Pretoria’s most inspiring former car guard, Dr Kapya, recently celebrated his PhD graduation ceremony, where he stood proudly as a Doctor of Industrial Engineering and proof that the odds can and should be defied:
Pretoria, South Africa (18 September 2024) — Dr Tshinangi Fabrice Kapya has come a very long way from his days working as a car guard. How much his life has changed, beamed in full clarity at the University of Pretoria’s recent graduation ceremony. Here, Dr Kapya, a PhD graduate and Doctor of Industrial Engineering, positively shone not just as an outstanding student but as someone who defied the odds and won.
For Dr Kapya, none of it would’ve been possible if it wasn’t for the encouragement he received from friends.
“I was working as a car park attendant at Wonderpark Mall in Pretoria,” Dr Kapya recalls.
“Despite the repetitive nature of my work, I discovered an unexpected source of comfort: books. Whenever I had a free moment, I devoted it to reading… my former colleagues would often catch me reading. They’d say with a mix of playfulness and sincerely: ‘Fabrice, you don’t belong here, you should go back to school.”
This was the spark that would change everything. Dr Kapya first received a degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Likasi. But, with a friend’s encouragement on his side, he decided to apply to the University of Pretoria where he’d go on to be accepted for an honours degree programme—all while working as a car guard in 2019.
By 2021, he was accepted into the masters programme, and was even offered a position as an assistant lecturer in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering!
Ambitious as ever, Dr Kapya already enrolled for his PhD before even touching the master’s graduation stage.
But, being a car guard didn’t just help him earn an income at the time. In fact, his time guarding cars actually helped map out the foundations for his research.
“While I was working at Wonderpark, I frequently observed trucks from various logistics companies delivering a ride range of products. These trucks usually followed strict schedules, ensuring that goods reached their destinations on time.
“However, when COVID-19 struck, I noticed a significant shift in consumer behaviour and the way certain products were being consumed. This shift got me thinking about the processes involved in the production of certain goods.”
Dr Kapya’s research ended up becoming focused on developing mathematic models for managing production systems for perishable goods; addressing challenges like changing production rates and demand influenced by stock.
The road to this recent graduation was long and winding. But, Dr Kapya hopes his story will inspire others to follower their dreams feverishly.
“Every morning before leaving the house, I had to remind myself that it would get better with time, that each day was an opportunity to conquer, to fight for a better future. I learnt to keep a strong face, to go to war with my depression, and to cling to my faith even when it felt like a thin thread.”—Dr Kapya.
He further thanked the University for making him feel a part of something bigger and his classmates for being champions behind his dreams—from including him in study groups to covering his transport and paying his rent when he needed help.
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