Siyaduma Biniza's Professional details
Current Position(s)
Co-Founder and Business Development Manager | Donor Recruitment Department | ApplyTo
Cape Town, South Africa | 2011 - present
Academia, Education and Training
Responsible for Business Development and the Donor Recruitment Dept. which recruits donors who are registered on the ApplyTo network. I am also in-charge of development of ApplyTo as a business and its corporate profile.
Previous Position(s)
Educational history
Secondary
Port Rex Technical High School, East London (2007)
Tertiary
Cape Town, South Africa | 2008 - 2009
Bachelor of Science - Mechanical Engineering
Cape Town, South Africa | 2010 - present
Bachelor of Social Science - Politics, Philosophy and Economics
Achievements
Awards
Best Group Award | Allan Gray Orbis Foundation | 2008
Fellowship Award | Allan Gray Orbis Foundation | 2007
media exposure
Report on a debate that Siya was part of on race proxy for accepting students at the University of Cape Town.
Launch of an organisation branch he established at the University of Cape Town, which he later resigned from for personal reasons.
Competitive Accomplishments
Contender | South African Council for English Education Public Speaking Competition | 2007
Third Place for Prepared Speech and First Place for Impromptu Speech
Third Speaker | World Schools’ Debating Nationals | 2007
Member of the Eastern Cape team, achieved fourth place overall.
Activities
Memberships
University of Cape Town Engineering and Built Environment Students’ Council
Head of Transformation and Student Life, 2008 - 2009
University of Cape Town Ikhaya Day House
Treasurer, 2010 - present
University of Cape Town History and Current Affairs Society
Strategist, 2010 - 2011
University of Cape Town History and Current Affairs Society
Treasurer, 2008 - 2010
community
The Silicon Cape Initiative
Member of Educational Events Planning, 2011 - present
The Silicon Cape Initiative is a non-profit, community owned & driven movement for entrepreneurs, geeks, venture capitalists, angel investors, marketers and other professionals in the IT industry.
South African Education & Environment Project
Tutor, 2009 - 2010
Siya tutored Mathematics and Physical Science to Grade Twelve learners from Phillipi High School.
Equal Education
Member, 2009 - present
EE is a community and membership-based organisation. It advocates for quality and equality in the South African education system and engages in evidence-based activism for improving the nation's schools.
Other Activities
Co-Founder and Business Development Officer, 2011 - present
ApplyTo is a dynamic online tool for learners looking to further their studies; and learners in need of funding for higher education. ApplyTo's mission is to organise all the opportunities that exist and make them universally accessible and useful.
IBG (Internation Bureau of Guests)
Co-Founder, 2011 - present
IBG is an online service that allows you, as a hoteliers on our network, to make any precautionary decision necessary before checking guests in. IBG thus allows you to make informed decisions that improve guests' experience and cut costs incurred due to harmful guests.
Testimonials
"Testimonial for Siyaduma Biniza
Due to the huge shortage of engineers in the South Africa, young people studying maths and science are encouraged to enter the fields of engineering. This is often to the detrimant of the student as their interests and passions lie elsewhere. Siyaduma Biniza realised this at the end of his second year in Mechanical Engineering. He had to make some tough decisions as he was facing academic exclusion. Being a responsible and mature young man, he was able to take his failure and transfer it into something positive. He was able to reflect and take a good hard look at himself and realise that his passion and interests were in the Humanities Faculty. Judging by his academic results – he has chosen correctly.
I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Siyaduma Biniza through my interactions with the 2009 Engineering & the Built Environment Student Council (EBESC). Siyaduma was an active member of the council and contributed positively in the meetings I held with the council.
He was the student representative for Student Life and Transformation and played an active role in our Values and Culture Working Group. He was responsible for getting the engineering and the built enivronment undergraduate students involved in the values and culture programme to ensure that feedback and input from the student body, was heard by the faculty executive. He showed a great understanding of the challenges that the faculty faces in the area of transformation and was committed to contribute in a postive manner. He was responsible for coordinating a debate on Academic Development which brought key role players together. The outcomes of the debate highlighted problem areas in the faculty which students from disadvantaged educational backgrounds were grappling with. These areas are now being addressed in the faculty’s curriculum review. Siyaduma’s input will play a role in assisting many students to succeed in their field of study.
I have always been impressed by Siyaduma’s enthusiasm to improve the status of others. He is passionate about the future of South Africa and has a good understanding what is needed to lead this country. It is evident from Siyaduma’s CV that he is a young man with great leadership potential. He is continually looking for opportunities where he can make a difference and has been involved in a number of leadership roles at the university.
I believe that he is a dedicated young man who has the capability of making an impact on society. The skills he will gain from the South-Africa-Washington Programme will benefit the country in the long-term.
Yours sincerely
Mary Hilton" - 2011
"Siyaduma is a hard working and focused young man. I had a privilage of working with him as a treasurer of one the biggest day-house in the university. His attention to detail, accountability and organisation is going to take him far in life. He has managed to turn around the collective student organisation from worst to the best ever. I have no doubt he is going to be an asset to whatever he decides to do." - 2011
