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Gcinwayknosi Jula and Crystal Ndlovu have been announced as the winners of the fifth annual instalment of the ISPA Inspires educational sponsorship.
ISPA is South Africa’s official internet Industry Representative Body (IRB) and the ISPA Inspires bursary represents a golden opportunity for young people with a passion for ICT (Information and Communications Technologies) to get noticed by the sector’s leading employers.
“ISPA remains committed to equipping our next generation of internet leaders, techies, business owners, visionaries and many others with the skills they need to propel the local industry to new heights,” says Aurora Vani, chair of ISPA’s social development working group.
Gcinwayknosi was selected from the participants in the recent SA National Research Network (SANReN) eighth Cyber Security Competition (CSC) where he stood out amongst an already impressive group of tertiary students.
Gcinwayinkosi is a first year student at the University of Cape Town and is currently completing his BSc (Eng) Electrical and Computer Engineering degree. His passion for engineering and technology stems from a deep desire to create tools that enhance productivity, inspire creativity, and empower people in meaningful ways.
He is actively involved in the UCT Developer Society and the AWS Cloud Club, initiatives to allow him to improve his technical expertise and collaborate with like-minded individuals. Gcinwayinkosi’s ultimate goal is to work in the Information Technology sector.
Gcinwayinkosi formed part of team D3CYPH3R5 from UCT, who placed 2nd overall in the CSC competition this year and also won the SANReN Attack & Defend challenge.
Based on the above evaluation, as well as the feedback received from the CSC committee that attended the CSC 2024 finals in person, Gcinwayinkosi was selected to receive the ISPA Inspires Educational Sponsorship
Describing himself as being a natural problem-solver interested in cybersecurity or software engineering, Gcinwayknosi says he is ‘incredibly grateful’ for this opportunity and is “always eager to expand his skill set.”
Crystal is pursuing her second year BCom studies in Information Management at the University of Johannesburg. She was selected out of more than 600 applicants for the ISPA Inspire scholarship.
Crystal says she is dedicated and driven and puts much of this down to growing up in a family of five where she developed resilience and a sense of gratitude. Her aspirations include helping to bridge the gap between technology and business.
Both young rising stars are absolutely thrilled to join the ranks of ISPA Inspires educational sponsorship recipients, all of whom have gone on to great achievements over the past half-decade.
Thembelihle Mzobe, Mduduzi Shangase (2024), Maile Selala, Ruchelle Coetzee (2023), Tracey Bungu (2022), Fabian Brijlal and Jordy Kafwe (2021) are the young tech superstars that have been previous recipients of this funding programme that has helped created industry access points for promising young South African ICT students.
On the programme opening doors for emerging talent, Thembelihle says it is positively life-changing. On the practical side, she explains that ISPA Inspires enabled her to complete her Advanced Diploma “without the financial burden that often hinders academic progress.”
Personally, “it reinforced my passion for ICT and gave me a real chance to focus on developing my skills.” She adds: “Seeing how technology can make life easier and business more efficient has always fascinated me and I wanted to be a part of that,” she says.
Another one of the more recent winners, Mduduzi, says that ISPA and its members’ support has “transformed his academic journey” and also enabled him to “contribute meaningfully to the ICT sector.” He notes that “financial assistance is often the deciding factor in whether students can continue to realise their dreams or have to cut them short.”
Thembelihle’s sage advice to anyone considering a career in ICT is as follows: “I’d say stay curious, keep learning, and be adaptable. The tech industry moves fast, and staying relevant means always looking for ways to upskill. Networking, attending industry events, and getting hands-on experience through internships will help you grow and stand out.”
ISPA, its Social Development working group and its over 235 members wish all ISPA Inspires winners and applicants long and successful careers in the ICT sector.
ISPA Inspires is the association’s commitment to providing the support and resources necessary for young individuals to turn their aspirations into reality. To learn more, please visit: .ispa.org.za/social-development.
