Malcolm Nyondo

Malcolm Nyondo is from Malawi and studies Industrial Engineering and Data Science at Northwestern University in the United States. He joined VAC in June 2026 and completed an internship with a South African fintech company focused on digital payments and financial inclusion, where he applied his analytical background to real business challenges.

I chose Cape Town because it gave me the opportunity to explore both my professional and personal interests. Having a Southern African background was a big part of what drew me here. South Africa is a country I remembered fondly from previous experiences, and doing an internship here gave me a chance to experience what life might actually feel like if I ever chose to live here long term.

Professionally, one of the things I enjoyed most was being able to take concepts I had learned at university and apply them in a real business environment. My internship was with a fintech company focused on financial inclusion, and I used data analysis to identify patterns that were holding the business back from reaching its maximum impact.

That experience gave me a different perspective on how analytical skills can contribute to business decisions. It was also an environment where you had to be proactive and self-driven. I learned that you cannot always wait for someone to tell you exactly what to do; sometimes you need to identify where you can contribute and take responsibility for moving the work forward.

Outside of the internship, one of the things I appreciated most about Cape Town was the balance I was able to create between work, my social life and my personal interests. I really enjoyed the outdoor activities, particularly the hikes, and I had enough independence to develop my own routines while still knowing VAC support was available when I needed it.

Living here taught me a lot about how I structure my days and what kind of balance makes me feel fulfilled. That was probably one of the most valuable parts of the experience for me. Cape Town gave me room to think seriously about both the kind of work I want to do and the kind of life I want to build around it.