From day one of his studies, Sonwabise Mtirara committed himself to performing at his absolute best. His commitment has paid off for him as he was recognised as one of the top achievers in his class. He graduated Cum Laude for his Diploma in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Business Analysis at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) 2025 Autumn Graduation Ceremony at the Olive Convention Centre on Monday, 26 May 2025.
Mtirara (24) from Centane in the Eastern Cape was among the top performing students of the Faculty of Accounting and Informatics who were honoured for their academic excellence.
For Mtirara obtaining his first qualification has brought him profound satisfaction, especially knowing he has successfully completed what he set out to achieve, and did so ‘in style’.
“I look towards the future with strong self-belief and faith, confident in my abilities, skills, and personal attributes. Moving forward, my focus is firmly on continuous learning and upskilling to prepare myself for the workplace and personal development. I plan to actively learn from experienced individuals in my desired field and leverage the insights from communities I’ve joined that align with my future goals, absorbing as much knowledge as I can to build my career,” shared Mtirara.
Speaking about his DUT journey, Mtirara said it began in 2022 when he was given an offer to study towards his first qualification. He indicated that from day one, he committed himself to perform to the best of his ability, which facilitated a smooth adaptation to his course demands.
“Early in my first semester, a group assignment led to the formation of invaluable friendships. We discovered a shared ambition to succeed, fostering an environment of mutual motivation, healthy competition, and constant support. This camaraderie was a cornerstone of my DUT experience; knowing I had peers who shared my goals and determination made the journey through second and third year significantly less daunting and ultimately more rewarding because I wasn’t alone,” reiterated Mtirara.
Throughout his time at DUT, Mtirara said several core values and principles from the ENVISION2030 Living Values Framework became central to his approach. He strongly associated with honesty, as be believed it required him to constantly self-assess his efforts and performance truthfully. He said accountability was also vital, not only in fulfilling his responsibilities within group projects across all semesters but also in holding himself accountable for achieving the personal goals he set for his studies.
In terms of principles, he shared professionalism was paramount in his interactions, from meeting deadlines and using formal communication like proper email etiquette, to respecting peers and lecturers. He indicated that his journey itself speaks to commitment, as seeing his diploma through to completion required sustained dedication. Lastly, Mtirara believes the pursuit of excellence drove him to consistently strive to do his best, an effort reflected in achieving his qualification with Cum Laude.
His academic journey was not without its obstacles. A major challenge he faced was securing funding. He shared that he studied for his first two years without funding, which meant he could not see his final examination marks and was able to see only his coursework results.
“While stressful, this situation motivated me to be absolutely certain about my understanding and performance in assessments. Another challenge was mastering time management; I often created study schedules but struggled to adhere to them, as I was more accustomed to improvising. Linked to this was overcoming procrastination, the tendency to delay tasks for less productive activities. Finally, especially during my first year, I had to build the confidence to ask questions when I was unsure about coursework, rather than skipping over difficult topics,” added Mtirara.
He is currently enrolled and studying for the Advanced Diploma in Information and Communications Technology at DUT. His primary focus is on gaining valuable industry experience within the ICT sector.
Pictured: Sonwabise Mtirara.
Photographer: S’bonelo Dlamini
Simangele Zuma
