At a time when Africa is embracing the digital future, Chuma Memela, a master’s student in Information Systems at the University of Fort Hare (UFH), is making a name for himself as a multi-award-winning tech leader, both locally and on the continent.
Just this month (November 2025), Memela secured two prestigious awards: the Tech Driven Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the African Entrepreneurship and Business Awards in Lagos, Nigeria, and the Youth Category (Male) Award at the Symphony Business Chamber Business Awards in East London.
This week, he continues to elevate the UFH flag as he serves on the Community of Practice (CoP) representing UFH at the national EDHE (Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education) Entrepreneurship Intervarsity Competition finals currently underway.
For UFH, his achievements come as no surprise, having graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics and Information Systems, achieving twenty-three distinctions. He later completed his Honours in Information Systems as the top performer in his class.
A Force in The Tech Sector
The multi-award-winning tech entrepreneur is an AI innovator, trainer, speaker, research consultant, coach, and mentor. He is the founder and Managing Director of Genie-yus AI, a technology consulting and training company that focuses on making artificial intelligence accessible, practical, and valuable for individuals and organisations. Memela is also the co-founder and CEO of Gambuu, a platform that connects people to coaches, experts, and professionals.
He has delivered more than 20 keynote and expert talks at conferences, summits, universities, municipalities, development agencies, and national entrepreneurship forums. His topics include AI literacy, digital transformation, future of work trends, and the role of technology in small-business competitiveness.
His media footprint includes radio and national television appearances, including a recent feature discussing AI developments in relation to the G20 Summit, further cementing his position as a trusted voice in South Africa’s innovation conversation.
Some of his insights can be read here:
“How SA can bridge the gap between connection and capability.”
“The issue isn’t students using AI, it’s SA’s outdated academic models.”
“INSIGHT | Human-centred approach to AI essential in SA”
“South Africa’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) unpreparedness is a ticking time bomb.”
Commenting on his commendable attainments, Memela said the past eight years have been a test of ambition, endurance, and self-belief.
“If there is one truth my journey proves, it is that extraordinary outcomes do not require perfect conditions. They require consistency, patience, and the refusal to stop, even when the climb feels slow and unforgiving. Progress is built in silence long before it is celebrated in public.”
“My story is proof that it can be done, and that perseverance can outlast circumstance.
Memela’s trajectory is clear: he is not just part of the future, he is helping to build it.
Congratulations!