Students advance to finals of major technology competitions

Students from the Department of Information Technology (IT) in the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) have achieved a significant milestone by advancing to the top 10 in two major technology competitions.

TUT students representing the university at CHPC Student Cluster Competition. The students will represent TUT in the finals of the Centre for High-Performance Computing (CHPC) Student Cluster Competition and the SANReN Cyber Security Challenge (hosted by the South African National Research Network), with both finals scheduled for late November and early December 2026.

The achievement highlights the students’ ability to apply their academic knowledge to practical challenges in high-performance computing, systems administration, networking, cybersecurity, problem-solving and teamwork. It also reflects the faculty’s commitment to equipping students with practical skills that prepare them for the demands of the technology sector.

TUT’s Team Switch Squad has secured a place among the top 10 teams in the CHPC Student Cluster Competition, an initiative of the Centre for High-Performance Computing (CHPC), which forms part of South Africa’s National Integrated Cyberinfrastructure System (NICIS) under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

The competition gives university students an opportunity to develop and demonstrate practical skills in high-performance computing, Linux operating systems, computer networking, cluster architecture, hardware configuration, systems administration, parallel computing and performance optimisation.

The competition places students in practical environments in which they are required to work collaboratively to configure, manage and optimise computing systems while solving complex technical challenges. TUT is represented by Team Switch Squad comprising Tsotetsi Katleho, Edwin Ngobeni, Tsoka Jurry and Tsholofelo Mokapu, under the mentorship of Thabiso Khosa, an IT Department lecturer.

The team performed strongly during the qualifying stages, earning a place among the top 10 and securing a spot in the final.

The CHPC competition began during the July recess, with the final stage scheduled for late November and early December 2026.

Adding to the Faculty’s achievement, Team BinaryForce has also secured a place among the top 10 finalists in the SANReN Cyber Security Challenge.

The competition is organised by the South African National Research and Education Network (SANReN), which is part of NICIS at the CSIR. It provides university students with opportunities to develop practical cybersecurity skills through challenges involving network security, vulnerability assessment, ethical hacking, penetration testing, digital investigation, system security and cyber-threat analysis.

The competition began in February 2026, giving participating teams an opportunity to apply their cybersecurity knowledge and problem-solving skills throughout the year.

TUT’s Team BinaryForce comprises Daniel Tshabalala, who serves as team leader, Mosima Mashishi, Oarabetse Nteo, and Amanda Ndzoyiya, with Thabiso Khosa, and Sammy Papi, IT Department lecturers, serving as their mentors.

The team’s achievement is particularly noteworthy given the scale of the competition, which attracted more than 260 teams from universities across South Africa and other Southern African countries.

From this highly competitive field, Team BinaryForce progressed to the top 10, securing its place in the final stage. The achievement demonstrates the students’ ability to apply cybersecurity knowledge to practical challenges while working effectively as a team.

Their achievement reflects TUT’s vision of being “An entrepreneurial university of technology, shaping the future” and its commitment to excellence and innovation.