The Centre for Business Mathematics and Informatics (CBMI) at the North-West University (NWU) recently hosted its impressive CBMI Prestige Awards, celebrating academic excellence, resilience, and innovation among students in the fields of actuarial science, business analytics, quantitative risk management, and financial mathematics.

The event, held at The Roots, brought together students, academics, industry leaders, and strategic partners in recognition of the growing influence of the university in producing graduates equipped for the modern financial and analytics sectors. Supported by Absa, SAS, and Investec, the ceremony highlighted the importance of collaboration between academia and industry in preparing students for real-world business challenges.

Among the top achievers of the evening was Barend Lucas Douw Geldenhuys, who received the award for Best First-Year Project. Boitshepo Malatji and Chinedu Okechukwu were honoured as the Best Third-Year BMI Students at the Vaal and Potchefstroom campuses, respectively.

In the honours-degree division, Magdalena Johanna Gonin was recognised as the Best BMI Honours BA Student, while Sharon Amy Akoth Okello received the Best BMI Honours QRM Student award. Dian Raubenheimer earned recognition as the Best BMI Honours Actuarial Student.

The awards also celebrated determination and innovation in research-focused learning. Anel Human and Maledimo Harold Tau were commended for their resilience during the Industry-Directed Research Project, while Ruan Huttingh [WL1.1] received the award for Best Industry-Directed Research Project. Mohammed Gabru was honoured as the Best MSc BMI Student.

The industry-directed research projects of the CBMI continue to play a major role in bridging the gap between theory and practice, allowing students to engage directly with real business and financial challenges alongside professionals in the corporate sector.

“The event was a great success and truly reflected the excellence, resilience, and hard work of our students. It was inspiring to see academia and industry coming together to celebrate the future leaders of the financial and analytical sectors,” said Mmaserame Masike, one of the organisers of the event.
One of the outstanding achievers, Chinedu Okechukwu, who is currently completing his honours degree in Business Analytics (Data Science) at the age of 21 after having started school a year early, shared his inspiring academic journey.

“It was not easy, but it is rewarding,” he said. “Initially, I wanted to study Psychology, while my parents wanted me to study Engineering. After seeing my matric results in the newspaper with Mathematics and Physics being my highest subjects – at 94 per cent each, one of the lecturers, Robert Maxwell, approached my sister, Chioma Okechukwu, who studied in the BMI field, to convince me to do the same. I do not regret choosing this path, and I am very grateful for the opportunities it has opened for me.”

Okechukwu said his plans include completing his master’s degree, gaining industry experience, and eventually returning to academia to pursue a PhD.

“I see myself working in the financial sector and becoming one of the industry leaders in the future,” he said. He also encouraged prospective students to fully understand the demands of the programme before enrolling.

“Understand the reason why you want to do this. This is a very difficult degree. You need strong time management skills and good relationships to succeed,” he advised.