{"id":35484,"date":"2026-04-22T11:27:35","date_gmt":"2026-04-22T11:27:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/?p=35484"},"modified":"2026-05-14T13:06:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T13:06:22","slug":"driven-to-solve-ms-siphokazi-hombani-earns-a-masters-in-mechanical-engineering-at-vut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/nso\/driven-to-solve-ms-siphokazi-hombani-earns-a-masters-in-mechanical-engineering-at-vut\/","title":{"rendered":"Driven to solve: Ms Siphokazi Hombani earns a master\u2019s in mechanical engineering at VUT"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Siphokazi Hombani earns a master\u2019s in mechanical engineering at VUT, advancing oil water separation research through innovation, resilience, and discipline.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

21 April 2026 | Story by: Tshepang Kganye | Picture: Sifiso Nomzaza<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 minutes read time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Driven<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For Ms Siphokazi Hombani, graduating with a master\u2019s degree in mechanical engineering is more than an academic milestone. It is the culmination of long hours, quiet perseverance, and an unwavering belief that every problem carries within it the possibility of a solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Originally from East London in the Eastern Cape, she approached her postgraduate journey with a clear sense of purpose. Engineering, for her, has always been about more than theory. It is about understanding how things work, identifying what is not working, and finding ways to make them better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This mindset shaped her research, titled Optimisation of Integrated Membrane Feedstream to Improve Membrane Performance during Oil Water Separation. At its core, her work reflects a commitment to solving real-world challenges through careful analysis and innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her journey, however, was not without its weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stepping into postgraduate study brought moments of uncertainty and pressure, where the demands of research felt both intense and unrelenting. During these times, support became essential. She worked closely with her supervisor, Professor Peter Sob, alongside co-supervisors Professor Thomas Tengen and Professor Alfayo Alugongo, whose guidance helped her remain focused and steadily build her confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, beyond academic support, much of her strength came from within.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were days when exhaustion set in, when progress felt slow, and when the path ahead seemed unclear. Still, she continued. Discipline became her anchor, and faith her<\/p>\n\n\n\n

source of renewal. Through prayer, she found the strength to rise again, to return to her work with clarity and determination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflecting on her journey, Ms Hombani offers simple but powerful advice to those just beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSpend thirty minutes or one hour in your books every day. Engineering requires you to analyse and understand problems,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also speaks to the importance of balance, recognising that the mind cannot function at its best without care for the body. Exercise and personal well-being, she believes, are essential in sustaining focus and motivation over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her achievement stands as a reminder that success in engineering is not reserved for the naturally gifted alone. It is built through consistency, resilience, and the willingness to keep going, even when the journey becomes difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ms Hombani\u2019s story is one of quiet strength. It reflects a student who chose not to be overwhelmed by complexity, but to engage with it, patiently and persistently, until solutions began to emerge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In doing so, she not only earns her degree, but affirms a deeper truth: that progress, in engineering and in life, belongs to those who are prepared to endure, to believe, and to keep solving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catch the full experience on Flickr <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Siphokazi Hombani earns a master\u2019s in mechanical engineering at VUT, advancing oil water separation research through innovation, resilience, and discipline.” […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":35566,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[47,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news-vaal-university-of-technology","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t