Varsity dropout turned AI entrepreneur earns master’s degree

When Chuma Memela dropped out of university after two years of studying dietetics, he had no clear plan for what would come next.

His family was disappointed. He had tried his hand at foreign exchange trading , lost money and later completed a learnership in export freight, only to realise that this was not the career he wanted either.

Seven years later, Memela has three qualifications from the University of Fort Hare, including a Master of Commerce in Information Systems and runs an artificial intelligence company Genie-yus AI that helps businesses and entrepreneurs use technology.

His journey has also taken him from struggling to find employment to building an online AI learning community with more than 4,000 registered members across 32 countries in its first three months.

But behind the achievements is a story of uncertainty, rejection and the decision to give himself another chance.

“I felt as if I had fallen behind. Many people my age were already graduating, entering the workforce or building their careers, while I was starting another undergraduate qualification. But I decided that if I had another opportunity to study, I would make the most of it,” he said.

Memela enrolled at Fort Hare in 2019, at the age of 23, to study for a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics and Information Systems.

His interest in financial markets led him to economics, while information systems introduced him to the role technology could play in business and society.

He initially struggled to see himself as a technical person, but his outlook changed as he learnt more about how technology could create opportunities.

Determined to make his second chance count, he set himself the goal of becoming the top student in his class.

He completed his BCom cum laude in 2021, earning 23 distinctions across his undergraduate studies.

One of the biggest misconceptions about artificial intelligence is that you must be a programmer, software engineer or technically qualified professional to benefit from it. That is not the case.

The following year, he completed his Honours degree in Information Systems, finishing at the top of his class.

He recalled spending long hours in the university library, arriving at about 8am and staying until around 10pm.