Dr Phaphama Tshisikhawe has achieved a major academic milestone after earning a Doctorate in Business Administration from the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) in South Africa.
Her achievement is particularly inspiring because she once struggled to find a safe place to sleep while studying at the same institution.
Tshisikhawe enrolled for journalism at TUT’s Soshanguve campus in 2006. However, financial difficulties made her student life extremely challenging. Her parents could not afford to cover her tuition and accommodation expenses.
In an interview published by Sowetan in December 2023, she recalled how she sometimes slept in classrooms after lessons ended. On other nights, she slept in toilets because she had nowhere else to go.
Despite these difficult circumstances, she remained committed to her education. She completed her journalism diploma in 2008 and later obtained additional qualifications as she continued building her career.
Tshisikhawe eventually became TUT’s spokesperson and head of public and media relations. While managing her professional responsibilities, she continued pursuing her doctoral studies.
Her doctoral research examined how artificial intelligence can be integrated into digital marketing at selected universities of technology in Gauteng.
She received her doctorate during TUT’s Spring Graduation Ceremony on October 14, 2026.
Her journey highlights the power of determination and education. From struggling to find a place to sleep as a student to earning a doctorate at the same university, Tshisikhawe’s story offers encouragement to students facing financial hardship.
Her achievement is a reminder that difficult beginnings do not have to determine the future.