DaVinci’s 2021 Master’s alumnus Chantal Balla’s remarkability is magnetic. She is a natural problem solver, with a keen interest for making substantial improvements where she co-creates. “My late parents whom I have dedicated my study to, your blood runs through my veins and your memory will always be alive in my heart forever.” | This is our recent Q&A engagement with Chantal, to find out more about her journey at DaVinci | Please give us a brief overview of your career to date. My short-term insurance career spans over 19 years and encompasses experience in personal, commercial, corporate and the public sector spheres. Being promoted to a management position in 2005 has exposed me to all facets of business operations. Furthermore, I am a qualified Accounting and Business Management teacher by profession, coupled with an associate degree qualification in the short-term insurance industry. I have a…
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Refilwe Moreetsi, who is one of our BCom graduates from the class of 2021, is a Senior First Officer at South African Airways (SAA). A fascinating woman, Refilwe is such an inspiration, and she exudes remarkability about her. | In this recent catch-up, Refilwe shares her love of taking to the orbit and how this aviation passion was realised | It is a journey of a young woman, whose passion for flying began at the tender age of seven, when she got the opportunity to take her first commercial flight to Durban, with her parents. Refilwe Moreetsi explains that she “got the opportunity to visit the flightdeck after landing. It was a memorable experience, and I knew then that I wanted to become a pilot.” Even in explaining this story, Refilwe’s passion can be felt, as she describes how intriguing her first flight was because it was something unique,…
Don’t underestimate or relegate those that are academic to ‘just academia’, writes Raymond Toga – DaVinci Programme Coordinator and Doctoral Candidate The writer is of the notion that it should be considered that not every researcher is destined for academia. In fact, with a combination of Mode 2 knowledge production ushered in the 4th Industrial Revolution and is still relevant as we go into the 5th Industrial Revolution, coupled with the double helix Innovation system that establishes a mutually beneficial relationship between academia and industry, there is indeed evidence that the academics who are developed in this type of learning environment (such as the one we have at The DaVinci Business School) are able to utilise their knowledge in situated contexts and enhance business performance in many cases. This is because this type of knowledge production ensures a focus on the creation of knowledge that is transdisciplinary in nature,…
Dr Dzingai Katsamba, Dean: Innovation and Technology, reflects on overcoming the fear factor and views such as a human barrier to innovation… With all the pandemics, economic hardships and the rapid changes in technological growth and implementation – concerns about failure, criticism, and career impact have been holding back many people from embracing innovation. Thus, the discussions below outlines some of the ways to create a culture that accounts for the human side of innovation. There is a story that I read about Alex Honnold. The story says that about five years ago, Alex Honnold ascended and braved the sheer face of the 3,000-foot El Capitan escarpment alone and with no ropes, and he was the only known person to have achieved such a great feat. Great skill and discipline were key to Honnold, but he is also endowed with a special brain. It was proven through an…
The tt100 Business Innovation Awards Programme’s project manager, Victor Litshani, unpacks all things related to this awards programme and shares some of his experiences related to the brand’s journey. | This is our recent Q&A with Victor… Please provide us with an overview of your journey with tt100 and what this business innovation awards programme means to you. When I first joined tt100 in 2018, the programme’s reach on the participation of entrants largely came from the South African metros, and with not much reach outside of South Africa. Therefore, throughout my journey with the organisation so far, I have seen growth in reach across all nine (9) provinces, with organisations emerging from rural to urban areas joining to participate, and with tt100 expanding outside of South Africa. What do you enjoy most about working with the tt100 business innovation awards programme? The impact the awards programme…
POSITION TITLE – Business Developer Overview As the Business Developer, you will be responsible for developing and diversifying business within The Institute, in order to increase revenue and to guarantee the growth and sustainability of the business. This includes securing new business, managing ongoing relationships including renewal of contracts with an aim of growing income generated by, amongst others, short courses and customised interventions. Responsibilities for this role are as follows: · developing and executing growth strategies and plans · managing and retaining relationships with existing clients · increasing client base (corporate and individual enrolments) · having an in-depth knowledge of business products and value proposition · writing business proposals · negotiating with stakeholders · identifying and mapping business strengths and customer needs · carry out sales forecasts and analysis and present findings · researching business opportunities and viable income streams – including new markets, growth areas, trends, clients and…
POSITION TITLE – DEAN OF FACULTY: MANAGEMENT OF PEOPLE AND SYSTEMS The Da Vinci Institute is seeking an outstanding leader for the position of Dean of Faculty: Management of People and Systems, whose responsibility will be to lead the Faculty into the future by building on a strong reputation as a local, national and international leader in the management of people and systems. The Dean of Faculty: Management of People and Systems is accountable for leading various role players (clusters, academic departments, staff and students) at The Institute, in the management of people and systems with fit for purpose solutions to facilitate an agile and aligned workforce within a systemic thinking context. The intent is to strengthen The Institute’s position to develop the nation and address some of South Africa’s socio-economic challenges, with alignment to the National Development Plan (NDP) and the United Nation’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) through…
Banele Moabi is one of The Da Vinci Institute’s remarkable students, currently completing a Higher Certificate in the Management of Technology and Innovation with electives in New Venture Creation. We sat down with Banele to engage with him, get some insights and share some of his hopes for the future. Here is what he had to say… Tell us about yourself and your background. My name is Banele Moabi, and I come from Katlehong. I am 36 years old and completed my matric in 2004 at Alafang high school. After matriculation, I studied sound engineering in the year 2005 at Sound of sounds (Braamfontein). Thereafter, I became a Dj in my neighbourhood of Katlehong. Over time, fancying a different challenge, I started searching for other job opportunities (unrelated to music). How did you hear about The Da Vinci Institute? It was in 2020 when a childhood friend…
Professor Paul Singh, Academic & Supervisor at The Da Vinci Institute, shares his thoughts on plagiarism and shares some tips to avoiding it… The magical words of the famous author, J.K. Rowling are so applicable to all students and researchers, especially regarding acknowledging their sources when submitting assignments and research: “There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction. The moment you are old enough to take the wheel, the responsibility lies with you”. What is plagiarism? Simply put, plagiarism is taking someone else’s work, ideas, thoughts, pictures, charts, music, graphics, videos, etc.) and passing it off as your own. There is too much information on almost any topic available electronically, and many students feel tempted to cut and paste content without acknowledging the source. This usually happens when students refer to the internet, blogs, websites, movies, or any other media. Sometimes…
Dear Students Student Representative Council – Nominees Required It is time to nominate your preferred candidate to stand for the period 01 March 2022 to 28 Feb 2023. The successful candidates will serve on the Da Vinci governance structures. The criteria for eligibility, according to policy are as follows: – Be registered for a Da Vinci undergraduate or postgraduate qualification during the year of nomination – Be available to attend regularly scheduled meetings of the governing bodies and any other required meetings – Be in good standing in terms of study fees and academic performance at the time of nomination and during the term of office – Has not been found guilty by a duly authorised body of The Institute for violation of the student Code of Conduct or any other rules and regulations of The Institute. Kindly make your nomination below on or before Monday, 31 January 2022. Nominee…………………………………………………………………………………………….. Email to Orpa@davinci.ac.za Voting will…