A career of service: Douglas Sias retires

The University of Cape Town (UCT) bids farewell to Douglas Sias, learning technologies consultant, after 15 years of service marked by dedication to digital literacy, union advocacy, and an unwavering belief in the transformative power of education.

Sias will retire from UCT, but his influence on students, colleagues and institutional culture will endure for years.

Earlier this month, colleagues gathered to celebrate his contributions to learning technologies and his principled advocacy for staff through the UCT Employees Union. Many expressed gratitude for his patience, integrity and commitment to ensuring that those often overlooked in higher education are heard and valued.

The making of an educator

His journey began in the 1980s at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), a time of chalk dust, overhead projectors and political awakening. After completing his BA, he began teaching in 1984 and later served as head of department and school principal.

These early years in the classroom shaped his philosophy of education. “Year after year, I encountered learners from deeply disadvantaged backgrounds – young people who dreamed boldly and persevered against significant odds,” Sias reflected. “Watching them succeed reinforced my purpose that would guide my career.”

“Once an educator, always an educator. That truth followed me across every chapter of my life.”

Leaving school teaching was one of the hardest choices he made. But as he put it: “Once an educator, always an educator. That truth followed me across every chapter of my life.”

Before joining UCT, he also worked as a journalist for Independent Newspapers, where he developed his instincts for listening and understanding communities. That experience exposed him to what he describes as the “woundedness” many communities carry, and from it emerged a core principle: “Nothing about us, without us.”

For Sias, this meant that those who are meant to learn must be involved, must own the knowledge, and must feel seen. It became a guiding belief throughout his career.

Digital literacy and student transformation

He joined the Education Development Unit in UCT’s Faculty of Health Sciences in 2010, where he became central to Vula support and coordinator of the Digital Literacy Programme for first-year students. The programme became one of the defining highlights of his UCT career.

“Each year, I met new students who were overwhelmed by the university’s digital systems,” he said. “But every year, I witnessed the same transformation: students who were uncertain at first became confident, capable users of digital tools.”

“Every year, I witnessed the same transformation: students who were uncertain at first became confident, capable users of digital tools.”

He recalls receiving an email from a PhD student who had completed his Digital Literacy class as a first-year. “He thanked me for the skills he acquired, skills that had helped him ever since. That reminded me of the difference we make in the lives of others, even when we don’t realise it.”

These moments, repeated across cohorts, affirmed his belief in the lasting impact of teaching. Over the years, Sias cultivated a passion for educational technology, completing the postgraduate diploma in educational technology at UCT in 2015. This achievement made him a triple alumnus of UWC, Stellenbosch University and UCT.

Advocacy and the fight for fairness

Perhaps the most significant aspect of his UCT journey has been his long-standing involvement in the UCT Employees Union. His political consciousness was shaped at UWC during the student activism of the 1980s, and his commitment to social justice carried through into his union work.

He speaks openly about how professional, administrative support and service (PASS) staff remain undervalued within the higher education sector and how institutional culture must still evolve. His role in the union gave him a way to stand in that gap: to serve, support and advocate for fairness.

“It will be an honour if I am remembered as having given my best to balance the scales in their favour.”

Sias represented colleagues with integrity and discretion. Many sought him out not only because he understood policy, but because he could be trusted.

When asked what he hopes to be remembered for, he answered without hesitation: “I hope I will be remembered for my work as part of the Employees Union. The wins (and losses) we achieved lie close to my heart. It will be an honour if I am remembered as having given my best to balance the scales in their favour.”

What lies ahead

Sias quipped: “When people ask me what I’m going to do in retirement, I laugh and say ‘Sit on my stoep’.”

But there is much more he is looking forward to: taking time out, adjusting to a life without schedules, travelling across South Africa, and experiencing the landscapes and people that make the country what it is.

Most importantly, he hopes to continue what he has always done: learn, teach, make friends and be taught. “Learning never ends,” he said.

Through his work in digital literacy, his advocacy for staff rights, and his commitment to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, Sias has left a mark on UCT that extends far beyond the technologies he supported. His legacy, as colleagues noted, is one of compassion, justice and an enduring belief in the dignity of every person in the university community.