Striving for academic excellence is Mrs Nompumelelo Chili, a Technician in the Department of Electrical Power Engineering at the Durban University of Technology. She graduated Cum Laude for her Degree of Master of Engineering in Electronic and Computer Engineering at the 2025 DUT Autumn Graduation at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban on Tuesday, 27 May 2025.
For Chili (38) from KwaSwayimane in Pietermaritzburg, her academic journey was driven by her deep love for learning and oddly enough, the type of pressure that comes with it. The title of her dissertation is: Performance Analysis of Precoding Schemes for Massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) Systems. The study focuses on assessing the efficacy of various precoding strategies in the presence of channel inference estimation errors and explores their impact on critical performance metrics.
“Graduating Cum Laude for my Master’s in Engineering was an incredible personal and professional achievement. The road was rocky, filled with lots of figuring out and sleepless nights, but I survived. This achievement was a testament to the dedication, discipline, and hard work I’ve consistently applied throughout my postgraduate journey, especially while managing the demands of family life, academic commitments, and my responsibilities as a technician,” shared Chili.
She hopes her achievement will serve as motivation for others, especially young professionals and female students in engineering, showing that excellence is attainable through commitment and perseverance. She believes achieving Cum Laude did not only validate her academic efforts but also strengthened her credibility as a contributor to both teaching and research in the engineering field.
Chili became part of the DUT community in 2005 when she enrolled for the for the National Diploma in Electronic and Computer Engineering (Light Current).
“The programme gave me a solid foundation in electronics, digital and analogue circuits, as well as technical troubleshooting. It was during this time that I developed a strong passion for hands-on work and problem-solving in engineering settings. In 2011, I furthered my studies by pursuing a Bachelor of Technology (BTech) degree in Electrical Engineering, specialising in Telecommunications. A few years later in 2018, I chose to return to DUT to pursue a Master of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering, specialising in Wireless Communications,” explained Chili.
During her Master’s journey, in 2023, she was appointed as a Technician, where she currently supports the academic team through laboratory setup, maintenance of electrical and renewable energy equipment, providing assistance during practicals, and ensuring health and safety compliance.
“Over time, I have also taken on broader responsibilities, including coordinating departmental events, engaging in community outreach, and contributing to innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives. My time at DUT has been both professionally and personally enriching, and I remain committed to supporting the growth and success of students, colleagues, and the department at large,” she added.
Amongst the DUT values and principles, Chili resonates with integrity because she believes being honest, accountable and ethical in all her actions forms the foundation of trust, whether it’s with students, colleagues, or external partners. Chili feels with integrity, respect and professionalism tends to align naturally.
Sharing a major challenged she faced in her master’s journey, Chili said: “I was assigned around six different supervisors throughout my Master of Engineering studies. This created uncertainty and made it difficult to maintain direction. However, through resilience, determination, a positive mindset, and unwavering faith in God, I was able to overcome these obstacles and ultimately graduate Cum Laude.”
Chili revealed that she had always been passionate about technology and problem-solving, and engineering offered the perfect combination of both. She was particularly drawn to the idea of using innovation to create practical solutions that can improve lives. She plans to further her studies as she is committed to lifelong learning and continuously improving both her technical expertise and academic knowledge.
“Advancing my studies will not only enhance my ability to contribute meaningfully to my department and students, but it will also position me to take on greater responsibilities in research, innovation, and curriculum development. Further studies will also allow me to deepen my understanding in areas I’m passionate about (wireless communications, signal processing and Energy harvesting from space), contribute to scholarly publications, and ultimately support the ENVISION2030,” remarked Chili, who wants to contribute to the advancement of engineering in South Africa and beyond.
She expressed gratitude to her family, supervisor, co-supervisor, friends, and colleagues for their unwavering support and encouragement. She said they became her pillar of strength during moments she felt like giving up. She also sent appreciation to the Space Science Centre for financial support.
Pictured: Mrs Nompumelelo Chili, a Technician in the Department of Electrical Power Engineering graduated Cum Laude for her Degree of Master of Engineering in Electronic and Computer Engineering.
Photographer: S’bonelo Dlamini
Simangele Zuma
