Author Archives: Candes Keating

About Candes Keating

Candes is a Communication Officer in the Marketing and Communication Department. She writes stories about general news, research and innovation, and the faculties of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Tel: +27 21 959 6311 Email: keatingc@cput.ac.za

Alumnus joins sports team

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Thanks to a CPUT School Liaison Officer who marketed the university’s courses at Isilimela High School in Langa, Bulelani Mlakalaka opted to pursue a qualification in Sports Management.

Several years after graduating from CPUT, Mlakalaka has no regrets about turning his love for sports into a career.

“This is something that I love and that I enjoy doing,” says Mlakalaka who has been appointed as the Sport Development Officer at the Wellington Campus.

Tasked with developing and overseeing sports at CPUT, Mlakalaka has joined CPUT at an exciting time, as the university prepares to make its debut in the FNB Varsity Shield Cup, a premier inter-university rugby tournament.

Mlakalaka has been playing a key role in the management of the rugby team, which consists of students from the Bellville, Cape Town and Wellington Campuses.

“We have a lot of talent and are hopeful to do well,” he says.

“If we do well in the Varsity Shield, then we will qualify for the Varsity Cup.”

Mlakalaka, who worked at the University of Cape Town before returning to his alma mater, says he is grateful to be part of CPUT at this exciting time and to be able to give back to the university, as well as uncover and develop CPUT’s sporting stars.

Actively involved in sports whilst studying at, Mlakalaka says those years prepared him for the task at hand.

“I know the student’s needs because I was there. I can relate to them,” he says.

 

Tea could save indigenous plants

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A specially formulated mushroom compost tea may just be what’s needed to save indigenous medicinal plants that are facing extinction.

Horticulturist Timothy Jasson, who heads up operations at the CPUT nursery, is currently exploring the effects of compost tea, which is a brew of compost extract and water, on the growth and nutritional value of the Siphonochilus aethiopicus, commonly known as Wild Ginger, and the Hypoxis hemerocallidea, which is referred to as the African Potato/Inkomfe.

The study is important in the South African context as both plant species are sought after for its medicinal properties and is widely used by traditional healers in the treatment of flu, cancer, headaches, asthma and various other ailments, says Jasson.

However, over-harvesting and a lack of cultivation of these medicinal plants to provide additional stocks have seen both plant species listed on the South African National Biodiversity Institute Red List of Threatened Species.

“These plants are extremely valuable and the demand will not decrease. That is why it’s important to find ways to conserve it,” he says.

CONSERVE

Over the past two years Jasson has formulated and experimented with different compost tea brews in order to ascertain if it had any positive impact on these medicinal plants.

To produce the compost tea, compost is brewed in water to extract nutrients, in order to create a biologically rich feed for soil and plants.

“It’s like brewing a cup of tea,” says Jasson.

The finished product is then applied as a soil-drench for seedlings or is either sprayed directly onto plants or soil.

“One can have different formulations of compost tea and each produces a different result because of the nutrient content of that specific compost mixture. For example, mushroom compost tea consists of straw, chicken manure and spent mushroom mycelium extract and will produce a specific result. If I use a leaf waste, cow manure and general soil and brew that, I will get a different result,” he says.

RESULTS

Initial results of the study show that there are advantages to using mushroom compost tea in the cultivation of these medicinal plants. Advantages include an improvement in plant growth as a result of improving nutrient retention in the soil as well as protecting plant surfaces.

The study uncovered potential anti-oxidant activity in both medicinal plants, as a result of compost tea extract being stored in the bulb structures underground.

“Compost tea is linked to organic farming, where organic farmers/ growers attempt to reduce the reliance and cut out chemical fertilizers and their application in general commercial farming operations. Although genetic modification of plants can increase the yield, it can also in some cases reduce the nutrients. Organic farming attempts to create a complete seasonal organic sustainable nutrient cycle, with crops vs animals vs soil requirements vs harvest. This cycle restarts with direct seed sowing or planting for the new season”

Jasson says the Wild Ginger and African Potato plants are a complex species and more research in this area is needed.

New appointment in sports department

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Martin Koch’s career has come full circle.

Decades ago, Koch started out as a lecturer in sport management, then moved on to various management positions in the private sector and has now returned to the sports industry, with his appointment as the Senior Sports Development Coordinator at the Bellville Campus.

“I always wanted to move back into sport and when I got this opportunity, I took it,” says Koch.

Koch began his career as an academic at Technikon Witwatersrand and later moved on to the University of Johannesburg, where he lectured sports management. From there he took the leap into the private education sector where he worked as a turnaround specialist, taking poor performing colleges and bringing them up to standard.

However, Koch, who has a BCom qualification in Sports Management, says sport is his passion and his goal at this stage of his career is to uncover sporting talents at CPUT and provide these students with a platform to achieve their goals.

Koch says sport is an integral part of university life, as it provides students with the opportunity to develop new sets of skills, such as leadership and maintain a balanced lifestyle.

However, Koch says to achieve sporting goals at a university, good sports management is crucial.

“It is our job as sport managers to make sport stars shine. I’m here to service the students and make sure they reach their goals.”

 

CPUT boosts Operation Phakisa efforts

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The Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) has strategically aligned its research activities to ensure that its applied research efforts produce tangible benefits in response to social and economic challenges in South Africa and beyond.

One example of this is CPUT’s contribution to Operation Phakisa, a South African Government initiative which will see the development of the country’s oceans economy.

To support this bold initiative, CPUT has entered into a five-year agreement with the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), which will see the institutions partner in the development of new technologies in support of marine protection and governance, research related to the marine economy, capacity building, work integrated learning opportunities, and seminars.

The establishment of a Cape Town School/ Centre of Competence in Technical Oceanography has also been earmarked.

The university’s commitment to support the government in advancing the oceans economy has been commended by the DEA.

“CPUT has aligned its operations with that of the government and we commend you for that,” says Nosipho Ngcaba, the Director General of the DEA.

In addition to the agreement, CPUT has harnessed its research, technology and innovation efforts from across various disciplines to create a multi-disciplinary team of experts from its Faculties of Applied Sciences, Business and Management Sciences, and Engineering.

  • These experts will explore the following areas:
  • Nanosatellite Engineering
  • Oceans Monitoring and Governance
  • Adaptronics Engineering
  • Economic Impact Analysis and Modelling
  • Climate Change

This multidisciplinary team will form part of the Oceans Economy Research Niche Area at CPUT as part of the Centre for Sustainable Oceans Economy, which is headed by the Research Chair in Oceans Economy.

CPUT Deputy-Vice Chancellor for Research, Technology-Innovation and Partnerships, Dr Chris Nhlapo says these combined activities will contribute to growing the country’s oceans economy.

“It is an innovative and pioneering approach to translate our research and innovation results into deliverables and thus unlocking the economic potential of the South African oceans,” says Nhlapo.

 

Accessibility first

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Thanks to an innovative lift solution, students and staff members living with disabilities will have improved access to the Bellville Campus library.

Earlier this month, the Library launched its new lift, which was installed over the winter break.

Library Branch Manager, Regina Sikhosana, says previously students and staff shared the goods lift used by library staff members.

“Now they will have access to a dedicated lift,” says Sikhosana, who along with her colleagues, Dr Mike Moll and Elvira Lottering drove the project, with the assistance of the Disability Unit.

Installed by the company Jessen, the lift is an innovative solution to addressing accessibility.

Unlike traditional lifts that come with a high price tag, the lift is cost-effective and easy to install. It features its own lift shaft, thus there is no need for major excavation work and the construction of a costly concrete lift shaft.

Managing Director of Jessen, Martin Jessen, says conventional lifts take up to two months to install, whereas fitment for these types of lifts are completed within two weeks.

The lift is also easy on the eye, featuring glass and steel panels. It is also easy to use, providing users with access to a range of automated features.

Director of CPUT Libraries, Dr Elisha Chiware, says accessibility is important at CPUT and that they are pleased that the Library is now accessible to all students as well as staff.

Chiware also thanked the university’s Executive Management for supporting this project.

A similar lift will be installed later this year at the Granger Bay Campus.

 

Summer school zooms in on renewable energy

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Hard work has paid off for the top five performing BTech Mechanical Engineering students, who recently got an opportunity to attend a summer school at the Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences in Germany.

Sponsored by DAAD, the German Academic Exchange Service, the summer school focused on renewable energy and saw students from Germany, Jordan and Namibia participate in the two-week long event.

Trishana Rama, Mulalo Raphalalani, Sthembiso Ngema, Busiswa Jantjies and James Genis, who were accompanied by lecturer, Simphiwe Nqabisa, says it was a life-time opportunity.

Nqabisa, who was also selected to present a lecture at the summer school, says the main aim of the summer school was to discuss the effects of greenhouse gases, air pollution and climate effects of fossil fuel combustion.

“Furthermore we had to look into our countries’ commitment and time frames to reduce the production of greenhouse gases by shifting to other means of energy generation such as Wind, PV and CPV.”

He says it was a good learning experience for the students, who were exposed to Germany’s successful renewable energy sector.

Trishana says the summer school was an eye-opener and helped her to better understand how renewable energy can address South Africa’s energy crisis.

“The summer school gave us a broader look into renewable energy and how engineering can be used to advance South Africa,” says Trishana.

Mulalo says the highlights of the trip for the group were the various visits to biomass plants, while Sthembiso says the trip reaffirmed his career choice.

“I believe this is the field that I want to focus on in order to make a change in South Africa,” says Sthembiso

 

 

 

 

 

Lifetime opportunity for postgraduate students

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Students Afikile Kamana and Stoto Mzwanele have landed a lifetime opportunity that will set them up for a career in the dairy industry.

The duo, who recently completed their BTech qualifications in the Department of Food Science and Technology, have been hand-picked to participate in I2FA, an international training programme in France.

An initiative of the Lactalis Group (a multi-national dairy products corporation) in partnership with Parmalat South Africa, I2FA is a fully sponsored MSc program which qualifies graduates to work in a French company in their home country while also acquiring a new language and culture.

Afikile and Stoto have been in France since February and have already conquered the first leg of the programme.

“We have both been immersed in learning French culture and the language, and since February we have been enrolled at the Centre International d’Études Francaise . We will commence with our studies at ESA ( Ecole Supéreure D’Agriculture) during the autumn semester month in September,” says Afikile.

He says they are both grateful for this opportunity, which will not only see them acquire a master’s qualification, but also employment at a reputable company in South Africa.

“I consider this experience as a stepping stone or a platform towards seeing my future endeavors and goals become a success,” he says.

Stoto says he is looking forward to commencing with the MSC programme, which will be co-supervised by Prof Jessy van Wyk, head of the Department of Food Science and Technology.

Stoto says the MSC programme is based on a work-integrated learning module, and over a two year period they will be required to work at a company and attend class.

* The program is managed by Groupe ESA Angers, a major institution of higher education in the field of Life Sciences in France.

 

 

Read your favourite publication online

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CPUT staff and students now have online access to 5 500 local and international newspapers and magazines.

Earlier this month, the CPUT libraries added PressReader to their online database of service providers.

PressReader is the world’s largest database of online newspapers and magazines and currently there are over 8 400 PressReader hotspots where access is sponsored by businesses, libraries, airlines, cruise liners and hotels.

Marketing Librarian Hillary Hartle says PressReader is a popular digital database that is currently being used by a number of higher education institutions.

Currently PressReader provides access to 157 of South Africa’s most popular newspapers and magazines.

Hartle says the website is easy to navigate and can be customized by users choosing sections of their favourite publications or following others.

The app can be downloaded from Google Play Store or the PressReader website.CPUT staff and students can access PressReader via the CPUT website using their CPUT log on details. Once logged in, users have various options, from accessing their favourite local newspapers to international magazines.

 

To access PressReader see:

http://www.pressreader.com/catalog/south-africa

To access a quick guide on how to make use of PressReader see:

https://care.pressreader.com/hc/en-us/articles/202547739-Quick-Start-Guide

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dental technology innovation showcase

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Everyone has the potential to innovate.

The BTech Dental Technology class recently proved that thinking out of the box is doable.

Annually the class is tasked by their lecturer, Abduraghman Latief, to design and construct a cost effective machine that plays a crucial role in the day to day activities of dental technologist.

This year the class, who teamed up in groups, came up with several innovative devices, with some having the potential to be patented.

Student Jodi Kock and his team manufactured a steaming device they named “Extreme Steam” from basic materials, including a metal box and parts of a cappuccino machine.

Jodi explains that a steam cleaner is a practical devise that can be used at all stages during the manufacture of a dental appliance.

However, he says many dental technologists still rely on using a sterilized bristle brush to clean the models or  dental appliances during the manufacturing process.

“Whenever a dental appliance is finished, you have to boil it off  to remove the wax residue. This is where our device comes in to play,” he says.

“An affordable  steam cleaner is very practical because it is easy to use.”

Chantal Isaacs, Buyani Masala and Santino Orso put their ideas together and manufactured a cost-effective smart polish electrolytic bath, using basic materials such as glass and a standard timer.

The machine is used to polish dental applications and relies on an electro-chemical process to get the job done.

Currently machines that perform this task retail for up to R20 000, but the trio’s device cost just over a R 1000 to construct.

Monique van der Merwe and her team opted to recreate a cost-effective version of an electroplating machine that is used to gold plate  as well as polish certain  dental appliances, such as cobalt chrome.

“By introducing new and innovative ideas and concepts to existing ideas, we can improve on the manner in which we produce dental prosthesis,” says Monique.

Thierry Bazire and his team introduced a Bunsen burner using the process of electrolysis to convert H2O into Hydrogen and Oxygen molecules which produces a hot flame.

Latief says he is impressed with this year’s projects.

“I think every year the level increases,” he says.

Latief says it’s important for students in this industry to be aware of innovation and technology and the role it can play in improving their services to patients.

He says such projects also broadens students’ horizons and stirs their interest in research.

 

 

 

 

Accessing safe drinking water

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Are the right measures being put in place to ensure you have access to safe drinking water?

This is the question environmental health expert Mike Agenbag hopes to answer as he pursues his doctoral studies.

A lecturer in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Studies, Agenbag is set to explore domestic water governance and how it contributes to preventative public health outcomes in order to reduce the associated disease burden for South Africa.

With more than 20 years of industry experience, Agenbag’s research topic was inspired by a project he undertook back in 2006, whilst working as an environmental health manager at a rural municipality.

The project saw him conduct a survey in a specific region in South Africa in order to ascertain if the proper legislations were in place and if the right measures were being followed in the process of monitoring the quality of drinking water.

“I found that the legislation was in place, however fragmented, and implementation of the water quality monitoring was done in silos,” he says.

The study also found that the important role environmental health practitioners play in domestic water governance at municipal level was being overlooked, and therefore not integrated for appropriate public health prevention interventions by government.

Although the Department of Water Affairs is the custodian of water in South Africa, Agenbag says through legislation they have established water service authorities and water services providers for the physical implementation of water at municipal level.

Agenbag says the Department of Health is responsible for health, therefore the role of environmental health to monitor water quality to ensure the prevention of ill health at its origin.

Government has also introduced the Blue Drop System (BDS), as an incentive and monitoring scheme that encourages municipalities to improve the quality and availability of domestic water in the areas they are responsible for.

“However, the BDS focusses on water systems that does not cover all communities, in particular in rural communities that are significantly still exposed to unprotected water sources,” he says.

Agenbag says it is vital that municipal health services are aligned to the legislation that has been set by Water Affairs, to ensure the proper governance of domestic water.

“I hope that this study will lead to a legislative change and a model for integrating water quality management,” he says.