Dear fellow alumni,

 

My name is Dr Clever Gumbo, and I am currently the dean of the Faculty of Agribusiness and Entrepreneurship at the Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (MUAST) in Zimbabwe. I joined MUAST in 2018.

 

Marondera is a small town 70 km east of Harare and it is one of the horticulture-production areas in Zimbabwe. My family is split between Botswana and Zimbabwe, as I am staying with one of our daughters studying for her A-Levels. We don’t engage in much fun around the small town where we stay but we spend most of the weekends on the farm, which is some 200 km along the Harare-Chirundu road.

 

While studying in SA

 

I obtained my doctoral degree in business management and administration from the NWU in 2017. The biggest lesson I learnt while studying in South Africa was that South Africans treat all students equally, with no segregation at all, and the friendliness of South Africans – both white and black – is just commendable. I got all the support, in all aspects, one would need during the stay in a foreign country.

 

To me, the biggest challenges of living in another country were related to my absence from home and my farm – I really felt that gap. Now, working in Zimbabwe, it is easier to balance work commitments with farming and social interactions.

 

Hard work pays off

 

During my time at the NWU I learnt that hard work pays off. My PhD supervisor, Prof Yvonne du Plessis and my co-supervisor Prof Nicolene Barkhuizen from the Mahikeng Campus’s School of Business and Governance (now the NWU Business School), were real workaholics. They always responded to my communication within 24 hours. They have inspired me to make an effort and do the same.

 

Research at the NWU equipped me to adhere to high-quality standards. I have so far supervised more than 50 master’s and PhD research projects, not one of whom has failed.

 

A lasting memory is the extent of collegiality through the participation of the NWU staff members throughout my research journey.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Dr Clever Gumbo

Marondera, Zimbabwe