For Rivaldo de Bruin, the top-of-the-range laptop that he recently received from the Stellenbosch-based payment processing company Pay@ is more than just a gift, “it is an investment in my future”.
This second year BCom Mathematical Sciences student from Atlantis, Cape Town, was among 31 undergraduate students who received laptops to help them in their studies. A further 4 desktops were donated to assist postgraduate students in their research. The total value of the donation was R626 000.
"I'm grateful for this awesome donation, which will give me the opportunity to expand and accommodate my learning in computer science," Rivaldo said.
Pay@ is a first time donor to Stellenbosch University (SU) and prefers to donate locally. The company offers convenient, simple and secure bill payment gateways to consumers, allowing them to pay their bills at any of their retailers across South Africa.
At a handover ceremony on the Stellenbosch campus, Nicho Bouma, Chief Information Officer of Pay@, encouraged students to go out and make a difference in the world. Bouma said it was a privilege that their donation could be used to help students in need. "At Pay@ we believe in making a positive difference."
Prof Louise Warnich, Dean of the Faculty of Science, welcomed the donation and expressed hope that this “purposeful partnership” will grow in the future. “This is an investment in our students' future, but also an investment in Pay@’s future, because you may be looking at your future employees!"
Photo Caption: At the back: Bernd Fischer, Department head of the Department of Computer Science, Nicho Bouma, Chief Information Officer of Pay@ Services (Pty) Limited and Carel Botha, Business Developer. Front: Angel Siwele who won a lucky draw of R500, Rivaldo de Bruin and Prof Louise Warnich.
