Namibian bred on South African soil

Desiree Gases
Mechanical engineering student Hafeni Amuenye is currently completing his qualification at the University of Cape Town (UCT), which he initially started at a university in the Netherlands.

Amuenye shows a keen interest in automative engineering, an undergraduate programme he is currently leaning towards.

“It is a tad bit more complex and I did not expect it to be so specific, it also has a lot of intricacies,” he said of his course. Amuenye did his first year in the Netherlands, which he used to apply to continue his academic journey at UCT; however, he did use all mandatory documents to apply as well, like his grade 12 results.

He further said the application process was quite smooth for him and free of common obstacles like admission delays and failed applications.

Consequently, he applauded his good grades for making the application process a lot easier, and said: “Because of my good grades and the university being one of the best in Africa, a lot of people wanted me to go UCT,” and ultimately, he made his decision and ended up there.

He highlighted being a foreigner as one of the biggest challenges he has faced during his academic journey. He said: “Locals make snide remarks and give you looks that just make you feel foreign”. He also mentioned banking processes and applications that require a lot more paperwork and formalities than usual. With crime skyrocketing in South Africa, being a foreigner makes you an automatic target, he added.

Amuenye advised anyone considering to do mechanical engineering to be dead sure that it is something they actually love and want to do.

“Be sure that even after the four years you want to be a mechanical engineer.” Engineering overall is a time-consuming industry, he said, adding that that as an individual your free time will be compromised.

“Put your head down, make friends with your books and allow the course to become fun for you,” he sai