Juggling the responsibilities of being the Organisations and Accommodation Officer at the SRC did not falter Nduduzo Miya from his academic path of completing his BTech in Tourism Management and graduating on 10 May 2018 at the Durban University of Technology (DUT).

The 23-year-old Miya, who is entrusted by DUT students to serve their interest, is ecstatic to have reached this point which had its ups and downs. “To reach such a point in my life makes me feel better about myself as an individual and appreciate various people and institutions that contributed immensely in order for me to earmark such an achievement as a turning point in my life at large,” he said.

The dynamic Miya was determined to enroll at a University in order to to obtain a tertiary qualification but due to lack of funding, things did not go as planned.
“When I had enrolled in 2014 for my National Diploma in Tourism Management, I faced various challenges which became intense when I had lost my little sister, Noluthando Nyuswa, through tragic circumstances, in June the same year. It happened a day I was suppose to write my Tourism Development test which was so important that I had failed it. While in grief, I had to try to stay focused. Somehow, through hard work and dedication, I managed to pass at the end of the year and reach the final year, through self-determination,” he said.

His advice to prospective Tourism students is to enroll for the course and aim to find new ways to address the societal issues that can be resolved through the tourism industry. They should be willing learn more about the industry and ways in which they can provide the society with better opportunities for the alleviation of economic crises such as poverty.

Miya also feels very honoured and appreciated for having contributed to the academic progress and the excellence of the University. “Being regarded by the University as their successful story makes me value that all my hard work and dedication to the betterment of myself, academically, has finally been recognised,” he said.
Miya aims, going forward, to complete his Post-Doctoral studies and contribute to the body of knowledge in the Tourism industry, and share his research through lecturing at a University level.

Pictured: Nduduzo Miya

Waheeda Peters