Research and Technical Mentors

She holds a National Diploma, a BTech, and a Master’s Degree in Information Technology that she received from the Nelson Mandela University (NMU). She also has a PhD in Computer Science from the University of South Africa (UNISA).

Nicolene studied at Stellenbosch University and did her PhD in laser physics at CSIR National Laser Center. She is currently working as a senior researcher in the CSIR Data Science group

Lindelweyizizwe Manqele is a lecturer in the Faculty of Accounting and Informatics at the Durban University  of Technology (DUT), specialising in Internet of Things  (IoT) applications and smart cities. Her teaching and research explore IoT-enabled solutions for both campus innovation and community development. Her scholarly work encompasses research on user-driven IoT architectures for smart campus environments and the role of IoT in urban development, which has been featured in publications such as CSIR’s ScienceScope, Nka’thuto Edupropeller magazine, the DSI Solve program, Women in Science Africa, the DUT Newsletter, and SABC News. In 2025, she joined the Innovation for African Universities (IAU) Community of Practice. She has been working alongside on initiatives aimed at fostering innovation and collaboration within African and global higher education. She shared her insight on Digital Transformation at a C4IR-hosted event, and she recently shared her insight at a Digital Transformation roundtable discussion hosted by the eThekwini Premier’s office.

She has been a judge on various platforms. In 2025, she was a judge for the GoveTech2025 Hackathon and the Nkathuto Innovation Exhibition in KZN (Ngwelezane). Manqele’s academic and mentorship roles yielded an individual faculty award in the category of curriculum transformation, awarded through the application of the EPIP teaching model, which encourages practical application. Her appointment as a faculty Innovation and Entrepreneurship Champion (IEC) reflects a promising, growing student engagement in accelerating their projects towards an innovation and entrepreneurship mindset. Manqele  holds a B Sc Computer Science (Unizul), B Sc (Hons) Computer Science (Unizul), MSc (Eng) (UCT), and she is currently a PhD candidate at UCT (Engineering

Boikanyo Radiokana is a results-driven Principal Data Scientist with a Master’s degree in Big Data Science (Cum Laude) from the University of Pretoria and a BSc Electrical and Information Engineering degree from the University of the Witwatersrand. Her expertise spans artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, and advanced analytics, with a proven track record of designing and deploying data-driven solutions that enhance decision-making, optimise operations, and unlock new revenue streams.
Over the years, Boikanyo has led high-impact projects across financial services and digital platforms, including fraud detection, credit scoring, customer value management, and revenue optimisation. Her work has consistently delivered measurable business value and earned recognition through multiple awards, speaking engagements, and thought-leadership contributions.

Beyond technical excellence, she is passionate about mentoring and empowering teams, fostering innovation, and bridging the gap between data science and business strategy.

Ntlharhi Baloyi is a Software Engineer at the CSIR with a keen passion for data science and machine learning. He actively contributes to student development as a Datathon Challenge Organizer and Mentor, creating platforms for hands-on learning and collaboration in data analytics. He holds a BSc in Computer Science and focuses on using AI-driven insights to advance innovation and societal impact.

Elias Sepuru is a Senior Software Engineer with over six years of experience across banking, research, and business intelligence sectors. A graduate of Wits University with a BSc(Hons) in Electrical & Information Engineering, he specializes in backend and web development using Spring Boot, Angular, and Java 21.

Known for his leadership and mentorship, Elias has driven award-winning projects, modernized enterprise systems, and contributed to high-performance computing initiatives at CSIR. Passionate about innovation and community development, he actively mentors students and promotes coding education across South Africa.

Boitshepo Sebusho is a BSc Data Science graduate and an employee at NICIS-DIRISA, passionate about turning complex data into meaningful insights. As one of the organizers and mentors of the Datathon, she enjoys empowering emerging data enthusiasts and helping others recognize the value of data-driven decision-making.

I am a Mathematical Science graduate and an Honours student in Computer Science and Information Technology. I’m currently employed as a Software Development Engineer in a graduate program. My participation in the Datathon was an eye-opener into the world of data science, technology, and innovation.

After winning the Best Female Participant award in the Datathon, I received funding for both my undergraduate and postgraduate studies, which further fueled my passion for tech. This experience led me to explore more hackathons and opportunities for women in tech. I am also a co-founder and director of a tech startup, dedicated to driving innovation in the industry.

Lungile Mawila is a Lecturer at Eduvos and the current DIRISA 2024 Best Male Candidate. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and is currently pursuing his Honours in ICT at the University of Mpumalanga. Lungile is passionate about data-driven software solutions and machine learning, and enjoys exploring how technology can be used to solve real-world problems.

Beyond academics, he has a strong passion for mentoring students and helping them grow into confident, innovative ICT professionals. Lungile’s personal mission is to become an influential leader in technology, guided by love and compassion, and to pursue my vision with unwavering

Simanga Mchunu is a final-year BSc student in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science at University of South Africa, holding additional certificates in Data Science and Software Engineering. He has actively participated in numerous hackathons and datathons, achieving notable success as a winner of the IBM Z Datathon and the ALX Hackathon in 2024, and securing 2nd place at the Zindi/InstaDeep IndabaX Challenge in Cape Town in 2025.

Simanga is deeply passionate about machine learning and aspires to become a Machine Learning Engineer. In June 2025, he served as a trainer for the DIRISA Datathon Challenge, later contributing as a judge for team competitions. He currently mentors participants in this year’s IBM Z Challenge/ Datathon and serves as a Zindi Ambassador and mentor for Openinfra Kenya open source community, continuing his commitment to fostering innovation, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing within the data science community.