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A CEO

who remembers her roots

Dr Thandeka Ellenson is young, kind, respectful and brilliant. Her character

has not been changed by the accolades she has gained over the last two

decades. This year she graduated from Columbia Southern University

(USA) with a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and just last

year, she was confirmed as CEO of the Moses Kotane Institute (MKI)

in Durban. MKI is an entity of KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN’s) Department

of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs

and it focuses on research and development to drive innovation,

technology and economic development in KZN.

D

r Ellenson has always been determined not to

disappoint her grandmother and her mother, the

two women who instilled the values that she has

always upheld. These are respect (and self-respect),

altruism and integrity, and they have been the cornerstone of

her success. Each time Ellenson succeeds, she remembers

her roots – her family and her

alma mater

, MUT, where she

started her career. Whenever she moves into a new position,

she carries the heart of MUT with her. When took her next job

at UKZN she would always channel opportunities to MUT. This

continued even when she moved to the Construction Industry

Development Board (CIDB) where she opened construction

opportunities to MUT graduates. At the South African Sugar

Association (SASA) she went on to spearhead collaborations

between MUT and SASA, resulting in SASA bursaries being

offered at MUT and a support programme being kickstarted

for the Department of Community Extension.

Thandeka’s current flagship collaboration with MUT

culminated in a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) being

signed between MUT and MKI. This collaboration will

hopefully facilitate more engagement for MUT in innovation,

research and development work, and assist us in playing a

pivotal role in shaping the KZN economy. But that is not all. “If

I had my way in curriculum development, I would like to see

MUT consider introducing a qualification in maritime studies.

It cannot be that being so close to the sea, we do not have a

qualification in maritime studies,” she lamented.

“My journey has not been a straight journey. It has been a

meandering one albeit with an intention of finding myself. As

a learner at Ongoye High School, my dream was to study

for a qualification in chemistry or chemical engineering.

However, my arrival at MUT showed me that there are other

options in the business sciences. I studied for a National

Diploma in Human Resources Management and I was just

drawn into business science. I never looked back and tackled

the most feared qualification – the MBA. When I succeeded

there, I knew that I was crafted for the business world and I

embraced everything that I had learned in different business

units where I had worked. That has come in handy and I

believe that this was to prepare me for the position that I now

hold,” Ellenson said.

Dr Ellenson finds inner peace in reading, listening to music

and watching comedy. Her personal development journey

included reading both the Bible and the Quran. She is well

travelled and seems drawn to the Asian countries, especially

Hong Kong and Shanghai. “I love the fact that these cities

are open 24/7 and this gives me time to relax and not rush

because the city is shutting down for the day,” she said.

“Imfundo ayikhulelwa – you can still learn more regardless of your age.”

“The youth needs to consider delving into the digital economy. That is the future.”

She has two key messages for MUT students:

M U T A L U M N I M A G A Z I N E

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