From Electrical Engineering to Data Science - Postgraduate’s Inspirational Academic Journey

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Mr Ronewa Mabodi graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Data Science from the Discipline of Statistics, in UKZN’s College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science.

Mabodi matriculated at Milton Mpfumedzeni Secondary School in rural Limpopo province, achieving several notable distinctions and being placed in the top three in his matric year. He received a scholarship from South African politician Dr Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka for his outstanding performance and enrolled in an Electrical Engineering undergraduate programme at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS).

The decision to register for the Electrical Engineering degree coincided with a period of escalating load shedding.

Mabodi was faced with several challenges which included adjusting from rural to urban life and making the transition from instruction in Venda to instruction in English. These changes posed significant hurdles, especially during his early years, which resulted in him taking supplementary exams. However, as he advanced into his third and fourth years, the situation improved significantly and he attained several distinctions and presented his final year research at a Southern African Universities Power Engineering Conference (SAUPEC) in 2019.

While browsing through LinkedIn, Mabodi came across an exciting announcement about UKZN launching a groundbreaking postgraduate qualification in Data Science. He was intrigued by the accreditation and expertise of the lecturers, and researched the programme further. It soon became evident that it was an opportunity he did not want to miss as it was a programme which aligned perfectly with his initial inspiration to pursue electrical engineering as well as the work he does at Nedbank. His research paper was accepted for publication in 2024 by the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers thus becoming the first Postgraduate Diploma Data Science research paper to be published at UKZN.

Mabodi’s research was titled: Solar Irradiance Forecasting for Informed Solar Systems Design and Financing Decisions in which he explored solutions for businesses struggling with high levels of load shedding and decreased productivity. The focus was on leveraging solar energy as a viable alternative. During this process, Mabodi proposed machine learning models to assess sunlight availability and potential electricity generation at specific locations. The ability to forecast sunlight levels for 12 months ahead would enable businesses to make informed decisions about the profitability and feasibility of transitioning to solar energy.

Currently, Mabodi is pursuing a Master of Applied Data Science at the University of Johannesburg while working as a Data Analyst at Nedbank. His future aspirations involve integrating his research into the banking sector to aid in assessing creditworthiness for clients seeking funding for solar energy projects. This involves determining the likelihood of clients generating profits and repaying loans successfully.

Mabodi’s outreach activities included a programme whereby learners from his high school are invited to visit WITS where they get guided tours, providing them with insights into university life. Additionally, they have the opportunity to interact with current WITS students, who share their academic journeys and challenges, thus aiding in better preparation for their own university experiences.

Said his supervisor, Mr Jahvaid Hammujuddy, ‘I was assigned to supervise Mr Mabodi’s PGDip (Data Science) in 2023 which he completed with a distinction. It gives me great satisfaction as I guided him from start to finish although he is a fine intellectual in his own right. I believe that he is the first PGDip (Data Science) student to have a journal article accepted for publication. Mr Mabodi was studying part-time while working in a private bank and completed the project in six months. Well done!’

Words: Leena Rajpal

Photograph: Andisani Netshiavha