On the 29-30 October 2025, The DaVinci Institute hosted its bi-annual President’s Dinner at The DaVinci House in Modderfontein and held its October graduation ceremony at the Midrand Conference Centre, celebrating the significant achievements of its graduates and marking 20 years of co-creative freedom in education.
The President’s Dinner
The President’s Dinner, hosted by the institute’s President, Edward Kieswetter, on the eve of graduation, served as a prestigious celebration of academic excellence and leadership. This year’s second dinner highlighted the achievements of 6 doctoral graduates, recognising the significance of their research contributions and innovative thinking in addressing real-world challenges within their professions, industries and communities.
The evening brought together members of the senate, faculty, partners, and industry leaders, reflecting DaVinci’s strategic intent, which is to strengthen the growth of agile, aligned, and engaged managerial leaders who co-create innovative ecosystems and sustainable transformational societies.
Why are doctoral graduates important?
In line with the National Development Plan (NDP), doctoral graduates are important to South Africa’s socio-economic development as they drive research, innovation, and the creation of new knowledge that fuels progress across industries. Given the state of the country and continent, doctoral graduates and their applied thinking expertise enable the country to address complex challenges, enhance productivity, and build globally competitive sectors.
The DaVinci Institute President’s words of encouragement
Speaking at the dinner, President Kieswetter congratulated the graduates for embodying the institute’s core principles and its dream of influencing the co-creation of humane, sustainable societies.
“This dinner is an immense honour for me, and I will never try to miss this, to share this smaller, more intimate and private moment with you. Of course, tomorrow you will wear your gowns and caps. There will be many visible symbols of your academic excellence and achievement, demonstrating your hard work, scholarly commitment, and dedication,” said President Kieswetter.
As the institute that dreams of influencing the co-creation of humane, sustainable societies, this contribution to increasing the number of the doctoral graduates is therefore cementing the value of strengthening South Africa’s innovation capacity, supporting evidence-based policymaking, and encouraging a knowledge-based economy that can sustain inclusive growth and development.
Doctoral graduates for October 2025
- Dr Arnoldus Daniel du Plooy. Thesis: Developing an integrated business analytics framework to enhance the performance of capital infrastructure projects.
- Dr Juliette Fourie. Thesis: A strategic framework for sector skills planning in the freight forwarding and customs clearing sector: a South African perspective.
- Dr Wenzel Christőfel Kotze. Thesis: Early identification of individuals most suitable for leadership development through habit analysis.
- Dr Bheki Mdakane. Thesis: Enterprise and supplier development for SMMEs in South African mining host communities: socio-economic and political experiences in the Northern Cape.
- Dr Jerimaya Mundondo. Thesis: Exploring the effect of entrepreneurial effectuation and bricolage on intentions, behaviours, and perceived success among entrepreneurs in resource-constrained environments.
- Dr Gabapelo Phillip . Thesis: A knowledge management framework for competitive advantage in Botswana’s selected mobile network operators
Graduations at the Midrand Conference Centre
The day following the dinner, The DaVinci Institute conferred qualifications across its diverse programmes, which range from a Higher Certificate to Doctoral Degrees. Each graduate’s journey reflected the institute’s unique cooperative framework, which connects businesses and education through a practical and systems-thinking approach. Therefore, this framework helps businesses and industries understand how the management of technology, innovation, people, and systems work together to solve real-world challenges. By encouraging collaboration and measuring real impact, it ensures learning and projects create real value for individuals, businesses, and communities.
The DaVinci Institute Top Achiever Awards
Undergraduate
The DaVinci Institute recognises Higher Certificate in Management of Technology and Innovation students who have distinguished themselves amongst their peers in the following modules:
- Roan Fourie, Management Fundamentals: Technology, People and Innovation Management.
- Ashton Rampersad, Management and Leadership Development Problem-Solving, Creative Thinking and Decision-Making Development of a Personalised Learning Strategy.
- Lucille Starkey, Management of Technology
The DaVinci Institute recognises Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management student who have distinguished themselves amongst their peers in the following module:
- Riaan Van Der Schyff, Business Management 3
Postgraduate
The DaVinci Institute recognises student who have distinguished themselves amongst their peers in the Postgraduate Diploma of Business Leadership:
- Jana Britz
The DaVinci Institute recognises Master of Management in Technology and Innovation students who have distinguished themselves amongst their peers in the following:
- Shayne John Mitchell, Management of Technology, Self, Other and Social Contexts.
- Meggie Siddiah Warimu Muthee, Managing Systems, Problem-Solving, Creative Thinking and Decision-Making.
- Christian Kalonji Nkangolo, Management of People.
- Aubrey Ramaphosa, Management and Leadership Development
- Thulile Pauline Tshabalala, Management of Innovation
The DaVinci Institute recognises student who have distinguished themselves amongst their peers in the Master of Business Leadership:
- Samuel Lunga Mziwake
The DaVinci Institute Senate Awards (2025)
The DaVinci President’s Award Winner
- Dr Regan Berry
The DaVinci Community Engagement Award
- Dr Sara Bint Moneer Khan
The DaVinci Mandala Research Award Winner
- Dr Isheunesu Amon Chaka
Doctoral Academic Excellence Award Winner
- Dr Hester Catarina Welman
The Benjamin Anderson Award Winner
- Ms Johani Liebenberg
Postgraduate Diploma Top Achiever Award Winner
- Ms Jenaine Reddy
The 2025 October graduation ceremony marked another milestone in The DaVinci Institute’s ongoing pursuit of excellence in higher education and its commitment to shaping humane and sustainable societies by empowering leaders to co-create positive and lasting change.
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