Nogqili Nondumo was just two modules away from graduating at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) with a BCom degree when she was forced to drop out.

Her mom had fallen ill, and the family found itself in financial difficulty.

That was many years ago. Today, she is the proud owner of a successful mobile cellphone repair service and offers clients social media management as well, after being unemployed for a long time.

Now too, her influence in the ICT space has earned her a place on the advisory council of a Harvard Journal.

The UWC Co-Lab for Digital Inclusion and its partners, the Vaal University of Technology (VUT), non-profit National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (Nemisa), the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies and Human Capital Learning Solutions (HCLS) made it all possible.

On Wednesday, 21 August 2024, Nondumo, 45, of Parklands, was one of 24 graduates who received certificates at a ceremony at the Co-Lab after participating in a cellphone repair programme she described as life-changing.

It was an arduous application process and she couldn’t believe it when she made the cut.

“Our journey is a true testament to how the ICT industry has transformed the globe. We applied from the comfort of our homes, a taxi or in church on smartphones that we can now repair,” she said.

“This is a serious business. It has changed our lives. It is the realisation that the ICT industry and we are part of shaping the globe.”

Dr Leona Craffert of UWC’s Colab reminded the graduates that this was just the beginning. “It’s not the training only but also the support afterwards that really matters,” she said.

Antoinette Lombard, Director of SLP & Skills Development Provision at VUT, told the graduates – many of whom have already started their repair businesses: “Size is not a measure of success. People are important. You don’t build a business, you build people.

“Don’t expect success immediately, set personal milestones rather and make time for yourself. Create a routine but be flexible to opportunities. Reward yourself for milestones achieved. I hope that what we’ve achieved has a focus on changing lives.”

Nico Gibson, an ICT consultant of HCLS, told the graduates: “Being a business owner is not for sissies. It will be a big challenge but it is most rewarding to work for yourself. There will be doubt and financial challenges. But resilience is the key that will pull together your talent, skills and knowledge. Don’t let fear or doubt stop you.”

Nondumo has vowed her journey won’t end here. Her mobile cellphone repair business and social media management service are just the beginning.

She wants to make a real impact in the ICT sector, and her first step will be to come back to UWC to complete her BCom degree.

“The skills we received here are more than just about cellphone repairs, but how to make a living. We have learnt from this that we can participate in the ICT industry.”

LISTEN: Ngoqili Nondumo speaks about the cellphone repair programme she took part in at UWC