Her unique business offering was noted for its potential and won the 2021 Poster and Pitch Competition.  She was awarded a Heat Press, attachments and starting consumables to the value of R30,000 – along with a cash prize of R10,000 to reinvest in her business. Nkgetheleng can now diversify her business offering and substitute her income until she is able to secure larger premises.

You would be surprised to know that Nkgetheleng is a professional civil and construction engineer and she proudly states that she can build, using her own hands. This however was not her true calling.  “Children fascinate me and it makes me happy to see them thrive in a safe and stimulating environment,” says Nkgetheleng. 

During her studies with False Bay TVET College, she continued to achieve top results at each certificate level, because teaching is her passion.  Nkgetheleng has applied to study further at the University of the Western Cape, with ambitions to wear that red gown in education.

Nkgetheleng remains actively involved in her community, with the reading club, tutoring and facilitating at Lovelife Trust NGO. Maintaining an active lifestyle, she promotes healthy living with the youth through running and game activities.  
Nkgetheleng’s advice is to “Find your passion and purpose, then set smart goals. Know that anything is possible, as long as you keep your eyes on your goals and set reasonable time frames to achieve them. Don’t stop because you are tired, keep going and find other strategies if you experience a setback to make your dreams come true.”
We look forward to seeing her next move and continue to wish her well in her future endeavours. 

At the end of 2019, Aqeelah completed her Business Management N6 and was successfully placed by the False Bay TVET College Work Integrated Learning Department at Maritz Electrical Central Office. Maritz Electrical provides complete, turnkey electrical and lighting solutions to the public and private sectors in commercial, domestic and industrial markets.

Upon completion of her 18-month internship, the management unanimously agreed that she should be offered a permanent placement, which she happily accepted. This is, however, not the end of her story.  Aqeelah is responsible for customer service, accounts, orders, payments and reporting. Her experience in the financial department has helped her realise her acumen for numbers and as such, she now is redirecting her career focus to the finance sector. She has already completed an online bookkeeping and accounting course and will be pursuing an online qualification to specialise in financial accounting.

Steven Gabrielse, Finance Executive said “Aqeelah has received much praise from her colleagues and even the directors. They all acknowledge her capabilities and agree that she is an asset to the company. She has grown tremendously in her role, and we are happy to provide further graduates internship opportunities if they demonstrate her good work ethic.”

Aqeelah advised anyone considering to study with False Bay TVET College to go for it. “The 18 months of Work Integrated Learning really gets you ready for permanent employment. Also, in my case helped me identify my strengths and interest in the financial aspects of the business.”

But during the workweek, she expresses her energy for life through her dynamic content creation. She is employed with Be Safe Paramedical since April 2021. Sioux is in charge of the smooth running and updating of the business website and social pages, including the development of all content.

Completing her National Certificate (Vocational) in Information Technology, at the False Bay TVET College, Fish Hoek Campus, Sioux knew from Grade 9 which industry she wanted to be in. “There are such great career prospects for individuals with the right ICT qualifications. We are in the digital era which has created a space for so many to explore and for new innovations” Says Sioux.

While Sioux most enjoyed the multimedia and electronic aspects of her learning, her Programming lecturer Mr. Gilmore Magwaza remembers her fondly for her natural aptitude. “She was a bright student and did well in her programmes which included Visual Basic, HTML, CSS, Java and many more. These programmes give our students the tools to build and illustrate a website and I am sure she will go forward and produce good websites in the future,” said Magwaza.

This is exactly the space Sioux wants to be, her goal is to work abroad with a graphic design and web development agency.