“Guest lecture at VUT highlights career pathways in food service management, emphasises Work Integrated Learning, nutrition opportunities, and the need for commitment to succeed in the competitive hospitality industry.”
08 September 2025 | Story Thabisang Thebeeapelo | Picture: Keitumetse Makgope
On Thursday, 4 September 2025, the Department of Tourism and Integrated Communication in the Faculty of Human Sciences at the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) hosted an informative and motivational guest lecture for first- and second-year Tourism Management students.
The event featured two distinguished guest lecturers. Ms Tshepang Mofokeng, a lecturer in the NATED (National Accredited Technical Education Diploma) programme at Sedibeng TVET College, teaches practical N-level courses in hospitality. She shared insights from her 10 years of industry experience, complemented by two years in education, and is currently pursuing a Master of Management in Food Service Management at VUT.
Ms Promise Ebuzeme, an accomplished hospitality professional with over 8 years of expertise in food service management, logistics, and hospitality, delivered an engaging lecture on Work Integrated Learning (WIL). She emphasised that WIL is more than just work experience; it is a purposeful, structured process designed to transform students into industry-ready professionals capable of managing people, processes, and places. She captured this sentiment memorably when she said: “A recipe has no soul; you as the cook bring the soul to the recipe.” Ms Ebuzeme is also pursuing a Master of Management in Food Service Management, with plans to extend her research into a PhD focused on household food waste and food security.
The session was officially opened by Professor Limpho Lekaota, Head of the Department of Tourism and Integrated Communication, who explained that the lecture aimed to bridge the gap between industry and academia. Dr Kuda Marumo-Ngwenya, a Senior Lecturer in Hospitality at VUT, further urged students to view the lecture as “a conversation between two worlds: the solid academic foundation you are building here, and the fast-paced, ever-changing demands of the professional environment you will soon enter.”
Students were given the opportunity to engage directly with the guest lecturers. One student asked whether food management offers career pathways that focus on nutrition. The lecturers responded that nutrition is a significant field within food service management, noting: “Every component you are taught in class has a career pathway associated with it.”
In closing, Dr Delia Oosthuizen, Senior Lecturer in Hospitality at VUT, delivered the vote of thanks, reminding students: “What has come out of this is that the industry is competitive, you have to be committed, and it’s about hard work.”