University of Pretoria (UP) alumnus and former child star, Sipho Sidwell Ngwenya, is now a proud Master of Business Administration (MBA) graduate after successfully completing his studies at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS). Previously, Ngwenya obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration (2020) and then a Postgraduate Diploma in General Management (2021) through GIBS.

“I realised earlier on when I joined Multichoice that I had some gaps in leadership and a general lack of understanding of the business environment. I enrolled at GIBS to address these gaps while also trying to address the need I had to become an entrepreneur. The MBA was the next step I could go as I had already obtained a BCom in Marketing and Management Science,” he said.

Ngwenya, who no longer goes by the stage name Psyfo as that chapter in his life is closed, currently works at Multichoice as a senior manager for content operations. What’s exciting about the role he says, is that it is in line with his business and the challenges that the entertainment industry is grappling with.

“My focus research area was about looking at factors that influence subscribers to adopt and switch between available over-the-top (OTT) services. It was a great study with some valuable insights on decisions that OTT services can make to create value for their stakeholders.”

He says the GIBS campus is not like any other institution and because of its design, one does not feel like they are at school.

 “The facilities are great and the social networking opportunities can add a lot of value for people who want to pursue the corporate and entrepreneurial life.”

When it comes to lessons learnt during the course of his career, Ngwenya says it is never too late to change your path.

“If you are willing to sacrifice and put in the work needed then anything is possible. I decided to invest into my personal development. It took me seven years of non-stop schooling and now I am finally beginning to enjoy the fruits of my labour. And thus far, the highlight of my career has been the switch I made in reinventing myself in the corporate space. I was very intentional about this and seeing the plan come to life has been exciting.”

He says getting his MBA qualification has opened his mind and given him a different perspective on leadership.

“I came with the intention of gaining skills to start my own business but got to understand so much more about me. There was a lot of personal growth, a new perspective on business strategy and how I can address some of the gaps I have in my personal life to take me to where I want to be in the future. I got to understand that this was not just an educational journey but something much more valuable.”

He advises anyone who is interested in pursuing an MBA to be clear on why they want to do it.

“This is a course that demands of lot of you personally and will change your life. You do not want to make such a big sacrifice if it is not clear in your mind on what the end-goal is.”