HUMAN
BY DESIGN

Maharishi Invincibility Institute

A pioneering non-profit education institution providing accessible, Consciousness-Based education. MII focuses on holistic human development to empower underprivileged youth with high-impact, market-relevant career opportunities.

David & Tracey Frankel Foundation

Established by the David & Tracey Frankel Foundation, NextUp is a not-for-profit initiative unlocking sustainable economic opportunities for youth not in employment, education, or training (NEETs).

“The future is not human versus machine. It is Human Consciousness guiding technology.”

Dr. Taddy Blecher

“The rarest skill isn’t building fast anymore - it’s knowing what’s worth building.”

David Frankel

Our Partnership

The Maharishi NextUp Institute of Technology is born from a visionary philanthropic partnership between the Maharishi Invincibility Institute (MII) and the NextUp foundation (established by the David & Tracey Frankel Foundation). MII contributes over two decades of transformative consciousness-based education, holistic human development, and values-led leadership, while NextUp provides cutting-edge industry curricula, philanthropic backing, and direct pipelines into high-growth digital technology careers. Together, this powerful union dismantles systemic barriers and equips South African youth to lead the future of technology.

Academic History

Digital Youth ICT Academy: a legacy we carry forward

The Maharishi NextUp Institute of Technology (MNIT) builds on more than two decades of training and placement in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). It began in 2003 as the Community and Individual Development Association (CIDA) ICT Academy, a partnership between T-Systems and CIDA City Campus and later became the T-Systems ICT Academy. In 2021 T-Systems donated the Academy to the Afrika Tikkun Maharishi Academy (ATMA), a non-profit company jointly owned by the Maharishi Invincibility Institute (MII) and Afrika Tikkun, and it was renamed the Digital Youth ICT Academy (DYICT). Over...

Marcus Karuppan

Academics / Executive Director

Marcus Karuppan

Marcus drives the academic vision, industry curricula, and strategic pedagogy across all MNIT programmes, ensuring work-readiness and technical mastery for South African youth.

Profile

Val Jansen

Operations / Office Director

Val Jansen

Val oversees seamless campus operations, administration, and corporate partner integration, ensuring a high-performance environment across our 10-storey Johannesburg campus.

Profile

Eric Zwane

Head of Delivery

Eric Zwane

Eric spearheads student recruitment, cohort delivery pipelines, and employer transition pathways, bridging talent directly into high-growth technology roles.

Profile

Regina Fadzai Tatisa

Head of M&E Learning & QA

Regina Fadzai Tatisa

Regina leads quality assurance and monitoring frameworks, guaranteeing every qualification adheres to rigorous enterprise standards and absorption benchmarks.

Profile

Kholofelo Selaelo

Head of Administration

Kholofelo Selaelo

Kholofelo manages registrar functions, academic records, and student lifecycle management across all active learnership cohorts.

Profile

Bakang Matsomo

Division Lead: Recursive Enough

Bakang Matsomo

Bakang leads digital systems, frontend platforms, and creative engineering for MNIT and Recursive Enough initiatives.

Profile

Kgatlhiso Ramokgopa

Monitoring & Evaluation

Kgatlhiso Ramokgopa

Kgatlhiso tracks learner progression data, attendance metrics, and practical assessments to ensure transparent reporting for employer sponsors.

Profile

Aletta Manyaka

Stream Lead | IT Facilitator

Aletta Manyaka

Aletta directs specialized IT curricula in system support and cloud technologies, mentoring students through simulated industry capstone sprints.

Profile

Kabelo Bopape

Stream Lead | IT Facilitator

Kabelo Bopape

Kabelo coaches learners in systems support, networking protocols, and modern DevOps tools, instilling practical problem-solving capabilities.

Profile

MNIT All-Hands (18)•Click tile to expand bio

Grid 1/2

MNIT ALL-HANDS

18 CONNECTED

Academics / Executive Director