“VUT celebrates 30 graduates of the ICT SMME Cell Phone Repair industry programme, empowering youth with digital and entrepreneurial skills for the future.“
03 November 2025 | Story: Thabisang Thebeeapelo | Photo: Peter Masela
2 minutes read time.
On 30 October 2025, the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) E-Skills Department, in partnership with the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT), the National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (NEMISA), and Human Capital Learning Solutions (HCLS), hosted the ICT Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMME) Certificate Ceremony at the Desmond Tutu Great Hall.
The ceremony celebrated the achievements of 30 young certificate recipients, most of them from VUT, who successfully completed the Cell Phone Repair Programme, a transformative initiative designed to equip youth with vital digital and entrepreneurial competencies. Seventeen graduates attended in person to receive their certificates, their sense of pride tangible as they crossed the stage.
Serving as Programme Director, Mr Darryl Lund, Project Manager for Short Learning Programmes and Skills Development Provision (E-Skills), congratulated the graduates on their perseverance and urged them to remain curious and adaptable in South Africa’s fast-evolving digital economy.
In her welcoming address, Ms Antoinette Lombard, Director of the Northern Cape and Southern Gauteng E-Skills Collaborative Laboratory (CoLab), highlighted the CoLab’s mission to skill, upskill and reskill citizens for active participation in the digital economy. Visibly moved, she commended the newly established SMMEs and certificate recipients for their resilience and reminded them that such initiatives bridge the digital divide while fostering youth empowerment through technology.
Delivering a message of encouragement, Mr Cello Gardner, Executive Manager at NEMISA, reminded the recipients that technical ability alone is not enough. He encouraged them to uphold the human values instilled by their parents, greeting others, showing respect, and conducting themselves with integrity, for it is character, he said, that sustains success.
The event’s emotional core came from two graduates who have already transformed their training into thriving enterprises. Mr Molefi Frans Nonyane, founder of Top Gs’ Tech, said, “This initiative has changed our lives, not only teaching us how to repair cell phones, but how to think like entrepreneurs.” Mr Sifiso Nhlapo, owner of The Tech Repair Hub, echoed this: “I hope this programme continues to give other young people the same chance we’ve had, to gain skills and start their own businesses.”
Delivering the congratulatory message, Mr Mlungisi Mthimunye, Chief Director at DCDT, applauded the SMMEs and reminded them that their certificates mark the beginning of a larger journey towards innovation, independence and economic contribution.
Closing the ceremony, Mr Wikus van der Merwe of HCLS extended gratitude to all partners, facilitators and participants whose collaboration made the initiative a success.
The event underscored VUT’s enduring commitment to digital empowerment, technical education and entrepreneurship, nurturing a generation ready to build South Africa’s inclusive, technology driven future.
“Changing lives…. One broken cell phone at a time”