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TUT cleaner graduates cum laude with master's in engineering

Published

Mpho Makgotlho, 40, works as a cleaner at Tshwane University of Technology (TUT). He earned a master's degree in metallurgical engineering with distinction after losing his job at a gold mine and running a detergent business.

Makgotlho completed his metallurgical engineering diploma at TUT in 2011. He started work as a cleaner on the Pretoria campus in January 2022. He hopes to register for a doctorate in January 2027.

Makgotlho said he felt very happy and had mixed emotions when he finished his master's cum laude. He said he hopes to develop solutions that could help the mining industry extract minerals more effectively.

He also spoke about the value of his current job. "You can’t work in a dirty space. A cleaner has a huge impact on productivity. When the place is clean, you can produce good results," he said.

Key facts

Who
Mpho Makgotlho (TUT cleaner and newly graduated master's student in metallurgical engineering); Tshwane University of Technology (university where Makgotlho works as a cleaner and studied)
What
A TUT cleaner who lost his gold mine job, then ran a detergent business, graduated cum laude with a master's in metallurgical engineering and hopes to pursue a PhD. The article is a feel-good human-interest profile.
When
15 October 2026
Where
Pretoria, Mabopane, Mpumalanga
Status
Reported

Elections Hot

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Markets reacted, with the dollar hitting a one-month low and the rand firming to around R16.55, as analysts pointed to fears of gridlock in Washington.

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AI Cooling

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