With my marketing background I get to think like a Marketing Campaign Manager which allows me deliver content that will exceeds clients’ expectations. I get to also suggest ideas for the campaign that will yield more return on investment for the brands that I work with because of the marketing knowledge I have gained in my years of studying and most importantly I get to exercise my work ethic that I have gained from studying within the department of Marketing at the Vaal University of Technology. The qualification is more than a paper of confirmation that I have completed a course but something that I can use for my personal and community benefit.

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm”.  These are wise words I have always kept in mind when dealing with my studies.

My name is Khanyisa Malungana and I am a proud Advanced Marketing Management student currently registered at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) for the 2021 academic year. My experience with the department of Marketing, Retail Business & Sport Management has been life changing. Looking back from my first year to now where I am completing a postgraduate qualification, I have grown so much as an individual. The quality of education I have received empowered me to be the person that I am today. I am more than a student with a Diploma qualification but a leader in my own right. The university afforded me the opportunity to equip my leadership skills from the lecture rooms to the campus corridors and I am confident that the very same skills sharpened at the university will open doors for me in the corporate world.

I have been exposed to so many things that keep on adding value into my education and widens my perspective on things. From the seminars and events hosted on campus and now online, I can boldly say the VUT goes above and beyond to educate its students and that the learning does not end or stop in the lecture rooms. I am now more aware of issues that impact our society from Gender based violence to rape. The university teaches us to speak more on issues that are deemed as ‘taboo’ in society which makes us advocates or activists on these issues and as a result we become the change we want to see in the world. I am learning new lessons and unlearning unsavoury prejudices.

The department of Marketing, Retail Business & Sport Management has a complement of lecturers that really care for their students. Even with the advent of the COVID19 pandemic in early 2020 when we were thrown into a remote teaching and learning format, the lectures presented remained intimate and engaging, which allows for lecturers to spot talent and mentor us accordingly. In addition, the department applies a teaching format that instils in the students a level of confidence where they can share their opinions and take part in academic conversations in a respectful manner. I was selected as a class representative for class of 2020 and 2021 respectively because my Research lecturer saw potential in me. This role assisted me to cultivated public speaking skills and I learnt a lot about team dynamics. My dedication, passion and learning spirit keeps on igniting because the lecturers are as eager to educate.

My highlight for this year is taking part in the research workshop where academics from the department and special guests from other institutions shared vast knowledge regarding how to identify research gaps in Marketing related research topics. I also appreciated the special guest lecturers that came through in the Digital Marketing modules who provided practical insight about other aspects such as building a personal brand on the digital platforms, as this assisted me to prepare myself for the corporate world of work. Special thanks to the esteemed Head of Department, Prof N Dlodlo for her passion and effort in ensuring that we receive the best education the university can offer and also to my lecturers right from the start in first year to now in my Advanced level for playing such a big role in my education and of course my classmates for motivating me to do better always.