{"id":42113,"date":"2026-08-25T15:06:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T15:06:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/?p=42113"},"modified":"2026-08-25T16:01:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T16:01:36","slug":"basetsana-2026-brings-bold-conversations-digital-lessons-and-music-to-vut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vut.ac.za\/st\/basetsana-2026-brings-bold-conversations-digital-lessons-and-music-to-vut\/","title":{"rendered":"Basetsana 2026 brings bold conversations, digital lessons and music to VUT"},"content":{"rendered":"

“VUT Basetsana Celebration 2026 combined candid conversations, digital skills, entrepreneurship and live entertainment to empower young women.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

25 August 2026 | Story by: Sadiki Siphiwe and Ntebogeleng Digasu | Picture: Keitumetse Mokgope<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a04 minutes read time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n Media personality and entrepreneur Ms Ayanda Ma-Ngubane Borotho engages with young women on creating safer, kinder and more authentic digital spaces.\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From candid conversations about cyberbullying and online identity to practical masterclasses, entrepreneurial insights and live music, the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) Basetsana Celebration 2026 delivered a lively and engaging Women\u2019s Month programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Held at the Desmond Tutu Great Hall on 22 August 2026, the celebration brought together students, University leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs and well-known media personalities. It also formed part of VUT\u2019s 60th anniversary programme and reflected the ambitions of Strategy 2033+ through its emphasis on innovation, digital transformation, inclusion and techno-entrepreneurship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VUT FM presenter Ms Zinhle Mbali Mashiya set the pace as Programme Director, guiding an event that moved seamlessly between inspiration, serious reflection, practical learning and entertainment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opening the programme, VUT Student Representative Council Legal and Constitutional Affairs Officer Ms Ndzalama Baloyi reminded the young women that they belonged in spaces where the future is being shaped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cInnovation is incomplete when the other half of society is not included,\u201d she said. \u201cTo every young girl present today, you belong here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That call was echoed by Dr Nolutho Mkhumbeni, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences, who challenged young women to become creators of technology rather than merely its consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe want you, as young women, to be creators of innovation,\u201d she said, reminding them that failure should not be feared because it is often \u201ca stepping stone to your success\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Broadcast media professional and motivational speaker Ms Seipati Seoke, popularly known as Twasa, brought warmth, energy and straight-talking advice to the stage. Her keynote encouraged participants to think carefully about the lives and digital identities they are building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStart to think about what the headline of your life will say about you,\u201d she told them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her message was clear: success is not an overnight event, and there is \u201cmagic in the process\u201d. She also cautioned the audience about the lasting consequences of what they share online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe internet doesn\u2019t forget,\u201d she said. \u201cWho you are online is either opening doors for you or closing doors for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her challenge to the young women, \u201cChoose to be digitally smart, not digitally active\u201d, became one of the defining messages of the celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tone shifted as the programme turned to cyberbullying and digital well-being. Led by Ms Bianca Brits, Head of the Department of Student Counselling and Support, the discussion explored the emotional and psychological harm caused by online abuse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contributors unpacked the different forms of cyberbullying, the reasons people behave differently behind screens and the anxiety, fear and loss of confidence that victims may experience. Students were reminded that behind every username and profile picture is a real person.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Career Counsellor Mr Loani Makawa offered a simple response for anyone experiencing online abuse: \u201cSave, block, report.\u201d He stressed that social media should not be feared, but used wisely and safely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Media personality and entrepreneur Ms Ayanda Ma-Ngubane Borotho extended the conversation by encouraging women and girls to help create safer and kinder digital spaces. The student panel then brought the issue closer to home, with participants speaking openly about criticism, confidence and remaining authentic online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crystal, a VUT student, musician, model and entrepreneur, shared how social media had exposed her to negative comments but had also helped grow her business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe first time I marketed it on TikTok, that\u2019s where my clientele spiked,\u201d she said, demonstrating that the same digital platforms that present risks can also open doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The learning continued through smaller masterclasses on confidence, professional online profiles, image-based abuse, online scams and digital safety. Facilitator and Business Coach Ms Amanda Ndiki drew the lessons together during a feedback session in which participants reflected on what they had learnt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the afternoon, Technology Entrepreneur and Business Strategist Ms Reabetswe Molapo shifted the focus towards opportunity, leading conversations about e-commerce and mobile application development. The session encouraged young women to see technology not only as a social space, but also as a pathway to innovation, entrepreneurship and economic independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entrepreneur and media personality Ms Pearl Thusi closed the keynote programme by sharing lessons from her career and discussing how social media can be used strategically to build audiences, partnerships and income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a day of learning and reflection, the celebration ended in fitting style. Ms Mbali Zethu took to the stage with a live band, while Nozuko Rwaxa, popularly known as Ms Cosmo, brought the programme to an energetic close with a DJ set celebrating South African female musical talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basetsana 2026 was not a day of speeches alone. It was a vibrant meeting of ideas, experiences, creativity and ambition. Young women left with practical digital skills, entrepreneurial insights and a powerful reminder that they do not have to wait for the future to include them. They can help create it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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“VUT Basetsana Celebration 2026 combined candid conversations, digital skills, entrepreneurship and live entertainment to empower young women.” 25 August 2026 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":42114,"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-42113","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