“After balancing work, competitive netball and postgraduate studies, Tsakani Mthombeni graduates with a Postgraduate Diploma in Electrical Engineering from VUT.”
07 October 2026 | Story by: Ntebogeleng Digasu | Picture: Sifiso Nomzaza
3 minutes read time.
For years, Ms Tsakani Mthombeni has worn VUT colours with pride on the netball court, representing the University in some of the country’s biggest student sporting competitions. But on 15 September 2026, she celebrated a different kind of victory, one earned through perseverance, sacrifice and determination.
Ms Mthombeni graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Electrical Engineering under the Faculty of Engineering and Technology during the Vaal University of Technology’s Spring Graduation ceremonies.
The achievement marked the successful conclusion of a journey that required her to balance the demands of work, postgraduate studies and competitive sport, often all at the same time.
“It has not been an easy journey because I was working, so balancing the studies and workload was not easy, but I managed,” said Ms Mthombeni.
Like many postgraduate students, she encountered challenges along the way. During her first semester, the pressures of managing work and studies became overwhelming, and she failed one of her modules, delaying her graduation.
For many students, such a setback could have been enough to derail their plans. For Ms Mthombeni, it became a test of resilience.
“I failed one module in the first semester, so I am graduating now. That module had a lot of workload, so for me it was too much,” she explained.
Rather than allowing disappointment to define her journey, she returned determined to succeed, completing the outstanding module and earning the qualification she had worked so hard to achieve.
Away from the lecture room, Ms Mthombeni built an impressive sporting career at VUT. Between 2017 and 2025, she represented the University on the netball court, becoming a familiar face in VUT sport.
Her talent saw her compete in major tournaments, including the University Sport South Africa (USSA) Netball Tournament and the Varsity Netball Cup, while she also represented the Mpumalanga Sunbirds provincial team for two years.
Balancing these sporting commitments with the demands of an engineering qualification required discipline, time management and an unwavering commitment to her goals.
Her journey demonstrates that success is not always about having a smooth path. Sometimes it is about finding the strength to continue when plans change, challenges arise and the finish line seems further away than expected.
Now holding a postgraduate qualification, Ms Mthombeni hopes her story will encourage other students not to give up when they face setbacks of their own.
Her advice is simple:
“Just work hard and go after your dreams,” she said.
As VUT celebrates its Spring Graduation season, Ms Mthombeni’s story serves as a reminder that some of the most meaningful achievements are earned through persistence. Whether on the netball court, in the workplace or in the classroom, she has shown that determination and hard work can turn obstacles into milestones.
For Ms Mthombeni, graduation was not just the end of a qualification. It was the reward for refusing to give up when the journey became difficult, and proof that success often belongs to those who keep moving forward.