The 23-year-old Mandisa Visagie from Mpumalanga, Wakkerstroom, has achieved a remarkable milestone by graduating with Cum Laude with her Bachelor’s Degree in Information and Communications Technology at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) 2025 Autumn Graduation ceremony. She walked the stage during the Faculty of Accounting session, held at the Olive Convention Centre on Saturday, 24 May 2025.

Visagie’s academic journey was shaped by her values of integrity, respect, and accountability. She believes that knowing oneself and having respect for oneself and others is crucial for personal growth and development. During her gap year, Visagie took the time to learn more about herself and understand where she stands for as an individual.

“You learn to respect others and also be willing to learn from others. You become teachable and can be reprimanded because of the respect of the person you are becoming,” she explained.

Just like other students, Visagie faced challenges such as managing her time effectively and balancing academics with extracurricular activities, which sometimes led to self-doubt. However, she received mentorship from both her lecturers and fellow students, which helped her navigate the challenges of university life.

Although Information and Communications Technology was not Visagie’s chosen field of study, she has grown and learned a lot from it. She is now pursuing her Honours Degree, aiming to contribute to the body of knowledge by researching and finding ways to tackle the challenges faced by the communities.

Her advice to first-year students is to always ask and learn as much as they can. She emphasised the importance of being teachable and willing to learn from others. Her favourite quote, “Day by day, what you choose, what you think and what you do is who you become” by Heraclitus, serves as a reminder of the importance of making conscious choices and taking responsibility for one’s actions.

Pictured: Mandisa Visagie

Photographer: S’bonelo Dlamini

Thubelihle Dumakude