CPUT students have donated a R25 000 cheque to assist with renovations and redesign of the Red Cross Children’s Hospital.

The first-year Marketing students raised the funds during the Department’s Market Day earlier this year, which saw them sell various types of foods and beverages on the District Six Campus.

The students were divided into groups to execute the project and the following groups excelled and were awarded certificates: The Red Cross Warriors group raised the most funds, the Utopia won the Best Creative Stall, while the Thrifts and Treats walked away with Creative Branding Concept and Sugar Babies the Best Creative Writing Skills.

Departmental Head Mandy Jones said the project is one of CPUT’s Community Engagement pillar as it provides the students with opportunities to collaborate with both the society and sponsors.

Jones congratulated the students for their contribution towards the aims of the Red Cross Children’s Hospital and emphasised the importance of their contribution to society.

Lecturer Tania Pietersen said that the Market Day Project was born out of the subject, Personal Selling, as an ideal opportunity for students to sell products.

Pietersen added that the initiative gave the students a chance to apply the knowledge obtained in class as they used social media to promote what they were selling and that knowledge acquired from quite a few subjects was integrated into the project.

During the Cheque Handover/Award Ceremony’s event recently held at District Campus, Pauline Solomons, Fundraising & Bequest Relationship Officer at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital Trust, conveyed “sincere appreciation” for the work done by the students in contributing towards the upgrade of the hospital’s Emergency Centre.

Solomons invited the students to visit the oldest children’s hospital in the country, which is situated near Rondebosch, since they were now its shareholders.

Lecturer and the Project’s co-ordinator, Lawrence Mandhlazi, advised the students that when hiring employers are not just looking for a brilliant student, but also consider students’ community engagement activities. He added that the students were awarded marks for their work in the project.    

Written by Kwanele Butana
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A second-year Marketing student is off to a good career start after winning a competition to name a new product being sold by Cape Town-based company, Pet Savvy.

The product is a hanging pillow and hammock for cats to relax in, and the name ‘Catchelor Pad’ dreamt up by Keagon Isaacs got a unanimous nod from judges.

The Marketing Department, represented by HOD Mandy Jones and senior Lecturer Rodney Duffett, embarked on a joint initiative with the company’s owner, Ingrid Williams, who briefed the students about the product in August.

The second-year and BTech Marketing students were required to develop a name for the product.

NEWLY-NAMED:  The stacked hanging pillows and hammock for cats to relax in which was recently named ‘Catchelor Pad’ by a CPUT Marketing student

After a lengthy and difficult evaluation process of over 400 entries, the names that made it into the final shortlist were; Kitty Siesta Pad, Purrfect Kitty Hangout Zone, Cat Nap Sack, Kitty Couture, Catastic Hammock, Crash Pad, Cat-a-lies, The Cat Nap Sack, Catchelor Pad, Cat Napper, The Cat Crib, Cat Lala Land.

Keagon received a cash prize from the company.

‘Cat Lala Land’ (developed by Someleze Tapu) and ‘Kitty Couture’ (by Loué de Beer) were a close second and third.

Williams says the adjudicating panel included professional marketers and pet owners. She added that while some panellists liked the names which came second or third, they were unanimous in their praise of the name ‘Catchelor Pad’.

Written by Kwanele Butana
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The Faculty of Business and Management Sciences recently hosted a delegation from Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in Germany and agreed to exchange students and staff.

The delegation comprised of Prof Daniel Michelis, Bachelor's Degree Programme Manager of International Business Studies, and Anand Jayakrishnan, MBA International Trade Co-ordinator at Anhalt’s Economics Faculty.

The delegates had meetings with the HoD: Marketing, Mandy Jones, and HoD: Management and Project Management, Angela Buys to discuss future collaboration between Anhalt University and the departments.

They also met with the students and staff who will be visiting Anhalt University of Applied Sciences on exchange programs in September.

Students got the opportunity to ask questions regarding what to expect while in Germany, how to prepare for the snow and about German life in general.

The students will be in Germany for three months and the staff member for two weeks.

The faculty’s Associate Dean Ivan van der Heever, who oversees the faculty’s International Exchange Programme says CPUT and Anhalt University have a longstanding relationship.

“Anhalt University was one of the first universities with which the faculty formed partnerships many years ago,” he says.

During their two-day visit, the delegates were hosted by the faculty’s International Exchanges Co-ordinator, Nizaam Peck, whogave his guests a taste of cape town via a campus tour and a visit to the popular Eastern Bazaar for lunch.

In this semester the faculty has received 28 students who come from universities in Austria, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

Written by Kwanele Butana

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