For any designer, the true test of a concept is its ability to withstand pressure. For University of Johannesburg (UJ) graduate Rethabile Mosia, earning her BA Honours in Industrial Design from the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture (FADA) was an intense journey that proved exactly what she is capable of achieving.
Walking across the graduation stage at UJ represents the culmination of years of relentless effort and late nights. For Rethabile, the moment was a celebration shared with the people who supported her most.
“It felt incredible being able to walk across and see my family cheering for me. The ceremony represented how much I’ve overcome and being there with my class was an amazing feeling. I’m so proud of myself and it was nice to be able to celebrate all the literal blood, sweat and tears that went into my work,” she shares.
Reflecting on the deeper personal meaning behind her degree, Rethabile notes that the challenges along the way only made the victory sweeter.
“This qualification means a lot to me as it was not easy at all. My skills and strength were constantly being tested and I was able to prove my capabilities to myself.”
Rethabile’s time at UJ was more than just theory; it was about active engagement and learning to lead. From student to mentor, her trajectory within FADA allowed her to appreciate her own growth in real-time.
“Overall, I had a very positive experience. I was able to learn most of the things I was curious about. I was able to achieve the results I wanted, and I made great friends who helped me along the way. Becoming a tutor for the department in 3rd year and Honour was such a learning experience as it really helped me see how far I’ve come and it strengthened my passion for the field. The journey taught me many lessons that I’m going to take into industry,” Rethabile reflects.
Rethabile is already proving the power of her industrial design training on a national level. Having co-designed the award-winning project Latch, she is focused on utilizing UJ’s vibrant innovation ecosystem, specifically the UniPod (University Innovation Pod) and incubation resources, to scale the design from a concept into a tangible product for South African mothers.
“I definitely plan on using UJ’s resources to take Latch further. Winning this competition has created amazing opportunities for us and we cannot waste it. Latch will become a household name that mothers everywhere will have access to and use.”
Rethabile has some powerful words of advice for the first-year students standing at the starting line of their university experience. Her message to them is to push past self-doubt and embrace the unexpected:
“I would tell them to grab any opportunity they get to showcase themselves and go for it. When I decided to participate in this competition, my hopes were pretty low and I didn’t expect the outcome that we received. It wouldn’t have happened if we didn’t try at all. You’re your worst critic, so even if you don’t believe in yourself, chances are that you’re fully capable and there’s many other people who see that.”
