Eastern Cape learners experienced true hospitality at CPUT’s Hotel School when they recently visited Cape Town as part of an educational tour.

The 60 Grade 12 learners from Dudumayo Senior Secondary School near Umthatha not only enjoyed the culinary skills of CPUT students but were also given a tour of the impressive facilities at the Granger Bay Campus.

Lecturer in the Business Faculty’s Graduate Centre for Management and Co-ordinator for the Faculty’s extended academic programme, Mbuso Tshaka, arranged for the learners to visit the institution after receiving a request from the Dudumayo school teachers.

Tshaka said: “It takes a lot of courage and hard work for an underprivileged Eastern Cape school to afford a tour of such a long distance; as far as I know the furthest most Eastern Cape schools can go is East London”.

“As a representative of the University, I saw an opportunity to create a platform to host these students at the hotel school as this is an opportunity to expose ourselves as the future institution of their choice,” she said.

The group heard presentations on the career options available at the university from Thandokazi Mtshekisa, a CPUT Student Recruitment Officer; Douglas Dyers, a representative of Maritime Studies and Luke Van Rensburg, Marketing and Functions Coordinator at the Hotel School.  Each learner also received a complimentary educational gift pack with CPUT brochures, detailing all courses on offer.

BACK IN THE CLASSROOM: Though they may be out of the school environment, the Dudumayo learners listen to a presentation of CPUT's courses by Ms Mtshekisa as part of their four-day education tour.

Mtshekisa, who also hails from the Eastern Cape, said she enjoyed interacting with the learners as she could relate to the experiences.  A CPUT alumnus, Mtshekisa, said she was glad to be able to expose the learners to the educational opportunities at the university.

“It's always good to make a difference,” she said.

Dyers concurred, saying it was a perfect opportunity to showcase how one can improve your circumstances through furthering your education, despite your background.

Tshaka was also positive about the outcomes of the visit.

 “I can't thank everyone who assisted with this visit and for taking time out to welcome the school. I am convinced the information given to them has made a difference, as they plan to make the right academic choices for their future,” she said.

By: Thando Moiloa

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In its commitment to produce business leaders who lead from the front, the CPUT Faculty of Business recently showcased some of its exciting courses and qualifications.

The Graduate Centre for Management announced during a breakfast session attended by guests and industry experts that it offers the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply’s (CIPS) Foundation Diploma Modules and a short course in Supply Chain Management.

CPUT is a registered international CIPS Study and Assessment Centre offering either standalone modules or as part of the CIPS internationally-recognized qualifications. The modules are credit bearing toward the soon-to-be registered CPUT Supply Chain Management Professional Degree.

The course targets employees who work in the supply chain environment or those who want a deeper understanding of the subject.

The faculty also hosted an Information Indaba where it showcased the dual Masters qualifications which are offered in conjunction with a German university. The M Tech Business Information Systems (CPUT) and Masters of Business Systems (Hochschule Wismar University) course is an innovative programme designed to address the needs of 21st century business.

Germany’s Consulate General Roland Herrmann briefed the guests on a variety of partnerships between Germany and South Africa that are based on the bilateral agreement signed by both countries in 1996.    

Western Cape MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Alan Winde thanked Herrmann and commended the Germans for having good partnerships in South Africa.

For more information on these courses and applicable fees, contact the Graduate Centre for Management’s Ms Beryl Liebetrau on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

By Kwanele Butana

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CPUT’s Graduate Centre for Management (GCM) recently held its 2009 Certificate Ceremonies at the Barkly Davies Building on Mowbray Campus.

On 24 November 2009, 159 students’ hard work paid off when they received certificates for completing four different courses at the Somerset Square Campus.

The courses included Certificate in Management Practice, Public Management, Secretarial and Administrative Practice and Travel and Tourism.

Carly Steyn, representing Daan de Goede, Head of Department of the GCM within the Faculty of Business, delivered the welcoming speech.

Addressing the students, she said: “A Certificate Award Ceremony of this nature reminds us of the value and importance of education and privilege of a tertiary education.

“You have now all the benefits and exposure to higher education and we trust that you will continue your studies, as and when you are able, and we hope to welcome you back to CPUT.”

Bukelwa Mbalane who works for the City of Cape Town as a Health and Safety Training Coordinator and is also a CPUT alumnus was the guest speaker.

Mbalane studied her BTech: Business Administration at CPUT after completing a four-year nursing qualification.

Mbalane said: “Don’t take what you have achieved today for granted. Take it from me; you will make it out there in life. You must always be positive.

“Studying here helped me to be where I am today. I have a middle-management position and I am able to implement policies when needs be. On top of that, I sit in strategic planning meetings and they give me a chance to put into practice what I have learnt here.”

Four students were recognised as top achievers from four different courses.

Dudley Davids scooped the award for Certificate: Management Practice while Neo Poss was awarded the Certificate: Public Management.

Nosiviwe Plam was awarded the Certificate: Secretarial and Administrative Practice and Angela Pan walked away with an award for Certificate: Travel and Tourism Management.

Schalk van der Merwe, acting Dean at the Faculty of Business, delivered his congratulatory message and said: “I congratulate you all on your achievements. I trust that CPUT has given you a firm grasp and a good understanding of the knowledge and hard work that is required to succeed.”

Encouraging the students to always striving for excellence, Van der Merwe said nothing worthwhile in life comes cheap. “Be proud of what you have achieved and CPUT is also proud of you,” said Van der Merwe.

The GCM Certificate Programmes have been operating since 2004. For each course, students are required to finish five subjects in order to graduate at the end of the year.

GCM is introducing a new course next year titled Certificate in Applied Accounting.

One of the lecturers at GCM, Mbuso Tshaka, said: “2009 has been a very good year as we had brilliant students. They were highly committed and always had an imagination of things to the extent that they have arrived to this day.

“Our aim is to open a second stream of student recruitment within the Faculty of Business as that helps the students to get first time qualification in a form of a certificate in which we prepare them for the world of work.”

On 10 December 2009 GCM held another Certificate Award Ceremony, where 245 students were granted certificates.

The students received certificates for completing Assessor Training, End-user Computing, Event Coordination, Event Management, Even Organising Principles, Introduction to Project Management 1, Project Management 1, Public Relations 1, Tourist Guiding, Train the Trainer and Single Residential Property courses.

By Andiswa Dantile

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The challenges faced by middle managers is being demystified thanks to a short business course offered by CPUT.

Hosted by the Graduate Centre for Management (GCM), the two-day Principles of Leadership workshop was recently offered to 55 members of the City of Cape Town’s Health Directorate.

Senior Lecturer Dr Carly Steyn and international trainer Marc Vlietstra put delegates through a number of real life scenarios to help them learn best practice principals and develop their own management style.

“The exercises are very practical so we do a lot of role play and interaction,” says Dr Steyn.

“That’s the best way to learn.”

Vlietstra says middle managers the world over face similar predicaments like struggling with their own leadership styles.

“This course helps identify different leadership styles and how to select your own,” he says.

“It also teaches you to be flexible with your style once you’ve identified it.”

The course is available to any company interested in hosting it for staff.

Contact Beryl Liebetrau at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information on the GCM or this course.

By LAUREN KANSLEY

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Graduate Centre for Management recently handed over certificates to hundreds of staff from the City of Cape Town and Extended Public Works.

Addressing the ceremony at the Bellville campus yesterday the City’s Executive Mayor Patricia de Lille says the best way to build a well-run city is maximizing the potential of city staff through effective training and development.

“We understand that if we invest in the people who work for the City, we are investing in service delivery, and in the provision of more opportunities for more of our people,” De Lille told the audience.

CPUT was awarded the tender to provide accredited Adult Education and Training to City staff with the objective of developing their communication, budget management, diversity management and decision-making skills.

“Today, 243 staff members have completed this training,” De Lille explained.

“This year it was decided that 216 EPWP (Expanded Public Works Programme) workers would also be afforded the opportunity to receive this training.”

Dean of the Faculty of Business, Prof Mzikayise Binza says CPUT has provided the city staff with knowledge that will contribute to their future success and advancement in the workplace.

“You have proven your ability to learn and dedicate yourselves and your time, to the achievement of a goal in your life,” he says.

Beryl Liebetrau, Acting Head of the Graduate Centre for Management, says it was a privilege to work with the city staff.

Written by Kwanele Butana
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In order to thrive in this era of ever-changing digital technology, business organisations require leaders who are independent thinkers, self-confident, innovative, creative and results-oriented.  

This kind of phenomenon is termed e-leadership.

This view was shared by Dr Michael Twum-Darko, Academic Head of Postgraduate Research at the Graduate Centre for Management, during the Digital Transformation Talk hosted recently by the CPUT-based Centre for Enterprise Resource Planning in Africa (CERPiA).

Dr Twum-Darko said that in addition to e-leadership technical infrastructure and enterprise architecture were also required.

He added that people need to appreciate that, while business content has not changed over the last couple of years, the context of doing business has evolved. He argued that digital technology and the internet of things are now being used to integrate business process and office automation with industrial processes and factory automation and that this is a convergence towards the establishment of cyber-production systems.

CERPiA manager Jerry Ansen said the Centre trains academics from Africa to train others in the SAP software programme. “Our task is to reach out to African universities so that they can skill and train their students.”

The Centre has since 2012 trained more than 6 000 graduates, 575 lecturers and professors in Africa.

Students in the Human Resources Management Department who recently completed the SAP training were awarded certificates during the event. Ansen added that the graduates, who were nominated to participate in the training by their department, all obtained distinctions during the assessment.

Aqeela Dawood, one of the graduates, said the SAP certificate has opened many doors in industry for them as they have been equipped to handle all the business processes pertaining to HR management.

Advancement director Calvin Maseko thanked Investec for funding the training of the graduates.

Written by Kwanele Butana
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Head of the Centre for Business Innovation and Incubation (BiiC) and Acting Head of the Graduate Centre for Management (GCM), Prof Michael Twum-Darko has been appointed as one of the lead strategic partners for the Africa Tourism Innovation Hub (ATIH).

The Hub is one of the key outcomes of the 2022 Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit and Challenge, hosted by the Namibian Government under the leadership of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT).

Pioneered by the Africa Tourism Partners (ATP), the ATIH is a physical and virtual hub established in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Durban University of Technology, Namibia University of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism (Namibia) and Cornell University. “As a pan-African initiative, the hub has evolved as a key outcome and implementable project of the Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit and Challenge. This initiative, which commenced in Durban, South Africa, in 2019, has since been hosted in various African nations, including Rwanda, Ghana, and Namibia,” said Twum-Darko. He said the main goal of the ATIH is to further technological innovation among start-ups within Africa's travel and tourism sector, drive youth employability, and stimulate tourism entrepreneurship development.

Twum-Darko who established the BiiC in 2019, said he felt “honoured to have become one of the lead strategic partners and Director of ATIH to contribute to operationalise the hub’s operations as to tangibly mainstream its programmes. He will be presenting the master plan of the Hub to the 2024 Africa Youth in Tourism Innovation Summit and Challenge in Windhoek, Namibia from 29 May to 1 June 2024.

Written by CPUT News
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.