Analytical, empathetic and detail-orientated, Sibabalwe Ishmael Kula plays a pivotal role in shaping the student experience at SU. From managing thousands of residence placements to supporting students and families under pressure, he combines systems thinking with a strong commitment to fairness and empathy, ensuring every placement contributes to a sense of belonging. 

What does your role at SU entail?

My primary role as Student Accommodation Officer is the management of the placement of male students in junior residences (just over 2 700 beds). This involves residence cancellations, managing waiting lists, maintaining accurate student records, supporting full occupancy and ensuring that residence offers and placements are handled fairly, transparently and in line with the residence placement policy.

A major part of my work is client service. Students and parents often contact us during very stressful moments, especially when accommodation is uncertain. My role requires me to respond with professionalism, empathy and clear communication, while still applying the policy consistently.

I also contribute to the University’s wider diversity objectives in residence placement. This involves looking carefully at placement patterns, socio-economic considerations, bursary-related cases and the broader goal of creating diverse and inclusive residence communities.

Across all my roles, I focus strongly on systems and process improvement. I enjoy identifying gaps, simplifying workflows and creating clearer ways of working so that teams can operate more effectively. I strive to practise value-driven management and leadership, where decisions are guided by fairness, accountability, care and the long-term development of people.

In addition to this, I serve as an assistant residence head at Academia Residence, specifically for Saxenhof House. I oversee eight blocks, and I work closely with assistant residence heads, block leaders, house committee members and other student leaders. My portfolio includes focusing on block leaders, critical engagement, internationals, and leadership development.

What does a typical day at work look like?

Each day is different, which is probably why I enjoy the work so much. A normal day can include working through student accommodation queries, processing placements or cancellations, updating records, liaising with residence heads and assisting students who need guidance on their accommodation options.

There are also many conversations behind the scenes. I liaise with internal role-players such as Bursaries and Loans, Student Fees, Student Recruitment, CSLL, Academic Administration and student leaders. The aim is always to make sure that students receive the correct information and that matters are dealt with as quickly and fairly as possible.

During peak periods, especially at the beginning of the year, the pace becomes very intense. There is immense pressure to manage occupancy, handle late changes, respond to urgent queries and still keep the student experience at the centre of the process. In those moments, I have learnt that strong systems matter. Clear processes, accurate records and good communication can make a major difference to both staff and students.

My residence head role adds another layer to my day. In the evenings or after hours, I am involved in student support, leadership check-ins, block matters, incident records, conflict resolution, or planning around block events to foster community engagement. Part of my responsibility is helping leaders understand the standard graduate-ready skills, build confidence and create healthy living communities.

How did your education or past experiences prepare you for this job?

My academic background is in science with a primary focus on microbiology, virology, genetics, bioinformatics, and computational biology. Currently, I am completing a thesis focused on genomic analysis of commercially important South African chenin blanc clones.

At first glance, this may seem far from student accommodation. I have to mention that research has trained me to be analytical, organised and detail-orientated. In accommodation work, details matter. A small administrative error can affect a student’s living arrangements and ultimately academic success, so accuracy is essential. My scientific training and exposure to programming also shape the way I approach systems: I look for patterns, test what works and try to improve processes based on evidence rather than assumptions.

I think that my previous leadership experience at other institutions also prepared me strongly for this role. Looking specifically at SU, I served as the primarius of Lobelia senior residence, where I supported the residence head, led with student leaders, supported residents, responded to crises and helped build a healthy residence community. 

What do you enjoy most about your role and working at SU?

I enjoy knowing that my work has a direct impact on the lives of students and their guardians. Accommodation is not just about a room. It affects belonging, safety, academic focus and the way a student experiences tertiary education.

I also enjoy the human side of the work. Most of the time, the best part of the day is helping a student understand their options, calming a parent’s concerns, or working with a residence head to solve a difficult placement matter.

At Academia Residence, I enjoy developing student leaders. Seeing leaders grow into their roles, learn from mistakes and start to take ownership of their communities is very rewarding. I believe that leadership development is not just about titles; it is about helping people become more thoughtful, responsible and self-aware.

Truly, what I enjoy the most is being able to create value in different ways, through accurate administration, improved systems, better communication and leadership that is rooted in care and values-driven management. Working at SU has allowed me to combine curiosity, excellence, leadership, and development into one space. That is the variety that keeps me going.

Tell us something about yourself that few people would expect.

Although my day-to-day work centres on student accommodation and leadership development, my professional identity is also deeply rooted in bioinformatic research. My work on genome assembly and variant analysis represents a very different domain – one driven by genomics, complex data and computational biology. It contributes to a rapidly advancing field with far-reaching implications for biological discovery, from understanding genetic diversity to allowing more precise and data-driven insights into health, agriculture and environmental systems.

In the long term, I aspire to build a career that integrates my love for science, leadership and service, while creating opportunities to contribute positively to the broader community.