Persuaded by her industry experience in the field of production and operations, Operations Management graduate, Sphumelele Hlongwane graduated Cum Laude with an Advanced Diploma in Management Sciences Specialising in Operations Management during the Durban University of Technology’s (DUT) 2024 Autumn Graduation ceremony. The prestigious event was held at the Olive Convention Centre (OCC) on Saturday, 25 May 2024.
Hlongwane from Greytown completed both her primary and secondary education in her hometown before moving to Durban in 2017 where she had enrolled for a Diploma in Textile Technology at DUT. After completion she had joined an automotive company where she was exposed to the production and operations industry that eventually led her to pursuing an Advance Diploma in Operations Management.
“After completing my Diploma, I was employed by one of the companies in the automotive industry as a textile technologist graduate where I was responsible for developing documentation for quality processes, tracking performance and product quality measures, reviewing customer complaints working in close collaboration with other cross functions in the business,” said Hlongwane
She said that due to her exposure to this work she developed a great interest in production and operations and then navigated to this field as she now works as a production administrator for Feltex Automotive, a leading South African manufacturer of automotive components.
Hlungwane said graduating Cum Laude was a wonderful and proud achievement for her to reflect on the dedication, hard work, and all the sleepless nights she had and was filled with joy for believing in her abilities.
She added that she aims to elevate both her academic and professional career in the near future.
“My goal is clear which is to be a director of operations, working closely with executive members on planning objectives to improve operations excellence. This title does not come only with work experience, one has to be academically equipped for it I wish to further enrol for a Master of Business Administration (MBA),” she said.
Pictured: Sphumelele Hlongwane
Thulasizwe Nkomo
