcases the CPUT STEM Club's members' research projects, and it may contribute to their academic performance.”

George, who is also the acting Head of Department: Fundani STARS Unit, continued: “This STEM Expo competition will advance the STEM awareness at CPUT and showcase students' research projects in the different departments.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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