The award was presented to Prof Calitz in recognised for the significant role he has played in the Information Systems (IS) community in South Africa throughout his academic career.
He was the co-organiser of six SACLA and SAICSIT conferences and created numerous opportunities for local academics to present and publish their work on IS research and education.
Prof Calitz also revitalised and strengthened SACLA (Southern African Computer Lecturers’ Association) at a time when the future of the association appeared uncertain.
Over many years, he served on the SAICSIT Board (SA Institute for Computer Scientists and Information Technologists) as a representative of SACLA, helping to strengthen the ties between the two organisations.
In addition, he has published a substantial number of papers, chapters and articles, both individually and in collaboration with colleagues and postgraduate students, many of whom he mentored.
Prof Calitz serves on the SACLA Board as Past-President. He is still involved in the planning of future conferences and has successfully negotiated the co-hosting of the three conferences (SACLA/SAICSIT/AISSAC) at UCT in 2026, WITS in 2027 and UKZN in 2028.
Prof Calitz holds two doctorates, a PhD in Computer Science and a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA). He is a NRF C1-rated researcher and has published extensively in international journals and conferences.
His recent paper that won the International Business Conference (IBC) 2023 conference Best Paper Award, ChatGPT – The New MBA Student in your Class, has received national recognition in all major media, including the Financial Mail and ITWeb.