The renowned South African business leader, Dr Sipho Nkosi has joined the list of Durban University of Technology (DUT) Honorary Doctorate recipients. The Faculty of Management Sciences at DUT awarded him with an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Management Sciences in Business Administration at the closing ceremony of the 2025 Spring Graduation, held at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban on Friday, 19 September 2025.
In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of Talent 10 Holdings (PTY) Ltd, Dr Nkosi said the great honour bestowed upon him by the DUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Thandwa Mthembu was not only an acknowledgement of his journey, but it was also a celebration of his values of hard work, perseverance, and a commitment to service.
“By this, I am truly humbled and reminded that recognition carries with it a greater responsibility to continue serving with purpose and integrity. I accept this honour on behalf of all those who walked with me; my beloved family, who have been my anchor and constant source of love. My dedicated colleagues who stood with me in both triumphs and trials. My visionary business partners, who shared in the risks and rewards of building something greater than ourselves; and my wise and generous mentors, whose guidance lit the path when the road was unclear,” said Dr Nkosi.
Addressing the adaptive graduates who were honoured to share the graduation stage with him, Dr Nkosi said they were proof that perseverance and dedication yield great reward. He indicated that the qualifications they obtained were a call to action, a reminder that they were now custodians of knowledge, equipped with tools that could solve real problems.
“Do not measure your success only by wealth or titles, but by the difference you make in the lives of others. Whether you become an entrepreneur, a leader in corporate South Africa, a public servant, or an innovator, make it your mission to create value, uplift communities, and inspire those who come after you,” advised Dr Nkosi.
He revealed that his own journey has been marked by challenges and opportunities, coming from humble beginnings where resources were limited but dreams were abundant.
“When I entered the world of business, I did not only see numbers and transactions. I saw people, young men and women yearning for opportunity, families hoping for dignity, communities longing for transformation. I saw the faces behind the statistics, the potential behind the challenges, and the dreams behind the risks. It was this vision, the lives that could be changed and the communities that could be uplifted, that became my driving force, pushing me to succeed not only for personal gain alone, but for a greater purpose that could touch the lives of many,”
In closing, Dr Nkosi he accepted the honorary doctorate as a challenge to continue giving back. He aims for to serve as a reminder that his greatest calling is to inspire, to empower, and to serve.
Sharing his last address at the DUT 2025 Spring Graduation ceremony was the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Management Sciences at DUT, Professor Fulufhelo Netswera. He shared his excitement on getting the opportunity to deliver his address in the presence of Dr Nkosi. His address urged all graduates to encompass DUT’s ENVISION2030 strategy to be creative, innovative, entrepreneurial and adaptive to the changes in the world.
“We hope that your creativity inspired by Project-Based Learning (PBL) approaches will unleash your unparalleled adaptivity as you resolve yours and South Africa’s problems,” he said.
The culmination of the DUT 2025 Spring Graduation ceremony was followed by the honorary celebratory dinner for renowned businessman, Dr Sipho Nkosi at the Southern Sun Hotel in North Beach. Dr Nkosi, who is the recipient of the Honorary Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Management Sciences in Business Administration was given the prestigious dinner in order to not only mark his exceptional contribution to the South African mining industry, but to also celebrate DUT excellence and its adaptive graduates.
Imparting his encouraging ‘pearls of wisdom’ to the honorary Dr Nkosi was the DUT Registrar, Dr Maditsane Nkonoane
“As an honorary graduate of this university, I welcome you as an honorary convocate, also given your profile in business leadership we at DUT also invite you to find some time to mentor some of our convocation who are quite skilled but still wet behind the ears; however, they are very eager and serious to lead,” he said.
Sharing his remarks was the DUT Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Thandwa Mthembu, who indicated that 59% of the adaptive graduates at the DUT 2025 Spring Graduation ceremonies were females and that with the experience of Dr Nkosi has in the field of business, he hopes he can address the challenges of the male students in order to build up their numbers, going forward.
In closing, Prof Mthembu thanked the various stakeholders and the DUT community for making the event a success. He further shared that they look forward to Dr Nkosi utilising his passion and experience to support the university’s entrepreneurial education in line with ENVISION2030’s statement of intent of developing ‘entrepreneurial and adaptive graduates.’
Dr Nkosi pledged his support to the university, commending it for its bold vision of becoming a trailblazer and to lead in the areas of research, innovation and technology.
Pictured: Renowned South African business leader, Dr Sipho Nkosi accepting his honorary doctorate from DUT.
Photographer: S’bonelo Dlamini.
Simangele Zuma/Waheeda Peters
