DIVERSIFYING ICT IN EDUCATION

Andiswa Msi is

IT Academic & Office Solutions at the North West University.

the Director of

Q: Briefly give us your background

Many believe I am from the town of Umtata, the truth is that I was raised in the rural village of Baziya. I attended Dalindyebo Senior Secondary School, which at the time was a boarding school, I do not come from a Model C educational background. Since there was little career guidance available when I matriculated, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study. My older sister desired to pursue a career in food service management. Although this was not my calling, I was able to graduate at the top of my class. After that, I decided to enrol in BCom, and luckily, someone suggested that I apply for a scholarship.

Q: When did your career kick off?

A: In my early years, I worked for many organisations, but Woolworths South Africa in Cape Town was the one that best reflected the woman I am now. Here I joined project management, change management, and financial planning. I have put these ideas into practice throughout my professional life. I joined Walter Sisulu University’s Health Science department after working at Woolworths, where I performed various tasks, including managing IT systems and business plans that were required to be filed with the government. I then transferred to the Eastern Cape Department of Health where I performed marketing since I am a highly ambitious and spirited person.

Q: How did you transition from owning your business to where you are now?

A: I took a bow from my company, ANDSM, the time had come for me to move on. You know when athletes run they know when to handover the baton.

When I built this company my goal was a not future oriented but it was aimed to pay the bills at that time.

Q: Do you think black women are slowly entering leadership roles now in universities?

A: According to what I was told, I am the first black woman to occupy this position at the university. However, during my interview, my abilities were the only thing brought up. The colour controversy arose as a result of the university’s ongoing restructuring, or “cultural change.” As a black woman, I want to succeed because I want to create change. If you are clear in your mind and have a vision, you can overcome obstacles.

Q: What challenges do you think institutions face in the journey of education transformation? And how are planning to bring change into the environment?

A: Many institutions continue to face difficulties related to diversity. Issues of race are still present in former Model C schools today. However, this is not the only issue; as you may have noticed during the pandemic, there is also the issue of the digital divide, where we discuss the haves and the have-nots. In addition, we observed the institution’s poor financial condition and minimal educational resources.

It’s time to bring about change and create a better atmosphere, and as a leader, I’m ready to be put to use. I am on a quest to find assistance and solutions, and my goal is clear. I serve as a bridge between education and the digital world. We are now busy with digital strategy to bring every student on board, no one must be left out.