Chevening Scholarship takes Robert to new heights
Three questions What should change in the field of town planning?
Town planning in South Africa is not well regulated like other built environment professions are. This lack of stringent regulation continues to devalue the profession, putting it at risk of being undermined by unqualified people. Like many other town planners, I feel that SACPLAN, our representative statutory body, could do better in ensuring work designated for town planners under the Planning Profession Act, 2002 (PPA) is more exclusively reserved. What awards have you received? Beyond the Chevening Scholarship, I’ve been awarded the Professional Provident Society (PPS) Dean’s Award (2015), the SAPI Best Student Award (2016), and the DST-NRF Postgraduate Innovation and Priority Research Scholarship (2018). What do very few people know about you? As a child, I dreamed of becoming a pilot. Even today, though l enjoy my work as a town planner, that yearning to soar the skies still lingers within me. “The scholarship symbolises global recognition and the opportunity to learn from the best. It also represents an opportunity for me to grow personally, travel, and immerse
Robert Ndebele at graduation
MBA candidate at Warwick Business School, United Kingdom, and Chevening Scholar Robert Ndebele has plans for his career, future, and other young South Africans. Robert was recently selected for the British Chevening Full Scholarship Funding of around GBP 67,000 GBP (around R1,6 million) to pursue an MBA at Warwick University – the crown on a successful academic journey – and has taken sabbatical leave from his position at Asika Consulting to fully dedicate himself to the MBA programme and get the most out of it. “The scholarship symbolises global recognition and the opportunity to learn from the best. It also represents an opportunity for me to grow personally, travel, and immerse myself in a culturally diverse and international environment,” he says. With nine years of experience in public sector consulting, Robert
myself in a culturally diverse and international environment,” he says.
focused on tutoring, career counselling support, and tertiary education funding opportunities, especially for Grade 12 learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. In addition to working relentlessly towards their goals, I want to teach them never to overlook the importance of mentorship and building meaningful connections. These connections and guidance often open doors to unforeseen opportunities and collaborations.” His desire to assist and support others has its roots in lessons learned from the past. The most important lesson he learned at UJ had less to do
worked across various projects, including spatial planning, statutory land use planning, planning law, policy development, and rural development. He has led and coordinated interdisciplinary teams on consulting projects, liaising with stakeholders and clients to ensure projects are completed on time and within budget. The UJ alumnus, who studied town planning and construction management, grew up in a township where poverty and inequality are rampant and has a deep understanding of the challenges many young South Africans face. “I dream of establishing an NGO
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