Mr. Mfundo Andrew Maneli earned both National and Advanced Diplomas in Software Development from Nelson Mandela University (NMU), South Africa. He finished his Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in E-Skills Development with Immersive Technology at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in South Africa. He completed his M.Sc. in Computer Science Degree in record time with Magna Cum Laude from UWC. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Computer Science at UWC. He has published in accredited high-impact journal platforms and several conference platforms. One of his papers presented at the 14th ITU-Kaleidoscope conference, on the theme “Extended Reality: Enhancing Quality of Experience and Interoperability,” was nominated for a best paper award.  He is also a reviewer for the IEEE Access journal platform, the AfriCHI conference, the ETNCC conference, and the 2024 Cybersecurity4D conference. Mfundo was also selected as one of the two hundred most qualified young researchers from around the world to participate in the 10th Heidelberg Laureate Forum, held in Heidelberg, Germany, for his unrestrained, interdisciplinary exchange.
His research interests include Software Development, LiDAR 3D reconstruction solutions, Machine learning, Computer Vision, and applications of Immersive Technology in diverse computing settings. His exceptional academic and research achievements have resulted in numerous awards, including the Golden Key International Honour Society Award, the ITU Kaleidoscope Young Author Recognition Certificate, and the Heidelberg Laureate Forum Scholarship.