UCT GSB Alumni
A GLOBAL NETWORK OF MOVERS AND SHAKERS
UCT Graduate School of Business alumni are building a more economically prosperous and more integrated world.
Update your detailsALUMNI OVERVIEW
An Overview of the Alumni Experience at The UCT GSB
As a lifelong member of the UCT GSB Alumni network, you have access to a global community of likeminded individuals striving to meet their best. A journey through the UCT GSB Student Experience culminates in being part of an ever-expanding community of alumni around the world sharing their inspiration with the next generation of UCT GSB Alumni. Take part in the alumni experience and enjoy the many facets that comprise this great programme such as:
- Alumni Mentorships
- Alumni Career Services
- Alumni Events Around The World
- Local Networking Events in Your City
- Official Annual Alumni Reunion Weekend
- Giving back: The GSB Foundation
Learn more about the access to benefits, resources and ongoing support from faculty and fellow alumni below
Meet the Head of Alumni Relations
Morea Josias
Head of Alumni Relations and Career Services
Responsible for strategic planning, development, management and leadership of alumni relations and career services activities for the UCT GSB, Morea plans and implements projects that strategically engage alumni and industry in strengthening various UCT GSB activities that provide tangible benefits to alumni, current UCT GSB student job seekers and the school as a whole.
A key aspect of role, Morea believes, is the way relationships are managed, with the most rewarding aspect being when people with common interests and goals make a connection that is mutually beneficial.
Alumni Resources
Engage in Alumni Network & Resources
The UCT GSB Alumni experience offers students and graduates alike, a variety of career transforming opportunities to engage with through the alumni network. These resources serve to enhance the student experience throughout the years on campus as well as offering support for recent graduates and culminating in a network of highly skilled UCT GSB graduates for alumni to engage with. Tap into the multitude of incredible resources available to all UCT GSB Students & Alumni
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Alumni Engage
Engage with the Alumni Network
A world of opportunity awaits you as a UCT GSB Alumni. We have created a platform designed for current and past students to engage in the alumni network and leverage the multitude of tools and resources available to propel their knowledge and careers forward with the help of the UCT GSB Alumni programme
Grow and expand your student experience, journey to alumni, giving back to the alumni network and the GSB initiative through the multitude of connections available to all alumni
Upcoming Alumni Events
Equipping Leaders for a Changing World Masterclass with UCT GSB's Director Catherine Duggan
Join us for an exclusive evening with the GSB's Director, Dr. Catherine Duggan, who will be visiting London, UK on 29 March 2023.
Learn more RSVPTo 100 & Beyond: How to make your money last as long as you do ALUMNI TALK with WYNAND GOUWS
Join us as Author Wynand Gouws provides sound, tried and tested advice on how to approach living a longer, financially secure life, including how to invest wisely, generate alternative income streams, handle your tax affairs and plan your estate.
Learn more RSVPAlumni Reunion
An institution's alumni are viewed as the reflection of its past, a representation of its present and a link to its future; and an alumni reunion is an ideal way to bring it all together.” UCT GSB alumni reunions provide an opportunity to rekindle old friendships, revive the nostalgia and reminiscence of “the good old days” with your former classmates and Alma Mater. These reunions act as an opportunity to expand on valuable networks whilst simultaneously sharing and gaining interdisciplinary knowledge from global industry leaders and innovators.
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Alumni Awards
The Director's Alumni Award was initiated in 2007. Since its inception the UCT GSB Director has given the Award to two alumni each year who have made a significant contribution either in the promotion of, and service to, the UCT GSB or through building alumni relationships. See recent awards from the past 5 years. A full list is available upon enquiry.
- 2015 Linda Fasham (GSB 1987 - 2014)
- 2016 Cedric Parker (MBA 1988)
- 2017 Robin Kuriakose (MBA 2008)
- 2018 Professor Trevor Williams
- 2019 Peter Major (MBA 1984)
- 2015 Simryn de Jager (MBA 2012/13)
- 2016 Gys Kappers (EMBA 2010/2011)
- 2017 Kim Thipe (EMBA 2005/2006)
- 2018 Sandy Mattison (MBA 1997)
- 2019 Jerry Igwilo (MBA 2006/2007
The GSB Foundation
Building Leaders. Building Africa
The GSB Foundation supports the UCT GSB in four key areas: scholarships, faculty, research, and facilities. It's mission is to provide the most talented students, regardless of their financial circumstances, an opportunity to benefit from a world-class education at the UCT GSB. Contributions to the GSB Foundation can be made via donations to the endowment, sponsorships, bequests and in-kind donations of time or talent.
Donate
Ideas Exchange
News, Articles & Alumni Profiles
Working at the d-school Afrika
The Hasso Plattner d-school Afrika recently opened its striking new building on the University of Cape Town’s middle campus after being at the GSB since 2016. The d.confestival, the first of its kind in Africa, was hosted in October 2022 and, as four of our alumni now work for d-school, we encourage you to read more about this innovative school.
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GSB adjunct faculty win book award
The Systems Work of Social Change, by social innovation researcher, writer and lecturer Cynthia Rayner and #SchwabFound Director Dr. François Bonnici, both adjunct faculty at the GSB, has been recognised by the Terry McAdam Book Award #TMAaward for “Changing the Way we Think” at the Alliance for Nonprofit Management conference #ANMConference2022.
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Solution Space e-Track programme update
Founded in 2014, the Solution Space at the UCT GSB is an ecosystem for high-impact early-stage start-ups and a research and development platform for corporates. Join us tomorrow, Friday 11 November for the second phase of the e-Track programme where entrepreneurs pitch their ventures for investment, development and collaboration.
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Helping African leaders stand out and stand tall
When Kurt De Bique went to university 20 years ago, he thought he wanted to be a lawyer. But a powerful interest in people and what drives them led to a career switch to HR, which has seen him make a major contribution in the boardroom – rather than courtroom.
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The UCT GSB put me on the career trajectory I’d been aspiring to
As Chief Research Officer for the Global Impact Investing Network, Dean Hand serves on the senior management team of a globally recognised and respected champion of impact investment, and is actively finding ways to steer more capital to life-changing projects around the globe.
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In search of purpose
With people quitting their jobs in greater numbers than ever, professional executive, team and board coach George Koshy shares from his own journey of ‘purpose finding’– and how he is empowering individuals, teams and organisations to find their purpose.
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Lessons Learnt: Advice for starting your career
Not many people can say they had to choose between completing their MBA and coaching the national female volleyball team, but Sean Lewis' career journey has been anything but linear. From high school teacher to working at Africa's leading premier ICT solutions services provider, and completing his EMBA along the way, Lewis has plenty of advice to share with graduates and career changers.
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International alumnus remains hopeful for change in South Africa
Despite challenges, South Africa continues to be an innovation hub with the capacity to develop the next generation of change makers. The UCT GSB's MBA programme attracts students from all walks of life that want ‘in’ on this journey.
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MTN CEO shares five secrets to a successful career
Failure, hard work, and belief in yourself and the people around you are the hallmarks of a successful leadership career, says Ralph Mupita, Group President and CEO at African telecommunications giant MTN.
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Servant leadership may be the key to talent retention post COVID
Nike strategy director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, Aidan Kearney, believes servant leadership has so much to offer the corporate world, especially now as an increasing number of employees think of leaving their jobs in response to the stresses of the COVID-19 workplace.
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For tech to change Africa’s fortunes, we have to understand our context
Buhle Goslar, an MBA graduate from the UCT GSB, shows how business can use technology to make headway in Africa and turn around the continent’s digital and human fortunes.
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The role of entrepreneurs engaged in alleviating period poverty
Nishana Bhogal is a PhD candidate at the UCT GSB who has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to pursue her research work on the role of entrepreneurs engaged in alleviating period poverty. We spoke to her about her research and what she plans to achieve while she is in the USA.
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Crisis ushers in new type of leadership – this time it must stick
The COVID-19 pandemic has tested leadership in ways that few crises have. How do we learn from it, adapt and evolve as leaders?
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Activists in the Boardroom holistic governance in an age of corporate malfeasance
Given the recent spate of corporate misconduct (think Steinhoff, EOH, the Guptas and various State-Owned Entities), more Boardroom activism is required to ensure accountability and prevent future scandals. Board directors should start by cultivating higher levels of self-awareness.
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How to build a thumb-stopping professional brand, without attending a single networking event, or cocktail party
LinkedIn, like many other social media platforms, experienced a boom over the pandemic. But it remains the ultimate platform for creating a professional brand that gets you noticed and hired, both locally and internationally.
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Applied with lots of elbow grease, the MBA continues to open doors
Joy-Mare de Wet was a qualified geneticist working in sales at a pharma company when she started her MBA at the UCT Graduate School of Business. There she found a new passion for the tech industry and has since landed her dream job at LinkedIn. De Wet shares her top five tips for what it takes, as an MBA graduate, to manage such a pivot.
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Annual Alumni Reunion Weekend to delve into how leaders are responding to global challenges with a multidisciplined approach
Join the UCT GSB 2021 Alumni Reunion Weekend in October to hear expert speakers discuss how to remain relevant while navigating uncertainty under the theme Knowledge Across Disciplines.
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Powering the continent’s growth through collaboration with entrepreneurs across Africa
EMBA alumnus Christophe Viarnaud is a man on a mission. The French national has made South Africa not only his home, but a country in which his passion for entrepreneurship and education has launched the ventures of scores of bright start-ups across the continent.
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MBA alumnus puts lockdown to good use
Steven van Rheede was part of the 2020 MBA class that, three months into the programme, quickly had to shift their studies online; it bore some unforeseen benefits, he says.
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Combining passion with purpose to improve science education for all
Bathabile Mpofu is passionate about empowering young people to become scientists, and with her business, Nkazimulo Applied Sciences, she aims to demonstrate to high school learners the beauty of science in an exciting, hands-on way.
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Taking the road less travelled is a choice we make
MBA alumna Mouna Akefli is not one to conform. Passionate about building a more diverse, inclusive and connected continent, she is determined to shake things up and her role as marketing manager for Ericsson in West Africa and Morocco is giving her new opportunities to do so.
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