Prof Mathonsi’s commitment to mentorship, innovation and service earns him TUT Excellence Award

For Prof Topside Mathonsi, service goes beyond the responsibilities of an academic title. It is reflected in the researchers he mentors, the research capacity he helps build and the technological solutions he champions. This commitment to making a lasting contribution to Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and the wider research community has earned him the University’s Service Beyond the Call of Duty Award at the recently held 2025/2026 Academic Excellence Awards.

Prof Topside Mathonsi An accomplished researcher and academic leader, Prof Mathonsi serves as Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Information Technology in the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology. His work spans cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT) and other emerging technologies.

He is also a National Research Foundation (NRF) Y-rated researcher, which recognises young researchers who demonstrate the potential to establish themselves as independent researchers, based on the quality and productivity of their research outputs during their doctoral and early postdoctoral careers.

His scholarly contributions include 26 peer-reviewed journal articles, 15 edited book chapters, and 90 conference papers. He also contributes to the international research community through editorial and peer-review activities, serving as an Associate Editor of Sustainable Computing: Informatics and Systems and the South African Computer Journal, among other academic responsibilities.

Beyond publishing, Prof Mathonsi has prioritised developing the next generation of researchers. He has supervised and co-supervised 25 Master’s and 3 Doctoral students to completion and continues to mentor postgraduate researchers in cybersecurity, networking, IoT and smart systems. He has also hosted and co-hosted two postdoctoral research fellows.

His research leadership has attracted substantial external funding, including R5.37 million for the uMngeni–uThukela Water SCADA 4.0 project, R650 000 from the Technology Innovation Agency and R788 003 from the NRF. These investments support research in smart agriculture, IoT, cybersecurity and postgraduate development.

A major highlight of his career was receiving the 2025/2026 TW Kambule–NSTF Emerging Researcher Award, a first for TUT. The award recognises his contribution to intelligent technologies that combine artificial intelligence and IoT to protect critical resources, including water, agriculture and essential infrastructure.

He was also named a finalist in the IT Personality Award category of the 2026 Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA) President’s Awards.

Together, these achievements reflect a researcher whose work extends beyond academic publications. Through innovation, research partnerships, and postgraduate mentorship, Prof Mathonsi is helping to strengthen TUT’s research capacity while contributing to technological solutions to challenges facing society.