One of the top achievers in the Faculty of Applied Sciences at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), Simphiwe Luthuli sees himself running a Shipping and Logistics company one day. The ambitious Luthuli graduated Cum Laude for his Diploma in Shipping and Logistics at the 2023 DUT Spring Graduation held at the Olive Convention Centre, Durban on Monday, 18 September 2023.

The 23-year-old young man from Thokozani location in Pietermaritzburg was honoured and proud of himself when his academic excellence was highlighted on the graduation stage.

He remembered his first day at DUT in 2019 when he enrolled for his Diploma in Shipping and Logistics. “I still clearly recall how anxious and excited I was on my first day. I was eager to learn new things and meet new people. As I advanced, I faced numerous difficulties, like adjusting to a new environment, transitioning from high school to a postsecondary institution, and figuring out how to efficiently manage my time. Despite these difficulties, I persisted in my commitment to learning and kept putting up the effort necessary to get decent scores,” shared Luthuli.

He was ecstatic when he heard he obtained Cum Laude for his diploma. He felt this might open doors for him when seeking employment since he believes his academic achievement proves his strong work ethic and commitment.

Luthuli said his family was excited and proud when they realised that he was amongst the top achievers in his faculty. He indicated that his mother is also hopeful that this achievement would open doors of opportunities for him and afford him a great chance to find employment in his field and be able to support his family.

Sharing his future plans, Luthuli said: “My ultimate goal is to join a successful company, obtain valuable experience in the same industry, and eventually launch my own business in this field.”

His advice to first-year students in his field is to be diligent, intelligent, and detail-oriented.

Pictured: Simphiwe Luthuli.

Simangele Zuma