The University of the Free State’s (UFS) institutional Lekgotla Men’s Well-Being Project continues to make a meaningful impact on the lives of male students by empowering them to become responsible and resilient men in society while enhancing their overall well-being within the university environment.

As part of this ongoing initiative, the UFS hosted a men’s well-being hiking programme at the breathtaking Maletsunyane Waterfall in Semonkong, Lesotho, on 23 May 2026. The programme was designed to empower male students through a physically demanding hiking experience that encouraged mental resilience, self-reflection, and physical wellness.

More than just an opportunity for exercise and adventure, the hike provided a platform for meaningful engagement and personal growth. Along the trail, students participated in interactive breakaway discussions focused on challenges commonly faced by young men and explored strategies for resilience, personal development, and mutual support.

Discussions centred on several important questions:

• What pressures do young men face today that are often overlooked?

• What does resilience mean on a personal level, and how can it be developed?

• How can men support one another without fear of judgement?

These conversations created a safe and supportive environment where participants could openly share their experiences, reflect on personal challenges, and learn from one another while navigating the demanding terrain.

Reflecting on the experience, Siyabonga Dyantyi, a fourth-year Bachelor of Laws (LLB) student, said: “This hike empowered me to never give up in life, no matter the challenges. Through this hike, I learned that life is full of challenges, but you have to keep going no matter how steep the slope.”

Before the hike commenced, Dr Temba Hlasho, Executive Director of Student Affairs, Sport, Arts and Culture, encouraged students to embrace the experience. He emphasised that the programme was intended not only to strengthen physical endurance, but also to prepare participants for future life challenges and help them discover their personal strengths and capabilities.

The programme successfully promoted mental wellness, resilience, peer support, and physical activity among male students. More importantly, it fostered meaningful engagement and self-reflection, contributing to students’ holistic development and reinforcing the university’s commitment to student well-being.

Through initiatives such as the Lekgotla Men’s Well-Being Project, the UFS continues to create opportunities that empower students to build resilience, strengthen positive support networks, and develop the skills needed to thrive both academically and personally.

Story and picture by Maile Sewape first appeared on the UFS website.

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The Association of African Universities (AAU) is leading a major research initiative on the state of access to higher education in Sub-Saharan Africa under a project supported by the British Council.

This initiative forms part of the Association’s ongoing efforts to strengthen inclusive and equitable education systems across the continent.

The study provides a comparative, evidence-based analysis across seven countries, namely Rwanda, Ethiopia, Malawi, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana, reflecting a diverse range of higher education contexts within the region.

Higher education systems across Sub-Saharan Africa are under increasing pressure, driven by rapid demographic growth, rising secondary school completion rates, and growing expectations for universities to contribute to economic development, social mobility, innovation, and democratic participation.

Against this backdrop, the study aims to generate deeper insights into the barriers and opportunities shaping access to higher education, with a focus on equity, inclusion, and system responsiveness.

The research adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining desk reviews, institutional case studies, student surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and digital access diagnostics, to provide a comprehensive understanding of access across different national contexts.

To strengthen analytical depth, the study is also developing two innovative tools: a Digital Readiness Scorecard and an Equity and Inclusion Index, designed to assess institutional capacity and inclusiveness.

Implementation follows a structured timeline. A piloting phase was conducted between December 2025 and January 2026, followed by data collection from February to March 2026. Analysis and synthesis are currently underway, with final outputs expected in May 2026.

These will include country and cross-country reports, a policy options paper, and stakeholder validation workshops to support engagement with policymakers and institutions across the region.

The study is expected to generate actionable, policy-relevant recommendations to inform decision-making, strengthen institutional capacity, and promote equitable access to higher education across the region.

Through this initiative, AAU is contributing to broader continental and global priorities, including the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Goal 4, which call for inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all.

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For Dr Rostislava Pashkevitch-Ngobeni, music has always been more than performance. It has been a lifelong bridge between continents, cultures and generations. Now, the Head of the Department of Performing Arts at the Tshwane University of Technology’s Faculty of Arts and Design has received one of Bulgaria’s highest music honours, the prestigious Golden Lyre Award (Zlatna Lyra), in recognition of her outstanding contribution to music, performance and arts education over several decades.

For Dr Pashkevitch-Ngobeni, the recognition represents not only acknowledgement of her own artistic pursuit, but also the enduring influence of music as a force that transcends borders and cultures.

Asked what the accolade means to her, she said: “Receiving the Golden Lyre Award is a deeply humbling honour, one that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Personally, it serves as a powerful reminder of why I fell in love with music in the first place: the ability to move people, to tell stories without words and to create moments that linger long after the last note fades.

“Professionally, this recognition inspires me to continue further, to take greater creative risks, dedicating myself to the craft with the same passion and discipline that brought me here.

“I am profoundly grateful to everyone who has walked this journey with me; my family, my mentors, my collaborators, my colleagues, my beloved students and above all, the audiences who have given my work meaning. This award belongs to all of you.”

Born in Moscow in the former Soviet Union and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria, she received her musical training in Bulgaria before moving to South Africa later in life. Since joining the TUT Faculty of Arts and Design in September 1999, she has played a pivotal role in shaping performing arts education while simultaneously building a distinguished international artistic career.

Her connection with music began at an early age. One of her most vivid childhood memories dates to when she was only six years old and performed during International Women’s Day celebrations in Sofia for the very first time. That unexpected moment became the beginning of a remarkable artistic journey.

As a young girl she would brave snowy paths to reach her piano lessons. This poignant memory underscores the dedication and resilience she demonstrated from an early age; the kind of unwavering commitment required to achieve mastery at her level.

Decades later, Dr Pashkevitch-Ngobeni returned to Bulgaria as an acclaimed musician and educator when she was invited to perform as the headline act at a concert celebrating International Women’s Day earlier this year.

The solo piano concert, entitled From Africa with Love, took place at the Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski and celebrated the artistic contributions of women whose voices transformed music history and advanced messages of dignity, empowerment and love.

Beyond performance, Dr Pashkevitch-Ngobeni has continued to promote cultural dialogue between Africa and Europe through collaborative artistic and educational initiatives. Her recent visit to Bulgaria formed part of the South African Music Technology, Innovation and Capacity-building (SAMTIC) project, funded by the Erasmus+ programme.

The event was beautifully complemented by performances and poetry presented by Dr Pashkevitch-Ngobeni’s students, colleagues and friends.

Throughout her career, Dr Pashkevitch-Ngobeni has balanced the worlds of artistic excellence, education and cultural diplomacy. This is a contribution that the Golden Lyre Award now formally recognises.

The event was beautifully complemented by performances and poetry presented by Dr Pashkevitch-Ngobeni’s students, colleagues and friends, while congratulatory messages from the Ambassador of Bulgaria to South Africa, Her Excellency, Dr Maria Pavlova Tzotzorkova, and the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Design, Prof Nalini Moodley, added a fitting touch to the celebration.

Dr Tzotzorkova said: “Coming to South Africa, Dr Pashkevitch-Ngobeni has enhanced the scope of her artistic pursuits. Her multidisciplinary art resonates across audiences of all generations and contributes to her electric and inspiring performances.”

“I am particularly proud that Dr Pashkevitch-Ngobeni truly represents the Bulgarian tradition in classical music and performing arts. This rich and powerful tradition in opera, ballet, music and dancing and respective professional and academic training has established itself over the centuries and produced world-renowned names in opera and classical music, such as Raina Kabaivanska,” she added.

Internationally celebrated South African soprano, Pretty Yende, trained under Kabaivanska.

Prof Moodley said: “Over more than two decades in South Africa, Dr Pashkevitch-Ngobeni has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to artistic excellence and arts education. As an accomplished concert pianist, respected academic and Head of the Department of Performing Arts, she has continually expanded the boundaries of what it means to be both artist and educator.”

“Perhaps most importantly, her legacy is found in the countless students she has inspired, mentored, challenged and guided. Her commitment to developing the next generation of performing artists is unparalleled and exemplifies the very best values that the Golden Lyre Award seeks to recognise,” Prof Moodley added.

For TUT’s Faculty of Arts and Design, the recognition serves as further affirmation of the global impact and calibre of its academic and artistic staff. Dr Pashkevitch-Ngobeni’s achievement reflects not only her own dedication and passion, but also the growing international reputation of the university’s arts community.

Story by By Gerrit Bester first appeared on the TUT website. Pictures by Thanini Biyase and courtesy of Dr Rostislava Pashkevitch-Ngobeni.

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Research led by the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, revealed a recent increase in sightings of the world’s two largest whale species in the southeastern Atlantic.

The research findings were published in the African Journal of Marine Science and compiled more than 60 years of confirmed sightings and strandings from Namibia and South Africa’s West Coast. The study focused on Antarctic blue whales and fin whales, both heavily targeted during the industrial whaling era.

“Our results provide important evidence that these giants of the ocean are slowly recovering from the devastating impact of 20th century commercial whaling, which pushed them to the brink of extinction,” said lead author Dr Bridget James from the Centre for Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation. “Sightings remain rare, but they are becoming more frequent than in previous decades, and with sustained protection there is reason to believe this recovery can continue.”

Nursery area for blue and fin whales

It’s believed that between 1913 and 1978, an estimated 350 000 blue whales and 750 000 fin whales were killed – causing dramatic global population declines. Today, Antarctic blue whales are still listed as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List. Their population is currently estimated at around 3% of the pre-whaling numbers – increasing slowly at about 5–8% per year. Fin whales on the other hand are classified as vulnerable, with populations thought to have recovered to more than 30% of historical levels and growing at about 4–5% annually.

“Historic whaling data suggests that the southeast Atlantic may once have been an important nursery area for both blue and fin whales.”

Despite these signs of improvement, both species remain difficult to study as they roam vast distances and spend much of their lives in remote Antarctic waters. Data from migration routes and potential breeding grounds, including the southeastern Atlantic, has been particularly limited.

“Historic whaling data suggests that the southeast Atlantic may once have been an important nursery area for both blue and fin whales. But until now we have had very little consolidated information on their more recent presence in this region,” Dr James said.

Plugging the gap

To plug the gap, researchers compiled verified sightings and strandings recorded between 1964 and March 2025. These focused on the Benguela upwelling ecosystem – a nutrient-rich region off Namibia and the West Coast of South Africa – to better understand trends in presence and seasonality.

Blue whales, James said, were recorded infrequently – with 12 sightings, one stranding and five additional published records. They were most often seen between late spring and autumn. Fin whales were encountered more often – with 76 sighting and six strandings and were seen all year round.

“As population slowly rebuild, we would expect to see these whales reoccupying parts of their historical range,” said co-author Dr Simon Elwen, the director of Sea Search and a research associate at the Department of BotZoo at Stellenbosch University. “The increase in sightings and strandings is consistent with this gradual recovery, although increased offshore observation efforts may also contribute.”

Threats remain

While these sightings are reassuring, researchers caution that recovery does not mean that threats have disappeared. Large whales remain at risk from ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, underwater noise, pollution and climate-driven changes in ocean ecosystems.

“Signs of a return to the southeast Atlantic do not signal full recovery for blue and fin whales, and these populations have a long way to go to reach their historic numbers,” said James.

And Elwen agreed.

“They point to resilience – but it should be emphasised that both species remain vulnerable to modern human pressures and highlight that even with more than 50 years of recovery since the end of commercial whaling, we could only compile 12 records of blue whales off our coast.”

James noted that part of the recently overserved increase in sightings might be related to an increase in observation efforts and reporting, especially records from marine wildlife observers working off seismic survey vessels looking for oil and gas.

“There is still a shortage of the type of systematic scientific monitoring around our coasts, that is needed to accurately assess the populations of these two species in the southeast Atlantic.”

“There is still a shortage of the type of systematic scientific monitoring around our coasts, that is needed to accurately assess the populations of these two species in the southeast Atlantic,” she said.

This was published on the UCT website.

©Higher Education Media Services.

A Tshwane University of Technology alumnus is celebrating a proud family achievement after two of his children graduated from the University within weeks of each other. Their success adds to a growing family legacy at TUT and highlights the transformative impact of higher education across generations.

Lucky Manzini, a National Higher Diploma in Education Management alumnus, has described TUT as the engine behind his family’s success following the graduation of two of his children from the institution. The latest graduations took place in May 2026 at the Pretoria and eMalahleni campuses.

“TUT is a reliable institution where we feel confident and empowered. After graduating at TUT, you feel really confident,” said Manzini.

Lucky’s daughter, Thando Nkosi, a Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management alumna, celebrated her fourth graduation from TUT since 2022. She enrolled for a Diploma in Crop Production in 2019 before obtaining an Advanced Diploma in Crop Science in 2022. In 2024, she completed an Advanced Diploma in Project Management and recently earned her Postgraduate Diploma in Project Management.

“I’m proud to say I’m a TUT alumna because of the beautiful experiences that I’ve had since 2019 until now,” she said.

Lucky’s son, Musa Manzini, Diploma in Computer Science graduate from the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology at the eMalahleni Campus, described his achievement as a special moment.

“It’s a great feeling and the story continues,” he said.

Musa is currently enrolled for an Advanced Diploma in Computer Science.

Manzini said witnessing two graduations within weeks of each other filled him with gratitude and pride.

“Coming to TUT is like planting a tree where you can get a good harvest in the end,” he said.

The family’s academic journey continues with another potential graduate on the horizon. Melusi Nkosi is currently in his second year of Supply Chain Management at the Pretoria Campus.

Manzini encouraged parents to motivate and guide their children on the importance of education and preparing for the future.

The family’s achievements reflect a lasting commitment to education and demonstrate how higher learning can create opportunities across generations.

Story by By Nhlawulo Vision Chauke was first published on the TUT website.

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The University of Cape Town (UCT) has signed a groundbreaking long-term renewable electricity supply agreement with Discovery Green as part of a broader strategic partnership focused on advancing sustainable energy and skills development.

The agreement represents the first long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) concluded between an energy trader and a public institution of higher education in South Africa, marking a significant milestone in how large public institutions can participate in the country’s energy transition.

Through this partnership, UCT joins more than 50 organisations whose wheeled renewable energy supply is managed by Discovery Green.

Under the agreement, Discovery Green will convert 70–90% of the electricity consumption of UCT’s main and health sciences campuses to renewable energy for just under 10 years, starting in the third quarter of 2027. This is expected to reduce the university’s carbon emissions by an estimated 33 200 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent each year. The PPA follows a successful pilot, with renewable energy supplied through Ampli Energy, a joint venture established by Discovery Green and Sasol in April 2025.

Long‑term renewable electricity supply to support UCT’s sustainability objectives

By replacing the majority of electricity demand across these campuses, the agreement makes a material contribution to UCT’s climate and sustainability objectives. It supports the reduction of Scope 2 emissions associated with electricity consumption and aligns with the university’s long-term environmental sustainability strategy.

UCT Vice-Chancellor Professor Mosa Moshabela said: “UCT is thrilled to have entered this groundbreaking agreement with Discovery Green to wheel renewable energy. This will support the university’s strategic plan to reduce its carbon footprint over the 10-year period.

“For UCT, securing renewable electricity at scale is an important step in reducing our environmental impact. At the same time, collaboration that supports research and skills development strengthens our ability to contribute meaningfully to South Africa’s long-term sustainability goals.”

Supporting long‑term planning in a constrained energy environment

Andre Nepgen, CEO of Discovery Green, stated that energy procurement has shifted from a purely operational consideration to a longer-term strategic priority.

“For large organisations such as universities, operating in an increasingly complex energy environment – characterised by electricity supply constraints, rising costs and the need to balance environmental impact – this shift is essential. Our platform is built for energy complexity and scale, suitable to address the university’s current challenges and offer superior long-term value.”

The agreement demonstrates how public institutions can use long-term renewable energy procurement to address energy constraints, cost volatility and decarbonisation objectives within South Africa’s current electricity framework.

Manfred Braune, UCT’s Director for Environmental Sustainability, notes: “With the many old heritage buildings on most of its campuses, UCT has limited roof space that it can add solar PV onto, meaning that we have to look off-campus to increase our purchase of renewable energy. This wheeling agreement allows us to purchase a substantial amount of renewable energy from various solar and wind farms across the country via Discovery Green, who are registered energy traders that pool these various renewable energy resources.”

Braune adds: “How it works is that the physical electrons from those solar and wind farms do not necessarily arrive at UCT’s campuses, but the energy is injected into the grid from Discovery Green’s wind and solar farms which are contributing to the national pool of green energy produced. UCT receives a financial credit each month equivalent to the saving achieved on renewable energy purchased from Discovery’s renewable energy plants versus the Eskom price.”

A partnership extending beyond energy supply

In addition to the renewable electricity agreement, UCT and Discovery Green will collaborate on initiatives aimed at supporting skills development, research and knowledge creation in the fields of energy, engineering and sustainability.

This includes Discovery Green’s involvement in supporting selected scholarships within UCT’s engineering and actuarial science departments, contributing to the development of specialised skills needed to support South Africa’s energy transition.

Moshabela said: “We are also very excited that this relationship extends beyond the wheeling agreement and includes the annual funding of energy-related research as well as an undergraduate scholarship.”

Nepgen expressed a similar sentiment. “We believe that effective energy transition requires both reliable renewable energy supply at scale and the development of skills and knowledge to sustain it over time,” he said.

As the first PPA of its kind between an energy trader and a public university, the agreement sets an important precedent for how other large public sector institutions can participate in South Africa’s energy transition while maintaining operational certainty.

It also reflects Discovery Green’s broader role in supporting organisations across both the public and private sectors with structured, long-term solutions that address energy security, sustainability and system resilience.

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Their degrees are almost a guarantee of jobs - and they’re consistently among the best on the African continent. Now, Wits University has strengthened its position as Africa’s leading research powerhouse after being ranked No. 1 on the continent in the 2026 Centre for World University Rankings (CWUR). The University now sits 200th globally out of 21,291 institutions, placing it firmly within the top 1% of universities worldwide.

Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof. Zeblon Vilakazi FRS says the ranking underscores Wits’ growing global influence at a time when African universities are increasingly measured by their ability to produce world‑shaping knowledge and highly employable graduates.

“This achievement confirms Wits’ standing as a leading African institution with global reach and relevance,” Vilakazi says.

“The CWUR uses objective data to assess education quality, research output, faculty excellence and graduate employability. Being ranked first in Africa and among the top 1% globally reflects the collective excellence and ambition of our students, staff, alumni and partners.”

The recognition follows another major milestone: Wits was recently named the top university in sub‑Saharan Africa for innovation performance in the 2025 Global Innovation Index published by the World Intellectual Property Organization. The Index measures how effectively institutions convert research and technology into economic and social impact—an area where Wits continues to lead.

The CWUR, regarded as one of the most transparent global ranking systems, evaluated universities using 81 million data points. Wits excelled in indicators tied directly to real‑world influence, including a global Employability Rank of 97, highlighting the competitiveness of its graduates, and a Faculty Rank of 87, reflecting the distinction of its academic community.

Wits researchers are driving advances in pandemic response, AI, quantum technologies, climate science and inequality studies, while its humanities scholars—such as Holberg Prize laureate Prof. Achille Mbembe—continue to shape global intellectual debates.

The 2026 results reaffirm that African universities can compete with the world’s best while remaining deeply committed to advancing knowledge, opportunity and progress on the continent.

Wits. For Good.

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• Dr Panashe Chigumadzi, a historian and writer, was the speaker at Stellenbosch University’s 8th Annual Africa Day Lecture.

• Chigumadzi serves as rapporteur for the African Union committee of experts on reparations for racialised chattel enslavement, colonialism and apartheid.

• Africa Day, celebrated annually on 25 May, commemorates the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963.

The enslavement of black Africans was a “world-breaking crime” that continues to shape global inequality, sovereignty and power today – and now is the time to repair its enduring damage.

That was the central argument advanced by historian and writer Dr Panashe Chigumadzi during Stellenbosch University’s (SU) 8th Annual Africa Day Lecture on Wednesday evening (27 May 2026).

Drawing on Nobel laureate Toni Morrison’s 1992 observation that slavery “broke the world in half”, Chigumadzi argued that slavery, colonialism and apartheid should be understood not as separate historical episodes, but as part of a single enduring structure shaping the modern world.

In an address that drew together political philosophy, African intellectual traditions, reparations discourse and historical memory, Chigumadzi challenged the audiences to rethink ubuntu, justice and Africa’s place in the modern world.

Chigumadzi is the author of These Bones Will Rise Again, and is writing a new work The World is Dead: Ubuntu as an ethics of war and conquest under the 1779-1879 Wars of Dispossession. She is also a professor of African History at Brandeis University in the United States.

‘Gravest crime’

She serves as rapporteur for the African Union committee of experts on reparations for racialised chattel enslavement, colonialism and apartheid. She also drafted and conceptualised the AU reparations framework A Crime Does Not Rot: 1441 to Present, which informed Ghana’s landmark 25 March 2026 United Nations resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement “the gravest crime against humanity”.

The resolution explicitly links slavery to ongoing global inequalities and calls for “reparatory justice” – including formal apologies, restitution of stolen cultural property, compensation, rehabilitation, institutional reform and guarantees of non-repetition.

In her lecture at the SU Museum, Chigumadzi argued that the current global order could not be separated from the histories of enslavement and dispossession that shaped it – and that the debt created over 600 years remained unpaid.

High time for reparations

For her, the scale and endurance of these histories required reparations and what she called “radical redistribution” aimed at addressing structural dispossession across generations.

“A crime does not rot,” she said repeatedly throughout the lecture. The phrase also appears in the AU reparations framework and the subsequent UN resolution, which affirm that there is no statute of limitation on crimes against humanity.

Chigumadzi drew direct connections between slavery-era compensation and the accumulation of wealth in the Cape. She noted that when slavery was abolished in the British Empire in 1834, compensation was paid not to enslaved people but to slave owners for the loss of their “property”.

“We very rarely talk about the reparations that were actually paid to enslavers in this country,” she said.

According to Chigumadzi, the British Empire paid £20 million to slave owners across the empire after slavery was abolished in 1834 – approximately £2.7 billion in today’s terms and, at the time, about 40% of the British national treasury.

She noted that the Cape Colony received more than £1.2 million of that amount – nearly R4 billion in today’s terms – with Stellenbosch among the largest beneficiaries because of its extensive slaveholding economy.

Stellenbosch district, she said, held 8,452 enslaved people at emancipation in 1834, second only to Cape Town.

She argued that this capital helped lay the foundations for enduring concentrations of wealth in the Western Cape, including financial and business networks associated with Stellenbosch capital.

‘Radical ubuntu’ reclaimed

One of the lecture’s central interventions was Chigumadzi’s challenge to popular understandings of ubuntu.

She argued that the notion had often been reduced in post-apartheid South Africa to a language of individualised and interpersonal forgiveness detached from the structural histories of conquest, dispossession and structural inequality.

Chigumadzi traced part of this shift to what she described as the “mistranslation” of ubuntu by the Kenyan theologian John Mbiti in his influential 1969 book African Religions and Philosophy, in which he formulated ubuntu as: “I am because we are”.

She argued he did so as an African analogue to French philosopher René Descartes’s famous dictum “I think, therefore I am”, arguing that the modern Western conception of the autonomous individual had emerged alongside the expansion of racialised chattel slavery.

“Although the fullness of African metaphysical worlds cannot be translated into English without loss, the isiNtu language dictum ‘Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu’ is more accurately rendered as ‘A person is a person through other people’,” she said.

Drawing on oral traditions and more than 500 texts in isiXhosa, isiZulu, seTswana and seSotho recovered from 19th-century black newspapers, Chigumadzi argued that ubuntu was not simply a moral appeal to harmony, but an ethics concerned with sovereignty, accountability and collective obligation.

That is “the radical ubuntu we seek to reclaim tonight,” she said.

South Africa still ‘separated’ from rest of Africa

Chigumadzi argued that apartheid and settler colonialism had historically sought to separate the rest of the continent both politically and psychologically.

She did not explicitly address the current resurgence of xenophobic violence in South Africa during her input, but in an interview afterwards, she was clear: “This is Afrophobia – a centuries-old fear and hatred of black people. It’s the familiar “swartgevaar” (black peril) logic, so to speak.”

Chigumadzi linked anti-migrant sentiment to longer histories of racial exclusion, pass laws and what she described as the historical project of constructing South Africa as a “white man’s country”.

“For black people, there was the notion that you are trespassing on white property,” she said.

She argued that although democracy brought formal inclusion into the nation state, persistent inequality and limited economic redistribution after 1994 had intensified competition over scarce resources.

In the absence of structural reparations and land redistribution, “people are clinging on to that little crumbs afforded to them by citizenship within the nation state,” she said.

“When people feel they are not getting the actual economic benefits of citizenship, black ‘foreign nationals’ become easy scapegoats.”

‘Confront uncomfortable truths’

Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, Director of AVReQ, facilitated a discussion with the audience. Praising Chigumadzi’s “profound historical clarity”, she said: “You’ve brought this to our attention in such a powerful way.”

In his remarks, SU Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Deresh Ramjugernath described the lecture as part of the University’s commitment to creating spaces for difficult but necessary discussion.

“These are not easy conversations. They require a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths,” he said.

“But if universities are serious about their role in society, these are exactly the conversations we must be willing to host and engage in.”

Opportunity to remake the world

For Chigumadzi’s, the stakes of these discussions extend far beyond reflection.

If racialised chattel enslavement was a “world-breaking crime”, she argued, reparations must become a “world-making project”.

“And so this is the opportunity before us,” she concluded: “To rethink fundamentally what kind of world is possible.”

Story by Desmond Thompson first published on the Stellenbosch University website.

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World Economic Forum founder Professor Klaus Schwab said during a public lecture at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) on Friday that universities would need to radically rethink how they prepare students for an economy being reshaped by artificial intelligence.

Speaking at UJ’s Bunting Road Campus, Prof Schwab said higher education systems worldwide were failing to keep pace with technological disruption, warning that traditional models of teaching and learning were no longer sufficient for what he described as the “Intelligent Age”.

“The future is no longer something that simply happens to us,” Prof Schwab told the audience. “It is something we must consciously shape.”

Addressing an audience of academics, students, policymakers and business leaders, Schwab argued that artificial intelligence, automation and quantum computing are transforming society at a pace that governments, businesses and universities are failing to match.

Drawing on themes from his latest book, Universities, Professors, and Students in the Intelligent Age, Prof Schwab said universities could no longer function merely as institutions that transfer knowledge.

“Education can no longer be preparation for life,” he said. “Education must become a continuous condition of life.”

He argued that universities would need to evolve into lifelong learning ecosystems focused on adaptability, ethics, critical thinking and the responsible use of AI.

Prof Schwab warned that the global economy was entering a period of profound disruption in which entire industries, professions and social systems would be reshaped faster than most institutions are currently prepared for.

In a wide-ranging discussion, he also addressed what he described as a growing global crisis of trust fuelled by misinformation, political polarisation and widening inequality.

“Truth and trust have become the defining fault lines of our time,” Prof Schwab said, cautioning that societies unable to rebuild social cohesion would struggle to navigate the disruptions associated with emerging technologies.

The discussion expanded beyond higher education into the future of globalisation, stakeholder capitalism and leadership in a world increasingly shaped by intelligent technologies. Prof Schwab argued that leaders would need to place greater emphasis on ethics, social responsibility and long-term human outcomes as AI becomes more deeply integrated into economic and political systems.

Reflecting on South Africa’s economic future, Prof Schwab said the country continued to possess significant long-term potential despite structural challenges including unemployment, inequality and energy insecurity. He pointed to South Africa’s young population, sophisticated financial sector and emerging technology ecosystem as important strategic advantages.

The lecture comes as universities worldwide face mounting pressure to respond to artificial intelligence, changing labour markets and growing concern over the societal impact of emerging technologies.

UJ Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi, said the lecture highlighted the growing responsibility of universities to ensure technological progress remains grounded in human values and social impact.

“At a moment when artificial intelligence is reshaping economies, institutions and everyday life, universities cannot afford to stand still,” said Prof Mpedi. “The challenge before higher education is not simply to respond to technological change, but to help shape a future that remains ethical, inclusive and human-centred.”

Prof Mpedi said the discussion reflected the importance of creating spaces where global ideas and African perspectives could engage meaningfully on the defining issues of the modern era.

The public lecture drew strong interest from academia, business and the media amid growing global concern over how artificial intelligence will reshape education, economies and governance in the years ahead.

Masego Panyane writes for the Division for Global Engagement at the University of Johannesburg.

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The University of Johannesburg (UJ) Choir is set to place South Africa and the African continent at the centre of the global cultural spotlight after being selected to perform at the prestigious World Symposium on Choral Music 2026 from 23 to 28 August 2026.

In a major international breakthrough for African choral music, the choir has also been invited to officially open the symposium programme, a rare honour reserved for some of the world’s leading choral ensembles.

Hosted every three years by the International Federation for Choral Music, the symposium is widely regarded as the highest global platform for choral excellence, innovation and cultural exchange. Only 13 choirs from around the world were selected for the 2026 gathering in Macau, with the UJ Choir emerging as the sole representative from Africa.

The achievement marks a defining moment not only for the choir and the University, but for South African arts and culture more broadly. The invitation positions African choral music on one of the world’s most influential cultural stages before an audience of global conductors, composers, educators, scholars and leading choirs.

The symposium’s 2026 theme, “Reimagining the Future”, aligns strongly with the University’s own vision of innovation, African excellence and future-focused creativity through the arts. According to organisers, the symposium will explore how choral music continues evolving across cultures and generations while shaping new artistic possibilities for the future.

The choir enters this historic chapter under the leadership of Senior Choirmaster Sizwe Mondlane, who took over the ensemble in 2024 after first joining the choir as a student. Under his direction, the choir has strengthened its global sound while maintaining a distinctive South African identity rooted in diversity and musical integrity.

Speaking during recent anniversary celebrations, Mondlane said the choir aims to authentically present South African choral music as “a language of unity” capable of connecting audiences across cultures and continents.

Fresh from celebrating its 50-year anniversary, the choir heads into Macau with growing international momentum. Their latest album, Echoes of Heritage, reportedly attracted more than 800,000 streams online, highlighting the growing global appetite for South African choral music and African storytelling.

The Macau invitation adds another milestone to an already decorated history. At the World Choir Games in 2018, the choir secured two Gold Medals and was crowned World Champion in the Folk Music category with a score of 95 percent. In 2015, the ensemble claimed the Overall Grand Prix at the Slovakia Folk Competition in Bratislava, cementing its reputation as one of Africa’s leading choral ensembles.

Perhaps most remarkable is that the choir’s approximately 70 members are not music students. They study engineering, accounting, law, science and humanities by day while performing at a level that places them alongside some of the world’s finest professional ensembles. The choir has also produced notable South African musical talent, including members of the acclaimed Afro-soul group The Muffinz.

Macau, known for its blend of Portuguese and Chinese heritage, will host conductors, composers, educators and performers from across the globe during the six-day symposium dedicated to shaping the future of choral music.

Mondlane concludes: “Macau represents far more than another international performance for the UJ Choir. It is an opportunity to carry the sound of South Africa onto one of the world’s most prestigious cultural stages while affirming Africa’s place at the heart of the global choral conversation. Through the #UJChoirToTheWorldSymposium campaign, the choir is calling on alumni, corporate partners, arts supporters and the broader public to help make this historic journey possible and ensure South Africa and the African continent are represented with pride on the global stage.”

© Higher Education Media Services.

The South African Institute for Advancement has released the findings of its latest Annual Survey of Philanthropy in Higher Education (ASPIHE) reports, revealing a landscape of significant growth and persistent challenges for the country’s higher education sector.

Covering the 2023 and 2024 academic years, the reports highlight a robust recovery in philanthropic support following the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside a stark warning regarding the structural inequalities between historically advantaged and disadvantaged institutions.

The 2023 academic year marked a milestone for the ten participating universities, which collectively raised a record R2.4 billion in philanthropic income.

This figure represents a staggering increase from the R659 million recorded at the survey’s inception in 2013. While 2024 saw a slight consolidation to R2.32 billion, the overall trend remains overwhelmingly positive, with total Advancement income, including funding from Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), reaching R2.7 billion in 2024.

Key Findings

• Donor Growth - The number of donors reached 9,106 in 2023, more than double the 2013 baseline of 4,355.

• Geographic Shifts - While South African sources remain critical, international private funding continues to play a vital role, particularly for research and infrastructure.

• Institutional Performance - The highest amount received by a single institution in 2024 was R856 million, up from R783 million in 2023.

Dr Michael Cosser, author of the reports, explained that despite the overall increase in funding, the reports underscore a troubling digital divide that risks further marginalising historically disadvantaged institutions (HDIs).

“While the digital revolution is firmly underway, HDIs often struggle to play catch-up in a society increasingly driven by technology. The huge disparities in philanthropic income between historically advantaged universities and their disadvantaged counterparts therefore remain a core concern.

“The challenge ahead lies in galvanising fundraising activities at HDIs and capacitating them to establish fully-fledged Advancement Offices that can collect accurate data and attract significant private investment,” he said.

The reports demonstrate a clear correlation between university investment in Advancement (staffing and expenditure) and the level of philanthropic income secured.

Participating universities that have professionalised their fundraising and alumni relations functions have seen measurable returns on investment, even in a volatile economic climate.

As the ASPIHE enters its second decade of reporting, Inyathelo remains committed to fostering a culture of philanthropy in South African higher education. The survey continues to serve as a vital tool for benchmarking, providing universities with the data needed to refine their strategies and ensure long-term financial sustainability.

Inyathelo Acting Executive Director, Feryal Domingo, complimented the participating universities on their commendable efforts in data collection.

“We will increase our efforts to see more universities participate in this research so we can reflect more accurately and holistically on the true state of the philanthropic landscape. Accurate data collection is not merely an administrative exercise - it is a strategic necessity for a more equitable and resilient higher education system.

“The focus now must be on ensuring that the entire sector can benefit from these insights to bridge the gaps that still divide our institutions,” said Domingo.

©Higher Education Media Services.

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The sound arrived before the lecture did. Soft chanting filled the Atrium at the Hasso Plattner School of Design Thinking Afrika (d-school Afrika) on the University of Cape Town’s (UCT) middle campus on Tuesday, 26 May. Colourful scarves shimmered under the lights as artist-scholars from the School of Dance moved gracefully through the space, offering oranges to audience members during a Hindu and Jamaican ritual that unfolded with beauty and symbolism – at once intimate, theatrical and deeply spiritual.

Before delivering her inaugural lecture, Professor Kasturi Behari-Leak asked the audience to pause and “gather us into this space”.

“In my own life, rituals have been a way of marking transitions,” she said gently. “What you hear and see around you draws in a spirit. To earth. To water. As a way of bringing balance.”

The performance transformed the venue from a formal academic setting into something more reflective and human. It became a space of memory, ancestry and reckoning – themes that would shape the evening’s lecture titled “Biographies and Geographies: Who Teaches Matters – Reimagining Knowledge, Belonging and the University”.

“I offer this as an invitation for us to arrive fully in this moment,” Professor Behari-Leak told the audience. “To make present what is here already. Ancestors. Past. Present. And still to come.”

The ritual set the tone for a lecture that was as autobiographical as it was intellectual – a deeply personal reflection on identity, belonging, curriculum transformation and the future of universities in South Africa and beyond.

Currently the dean of the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHED), Behari-Leak is one of South Africa’s leading scholars in higher education transformation, decolonial pedagogy and curriculum renewal. Her work has shaped national and international conversations around socially responsive teaching and learning, and she has held leadership positions across the sector, including as former president of the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa and the International Consortium for Educational Development. Showers of praise from scholars at other universities across the country, which were relayed in a video, attested to this.

Rooted in identity and belonging

But on Tuesday night, she did not begin with accolades or achievements. She began with questions.

“Who am I?” she asked. “And who am I not?”

From there, Behari-Leak traced the intellectual and emotional journey that shaped her scholarship. She reflected on growing up in working-class communities in Durban under apartheid, where cultural richness coexisted with structural exclusion.

“My childhood memories are captured in black and white photographs,” she said, “that tell a very colourful story of a life shaped by parents who, having little formal education, navigated the challenges of inequality, marginalisation and racialised exclusion with care and creativity.”

“Without knowing it then, we were learning that our hair, our skin and our histories were not the norm. We were learning about ourselves as ‘Other’.”

Books, she recalled, were treasured objects in her childhood home. Yet they also introduced her to worlds that excluded people like her.

“The stories we encountered through nursery rhymes, fairy tales and imported toys transported us into distant landscapes and imaginaries far removed from our everyday realities,” she said.

Looking back, she realised these cultural experiences were not neutral.

“They taught us who could be heroic, civilised, beautiful and worthy of attention,” she explained. “Without knowing it then, we were learning that our hair, our skin and our histories were not the norm. We were learning about ourselves as ‘Other’.”

This sense of being simultaneously inside and outside institutional spaces became central to her intellectual work. Throughout the lecture, Behari-Leak repeatedly returned to the idea that universities are not abstract institutions detached from society, but deeply human spaces shaped by power, memory and identity.

“The academy does not stand apart from society,” she said. “It mirrors it.”

The unfinished work of decolonising knowledge

Her lecture explored how biographies – the histories and identities people carry – intersect with geographies, the institutional and social spaces people move through. Together, these shape not only how knowledge is produced, but who is recognised as a legitimate knower.

“Who we are is never separate from the worlds we move through,” she said. “Because who teaches matters.”

That question became especially urgent during the #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall student protests that erupted across South African universities in 2015 and 2016. Behari-Leak served on UCT’s Curriculum Change Working Group during one of the institution’s most turbulent periods.

“Students were not simply asking to be included in an existing canon,” she recalled. “They were asking whether the centre itself could shift.”

For Behari-Leak, curriculum transformation is not merely about adding diverse authors or content to reading lists. It is about interrogating power itself – asking whose knowledge is recognised, whose histories are visible and whose humanity is affirmed within universities.

“Curriculum was never neutral,” she said. “It reproduces what scholars call the coloniality of being through what is taught and which bodies are allowed to belong.”

She argued that universities must move beyond the idea of a single “universal” knowledge system and instead embrace what she described as a “pluriversity” – a space where multiple epistemologies and ways of knowing can coexist.

AI, power and the future of learning

The lecture also reflected on how these questions are evolving in an age increasingly shaped by digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI).

“The books of my childhood have not disappeared,” she said. “They have evolved. They now circulate through digital platforms and increasingly through AI trained on datasets shaped by historical inequalities.”

While acknowledging the transformative potential of AI, Behari-Leak warned that technology can also reproduce exclusionary systems if left unexamined.

“Our task is not to reject these technologies,” she said, “but to engage them critically, attending to what is present, what is absent and whose realities remain invisible.”

At the heart of her lecture was a call to rethink academic staff development and leadership in higher education. Too often, she argued, professional development is reduced to technical training or compliance exercises rather than opportunities for intellectual and human growth.

“Development is not about fixing deficits or enabling advancement alone,” she said. “It begins with recognition.”

She spoke passionately about creating institutional spaces where academics can reflect on how their own biographies and experiences shape their teaching and leadership.

“When we enter the classroom, we should not leave ourselves at the door,” she said. “Different backgrounds make different ways of noticing possible. They expand what teaching can mean and what becomes possible for students.”

In one of the evening’s most memorable moments, Behari-Leak described the transformative power of educators who teach authentically and relationally.

“When students encounter teachers who are able to show up fully, thoughtfully and differently,” she said, “the classroom is magical. And once you see this, you cannot unsee it.”

Reimagining the university

Her reflections on leadership were equally personal. As a black South African Indian woman leading within higher education, Behari-Leak spoke candidly about the tensions of navigating institutional power, while remaining grounded in values of justice and humanity.

“The university cannot simply be administered,” she said. “It must be interpreted, questioned and reimagined.”

She admitted that relational and critical leadership often comes at a cost.

“There were moments when critique was read as resistance,” she said. “Moments when relational leadership was mistaken for softness.”

Still, she refused to abandon the principles that shaped her scholarship and leadership.

“I did not want a form of excellence that required forgetting why this work matters,” she said.

“Teachers are needed to cultivate judgment, interpretation, ethical discernment, relationality and belonging.”

Throughout the lecture, Behari-Leak emphasised that educational development is not remedial or marginal work, but central to the future of universities. In an era increasingly driven by efficiency, automation and productivity metrics, she argued that universities must resist becoming detached from humanity.

“Teaching cannot be reduced to content delivery or information transfer,” she said. “Teachers are needed to cultivate judgment, interpretation, ethical discernment, relationality and belonging.”

As the lecture ended, Behari-Leak returned to the themes of presence, possibility and human connection that had opened the evening.

“At a time when universities are being asked to innovate, adapt and lead the way,” she said, “what is our responsibility in ensuring that possibility never becomes detached from humanity?”

Then came the final reflection – one that lingered long after the applause faded.

“In the end,” she said, “it is not only knowledge that transforms a university. It is its people and its relationships.”

Welcoming guests, UCT Vice-Chancellor Professor Mosa Moshabela described the occasion as both “a personal milestone for the lecturer” and “a collective celebration”.

Reflecting on the lecture’s themes of knowledge, belonging and transformation, Professor Moshabela noted that universities globally are grappling with questions of “inclusion, belonging and transformation”. He stressed that these issues are “not peripheral concerns” but “sit at the very heart of what it means to make our institutions equitable, responsive and rewarding”.

Republished from UCT under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

© Higher Education Media Services.

The University of Fort Hare has formally charged its vice-chancellor, Professor Sakhela Buhlungu, with gross misconduct, insubordination and bringing the institution into disrepute, setting the stage for a high-stakes disciplinary hearing at one of the country’s most politically fraught universities.

According to the notice and charge sheet sent to him on 15 May, Buhlungu is accused of unlawfully appointing two Executive Directors, without the mandatory consultation with Senate and the Institutional Forum and without securing approval from Council.

The University alleges that the appointments breached Section 19.1 of its Statute and constituted a usurpation of Council authority.

Buhlungu was placed on precautionary suspension on 30 March.

According to the notice, the charges stem from an investigation conducted by Morar Incorporated Auditors, which the University commissioned to review the appointment process. The auditors reportedly found procedural irregularities that now form the backbone of the case against the vice-chancellor.

The Morar Incorporated forensic report, however, found no evidence of fraud, corruption or intentional misconduct. Instead, it identified procedural irregularities arising from outdated recruitment policies, misalignment between policy and university statutes, leadership instability in Human Resources, urgency to stabilise executive functions, and administrative oversight. While the appointments process was deemed rigorous and fair, the failure to obtain mandatory governance approval constituted a serious procedural lapse. The report recommended urgent policy alignment and strengthened governance controls to prevent recurrence.

Buhlungu is further accused of damaging the University’s reputation through public comments made during a media interview, which Council claims undermined its integrity.

He is also charged with failing to respond to a written request from the Council Chairperson seeking clarification on those remarks, despite being given a deadline.

The disciplinary notice outlines a full set of rights afforded to the vice-chancellor, including the right to representation, to challenge evidence, to cross-examine witnesses and to call his own witnesses. Should he be found guilty, he will be allowed to submit mitigating arguments before sanctions are considered.

The University has indicated that postponements will not be granted without compelling justification and that the hearing will proceed in his absence if he fails to attend.

Council has appointed Sandton law firm Ningiza Horner Attorneys to represent Fort Hare.

The date and venue of the hearing are expected to be confirmed shortly.

© Higher Education Media Services.

When economies collapse, when political violence becomes routine, and when survival begins to matter more than dignity – what happens to people’s sense of humanity? What happens to memory, identity, belonging, and hope in societies shaped by fear, hunger, and uncertainty?

These were some of the questions explored by Prof Oliver Nyambi during his inaugural lecture, Finding the Human(e): The Poethics of Literature. Prof Nyambi, from the Department of English in the Faculty of The Humanities on the Qwaqwa Campus, also marked a historic milestone as the first full professor in the faculty on the campus.

Drawing from Zimbabwean literature, migration narratives, prison writings, and his own experiences during Zimbabwe’s economic crisis, Prof Nyambi reflected on how literature captures the emotional realities of crisis in ways that statistics and political discourse often cannot. While economics may measure collapse and politics may debate it, literature records what it feels like to live through it.

Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, who oversaw this inaugural lecture, said: “Prof Nyambi reminds us that where crisis fractures the human spirit, literature gathers the fragments and restores meaning. His scholarship calls us to build responsible societal futures grounded not only in knowledge, but also in compassion, imagination, and the courage to remember.”

Literature as a record of human experience

Central to Prof Nyambi’s lecture was the argument that crises not only damage economies and political systems. They also alter people’s emotional worlds and sense of self.

“It is hard to imagine this bottom, and that’s not least because it occupies an inhuman and even anti-human place,” he said, reflecting on Zimbabwe’s economic collapse.

For Prof Nyambi, the effects of the crisis do not disappear once the moment has passed. They remain present in memory, language, and everyday life.

“This bottom is haunting. It is in our languages, in our nightmares, in our subconscious, in our stories.”

Throughout the lecture, Prof Nyambi returned to the metaphor of the ‘black goat’, which he used to describe memories and trauma that continue to follow people long after the crisis has ended.

“My PhD, my postdocs, and my current research became a lifetime of searching for the black goat, of negotiating its spells and exorcising the time it binds, the time it haunts.”

Prof Nyambi explained that literature creates space to confront these difficult memories while also restoring dignity to people whose lives are often reduced to statistics or stereotypes.

“I’ve been fascinated by the artistic recovery of crisis subjects,” he said. “I’ve explored the method of literature in this recovery.”

The lecture also challenged the way African stories about suffering are sometimes dismissed as ‘poverty porn’. Referring to Zimbabwean author NoViolet Bulawayo’s novel We Need New Names, Prof Nyambi argued that literature about hardship is often misunderstood. Rather than reducing people to victims, he explained that humour in crisis narratives can become a way for characters to preserve dignity, identity, and humanity even in difficult circumstances.

Prof Nyambi further explored how migration and displacement reshape people’s identities, particularly when they are separated from familiar spaces, languages, and communities.

“Part of what structures the humane is familiarity – the familiarity of space, faces, languages, relations, and relationalities.”

He also reflected on prison writings by Zimbabwean political activists, describing writing as a way for people to reclaim voice and dignity in environments designed to silence them.

“Letter writing becomes a technology of the self in an act of reasserting voice.”

During the lecture, Prof Nyambi positioned literature as more than just storytelling. He described it as an important archive of human experience – one that preserves the emotional truths of crisis while insisting on the humanity of those living through it.

“It is to follow the lure of poethics in acts of world-making dignity,” Prof Nyambi said, “especially in situations where dignity is denied.”

“The University of the Free State is committed to a future where innovation is anchored in empathy. Literature as an archive of lived realities and a guide for humane, inclusive futures is in deep synergy when storytelling and scholarship together advance justice, dignity, and belonging. In building responsible societal futures, we recognise that data also tells us what happened, and the arts and humanities reveal what it meant to be human within it,” according to Prof Reddy.

Story by Tshepo Tsotetsi first appeared on the UFS website.

©Higher Education Media Services.

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• People with Down syndrome value relational, respectful and person-centred healthcare.

• Frequently excluded from conversations about their own healthcare.

• Important to incorporate voices, lived experiences of people with Down syndrome and their families.

People with Down syndrome and their families consistently value healthcare that is relational, respectful, and person-centred, rather than focused solely on clinical efficiency. However, they continue to experience fragmented care, delayed diagnoses, inaccessible communication, and poor coordination between services.

These are some of the key findings of two related studies conducted by a team of international researchers, including researchers from Stellenbosch University (SU). The two studies, which are both review articles, were published Tuesday (26 May 2026) in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health and The Lancet Healthy Longevity, respectively.

“Many people with Down syndrome are being failed by healthcare systems that were not designed around their needs, experiences, or long-term wellbeing. They are often left vulnerable to unmet healthcare needs and social isolation,” says lead researcher, Prof Tracey Smythe of the Division of Physiotherapy in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at SU.

“People with Down syndrome are also frequently excluded from conversations about their own healthcare, particularly during adolescence, adulthood, transition to adult care, reproductive healthcare, dementia care, and end-of-life decision-making. Families lose coordinated support almost overnight, leaving them to carry the burden of navigating healthcare systems themselves.”

Smythe notes that these problems are not only medical but also relational and systemic.

“Healthcare systems often break down during key life transitions, especially the move from paediatric to adult services. Too often, healthcare still focuses narrowly on deficits, conditions, and crises, rather than on supporting people with Down syndrome to thrive throughout their lives.

“Our studies focused on how healthcare systems can support communication, autonomy, identity, participation, healthy development, and quality of life of people with Down syndrome.

“That shift is important because it changes the conversation from ‘How do we manage Down syndrome?’ to ‘How do we build healthcare systems where people with Down syndrome can thrive?’”.

Smythe and her fellow researchers identified practical ways to support people with Down syndrome. They can be supported through multidisciplinary clinics, early intervention programmes, supported decision-making, accessible communication tools, annual health checks, rehabilitation and healthy ageing supports, and healthcare professionals trained in respectful and disability-informed care.

“Importantly, we found that small changes in healthcare interactions can have large effects. Longer appointments, visual supports, familiar routines, and clinicians who take time to build trust all improve healthcare experiences and outcomes for children, young people and adults with Down syndrome,” Smythe explains.

According to her, the two studies also highlight the importance of being listened to, being included in decisions, having healthcare explained in accessible ways, and being seen as a person first, not just a diagnosis.

By incorporating the voices and lived experiences of people with Down syndrome and their families, the two studies moved beyond traditional medical research approaches that often speak about people with Down syndrome rather than with them.

“We worked directly with people with Down syndrome, their families and caregivers, advocacy organisations, and clinicians to understand healthcare from the perspective of those living it every day.”

Smythe says that their findings challenge longstanding assumptions about Down syndrome and healthcare.

“Historically, research and healthcare have often focused on limitations, deficits, or survival. Our studies show that this approach is incomplete. People with Down syndrome are living longer, and many health inequalities they experience are avoidable.

“The evidence shows that health outcomes improve when healthcare systems support autonomy, communication, relationships, and long-term wellbeing, not just medical treatment.”

The studies also demonstrate why lived experience matters in research, Smythe adds.

“By directly engaging people with Down syndrome and families, we were able to identify barriers that traditional clinical data alone would miss, including fear, exclusion, stigma, exhaustion from navigating systems, and the emotional impact of poor communication.

“Just as importantly, people with Down syndrome also showed us what good healthcare feels like: trust, dignity, continuity, kindness, and being treated as an active participant in decisions about their own life.”

Smythe and her fellow researchers call for a fundamental shift in how healthcare systems approach Down syndrome across the lifespan.

“Healthcare systems need to move beyond fragmented, reactive models of care and instead build coordinated, inclusive systems that support people with Down syndrome from infancy through older adulthood.

“That includes integrating Down syndrome-specific training into healthcare education, strengthening transition planning into adult services, improving communication and supported decision-making, expanding preventative healthcare and rehabilitation, and designing services in partnership with people with Down syndrome and families themselves.”

The researchers also emphasise the importance of co-production and inclusion of people with Down syndrome in healthcare policy and research.

“Inclusion is not an optional extra in healthcare. It is central to improving health, quality of life, autonomy, and healthy ageing for people with Down syndrome worldwide.”

Sources: Smythe T, Moyo-Chilufya M, Wilbur J, Greenland K, Engelbrecht A, Kumar M, Hlyva O, Kuper H, Corcoran E (2026). “Advancing healthcare access to optimise health and quality of life for children and young people with Down syndrome worldwide.” The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

Greenland K, Nguweneza A, Wilbur J, Moyo-Chilufya M, Hlyva O, Tuffrey-Wijne I, Kuper H, Corcoran E, Smythe T (2026). “Strengthening healthcare pathways for people with Down syndrome”. The Lancet Healthy Longevity.

© Higher Education Media Services.

Minister of Higher Education and Training Buti Manamela says South Africa is uniquely placed to participate in the emerging green hydrogen economy.

The launch of the Centre of Specialisation at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) sends an important message: South Africa is preparing itself to participate meaningfully in the global energy transition.

“We are investing in skills, strengthening partnerships and creating pathways for inclusive growth and industrial development,” the Minister said.

“It is encouraging to see collaborations with the universities and SETAS. The complexity of the green transition requires exactly this because resources alone are not enough,” he said.

The launch was attended by, among others, the Vice-Chancellor of CPUT, Professor Chris Nhlapo, CEO of CHIETA, Yershen Pillay, CEO of TETA, Maphefo Anno-Frempong, representatives from the Department of Higher Education and Training, leadership of CPUT, government representatives, industry and labour, members of the MQA Board, and Industry and community partners.

Fresh from delivering the Budget Vote speech in Parliament, Manamela said that across the world, countries are confronting the interconnected challenges of climate change, energy insecurity and unemployment, particularly youth unemployment.

Green hydrogen has emerged as one of the most important opportunities in the global transition towards cleaner, more sustainable industrial development.

“Countries across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa are investing heavily in hydrogen infrastructure, research and skills because they understand that the future economy will be shaped not only by technology, but by the people capable of developing, maintaining and advancing it,” Manamela said.

The Minister said South Africa was uniquely positioned to participate meaningfully in this emerging sector.

“We possess world-leading platinum group metal reserves essential for hydrogen fuel cell technologies. We have significant renewable energy potential through our solar and wind resources. We also have universities, TVET colleges, SETAs, researchers, artisans and young people capable of driving innovation and industrial development.

But, he admits, resources alone are not enough.

Without engineers, technicians, artisans, researchers, safety specialists and entrepreneurs, the hydrogen economy cannot succeed. This is why investment in education, training and skills development remains central to the Just Energy Transition.

“That is why today matters. The Green Hydrogen Centre of Specialisation is not merely a training initiative. It represents an investment in our country’s future capabilities and in our people’s ability to participate in new industries shaping the global economy.

It is particularly encouraging to see collaboration between institutions such as CPUT and our SETA partners — CHIETA, MQA and TETA. The complexity of the green transition requires exactly this type of partnership between government, higher education institutions, industry, labour and research bodies.”

No single institution can undertake this responsibility alone, he added, pinning future hopes on partnerships to align resources, share expertise, strengthen innovation and ensure that training remains relevant to the needs of industry and society.

“Most importantly, they help ensure that our programmes lead to real outcomes — including employment opportunities, enterprise development and industrial growth.”

Manamela said Centres of Specialisation are therefore critically important within modern economies, as around the world, such centres act as hubs where research, innovation, technical training and industry collaboration intersect.

“They help bridge the gap between education and the labour market while ensuring that institutions remain responsive to technological change and new economic opportunities,” he added.

The launch of the first cohort of postgraduate learners is especially significant, he said.

“These young people are not simply participants in a programme. They are among the future architects of South Africa’s hydrogen economy. Many of them will go on to lead projects, develop technologies, establish enterprises and train future generations.

To the young people here today: the world is changing rapidly, but with change comes opportunity. Green hydrogen is not only about energy. It is about reimagining industrial development, manufacturing, transport systems and economic inclusion in more sustainable and equitable ways.”

This is why the Just Energy Transition must remain central to the approach, said Manamela, noting that a just transition means that workers are reskilled, not abandoned. “It means communities are included, not excluded. It means women and young people participate fully in the green economy. And it means Africa must become not only a consumer of new technologies, but also a producer of innovation and knowledge.”

Quoting former first democratic president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, Manamela reminded guests: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

“Through this Centre of Specialisation, we are using education and skills development to help shape a more inclusive, sustainable and industrially capable South Africa.

The launch of this Centre sends an important message: South Africa is preparing itself to participate meaningfully in the global energy transition. We are investing in skills, strengthening partnerships and creating pathways for inclusive growth and industrial development.”

He said the success of this initiative will ultimately be measured by the number of artisans trained, the quality of research produced, the enterprises developed, the jobs created, and the lives improved.

Higher Education Media Services.

South Africa is not waiting for the digital revolution — it is living inside it. That is the message Minister of Higher Education and Training Buti Manamela will take to parliament on Tuesday when he tables his budget vote speech.

His address is built around a central idea: digitisation is no longer optional; it is the backbone of the country’s future workforce.

“The digital revolution is not approaching South Africa. It is already restructuring our economy, our workplaces and our labour markets,” Manamela said in an interview before the budget vote.

“Artificial intelligence, automation and digital platforms are not abstract threats or distant possibilities — they are already reshaping call centres, logistics, mining, banking, manufacturing, retail and even public administration.”

Manemela is set to table the 2026/27 budget vote speech in the National Assembly on Tuesday, with digitisation positioned as the key driver of South Africa’s skills revolution.

The budget prioritises workplace-integrated learning, apprenticeships, the sustainability of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, infrastructure investment and the expansion of digital learning platforms across universities, TVET colleges and sector education and training authorities (Setas).

“When young people leave our institutions, they should not leave into unemployment. People need to know that when they walk into our institutions, it must translate into something else during and beyond that.

“That’s why we’re focusing on workplace-integrated learning apprenticeships … so the budget invests in programmes that will ultimately translate into employment, livelihoods and so on.”

Expanding access to education remained another priority, although Manamela stressed that the issue was not simply increasing enrolment numbers but improving the quality of education across the entire system.

The shift toward digital learning accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic, when online learning platforms became central to teaching delivery.

“It’s already happening in the private sector. It has reduced the cost of learning and teaching, so digitalisation is the future of access to quality education in South Africa and that’s … [what] this budget is speaking to,” the minister said.

While addressing current challenges, Manamela noted that a third consideration was preparing for the future economy by using digital skills and artificial intelligence, advancing the green economy (for example, research capacity) and strengthening international partnerships.

A recent visit to China saw the minister return with two partnership agreements that would cost the country nothing but assist in developing new skills in hydrogen and energy, for example.

While the education system was preparing for today’s jobs, it must be about shaping the future because it was not about being stuck “where we are but we should begin … moving … to prepare for the now and … the future”.

“This is the centre of the budget. We’re building a single system that’s currently in silos; we must stop seeing education as a social expense. We must see education as a socio- economic and developmental spend.”

The question was no longer whether South Africa participated in the transition.

“We already are participants,” he said. The real question is whether the country will shape the transition deliberately and inclusively — or be shaped by it on terms set elsewhere.

Beneath the budget allocations lay a broader argument about the future of work — and the future of South Africa’s institutions.

“We do not primarily have a skills shortage. We have a workforce-transition capacity problem,” Manamela argued.

A skills shortage implied the country simply needed more graduates, artisans and engineers. A transition-capacity problem ran deeper: South Africa’s institutions were not configured to move people from where they were to where the economy was headed.

“We still run too much of our education and training system as if careers are static, qualifications are permanent and technological change is gradual. But none of that is true anymore.”

Workers required reskilling throughout their lifetimes, he said. Qualifications had to evolve continuously. Occupational pathways were shifting rapidly. Digital literacy was no longer optional. Adaptability itself has become an economic capability.

That, Manamela argued, made institutional agility the central challenge facing the country.

“Can universities adapt curricula fast enough? Can TVET colleges respond dynamically to labour market demand? Can Setas move beyond compliance administration toward real workforce planning? Can quality councils modernise qualification development cycles?”

Those were not merely administrative questions, he warned. They were strategic national questions — and South Africa’s institutional architecture was not built for the current pace of technological change.

The country entered the transition carrying deep structural inequalities. Millions of young people remain outside employment, education or training, while many schools and communities lacked basic digital infrastructure.

That was where the crisis became existential.

“Technological acceleration, institutional lag and social inequality are now intersecting simultaneously,” he said.

“When these three forces converge, they do not produce inclusion automatically. They produce exclusion. Quietly. Incrementally.”

The digital divide, he warned, was no longer simply a communications problem. It was becoming a development divide, a citizenship divide and a participation divide.

Nowhere was that contradiction more visible than in the post-school education and training system. South Africa had built a system disproportionately oriented toward the minority who entered university, while the majority navigated their futures through TVET colleges, CET colleges, occupational programmes and workplace learning.

“These sectors carry the burden of workforce transition, yet they remain under-resourced and undervalued. That is not merely a social injustice. It is a strategic economic mistake.”

In an address at the University of Johannesburg on Friday, Manamela said South Africa was not short of policies or strategies. “What it lacks is coordination, execution and accountability.”

Too often, he argued, institutions operated in silos while the economy functioned as an integrated system. “Too frequently, policy cycles move more slowly than technological cycles.”

The department is pursuing what Manamela described as a systemic repositioning strategy focused on expanding digital infrastructure across the post-school system; accelerating qualifications in AI, cybersecurity, renewable energy and automation; improving coordination between SETAs, universities and industrial policy; investing in long-term foresight capacity; and strengthening accountability.

“The public is no longer satisfied with policy intentions alone,” he said.

Manamela acknowledged that the government could not manage the transition on its own. Universities, TVET colleges, Setas and industry needed to become more responsive and collaborative.

“The countries that will benefit most from the digital revolution will not necessarily be those with the most advanced machines,” he said. “They will be those with the most capable people.”

South Africa, Manamela said, had the institutional capacity to adapt. But capacity without urgency meant little in an economy being reshaped by technological change.

The digital revolution would not pause while South Africa debated its readiness. The transition was under way. The question was whether South Africans would be equipped

to lead within it or whether too many would remain excluded from it.

Manamela believes the country can rise to the challenge.

But belief, he said, must be matched by urgency. “What remains necessary is collective will… because the digital revolution will not pause while we debate whether we are ready.”

©Higher Education Media Services. – ednews.africa

This was published in the Mail & Guardian

The Tshwane University of Technology’s (TUT) Department of Transformation, Employment Equity and Diversity, Alumni Relations and the Higher Education Development and Support: Disability Unit joined hands to donate essentials and gifts to children living with disabilities during a recent community outreach initiative held at Bongwanake Foundation in Mabopane.

The initiative formed part of the University’s ongoing commitment to community engagement and followed up on promises made during Mandela Day activities in 2025.

Founded by TUT alumna, Belinda Mogashwa, the Bongwanake Foundation in Mabopane provides holistic support and care services to children living with disabilities. Welcoming guests during the event, Belinda reflected on the organisation’s journey and acknowledged TUT for its continued support. “We are where we are today because of TUT,” she said.

Dr Khosana Tladi, Director of Transformation, Employment Equity and Diversity at TUT, said the outreach initiative reflected the University’s commitment to fulfilling promises made during a previous visit to the foundation in 2025. “During our outreach in 2025, we made certain promises and today we are fulfilling those,” he said.

As part of the commitments, Dr Tladi said TUT would help make therapy services available weekly or monthly and also pledged to donate computers to support children’s access to education.

“We want this place to feel like a home and really add value to the lives of the children,” he added.

“TUT is the people’s university and everything we do is centred around helping each other,” Shalate Davhana reflected. Speaking on behalf of the Alumni Relations Office, Davhana highlighted the importance of collaboration, compassion and giving back to communities. She commended Mogashwa for using her education and experience to make a meaningful impact within her community.

Coordinator of the Disability Unit, Ivy Morolane, also highlighted the importance of patience, care, and understanding when working with children living with disabilities, while acknowledging the role of families and caregivers in supporting them daily.

Story By Tshifhiwa Mudau first published on TUT Website. Picture Supplied.

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Advtech has announced the launch of Rosebank International, a bold evolution of its iconic IIE Rosebank College, positioning the institution as a pan-African higher education leader with global reach and ambition, and firmly advancing its journey toward full university status.

This transformation marks a decisive step in advancing Africa’s role in global knowledge production. Rosebank International is designed to expand access to high-quality, future-focused tertiary education across the continent while strengthening international partnerships, academic exchange, and research collaboration.

Built on decades of proven academic delivery, Rosebank International combines strong institutional credibility with international accreditation and a consistent record of student success. The new identity reflects a shift from a nationally recognised brand to a continentally connected, globally engaged institution defined by academic excellence and relevance.

“Rosebank International represents a strategic inflection point—not only for our institution, but for Advtech’s vision of an interconnected African higher education ecosystem,” said Geoff Whyte, Group CEO of Advtech. “We are building a platform that develops globally competitive graduates while directly contributing to Africa’s growth and transformation.”

Central to this vision is the integration of Rosebank International with Rosebank International University College (RIUC) in Accra, Ghana—Advtech’s first university outside South Africa. Together, the institutions form a growing transnational network that supports cross-border learning, mobility, and collaborative research, reinforcing Africa’s position as both a destination and a driver of global education.

Prof Linda Meyer, Managing Director and President of Rosebank International and RIUC Ghana, emphasised the institution’s role in reshaping Africa’s academic identity: “We are positioning Africa not just as a participant in global education, but as a knowledge hub. Through Rosebank International, we are enabling meaningful academic exchange, fostering innovation, and developing leaders equipped to operate across African and international contexts.”

With an 85% module success rate and strong graduate employment outcomes, Rosebank International enters this new phase with clear momentum. Its focus remains on employability, research relevance, and societal impact—key pillars in its ambition to achieve university status and scale its influence across the continent.

Students benefit from modern campuses, inclusive communities, and a dynamic student experience that integrates academic rigour with practical, real-world skills. This ecosystem is supported by a strong internal culture in which staff, faculty, students, and alumni actively contribute to building the institution’s international reputation.

The launch has been welcomed as a significant milestone for higher education in South Africa and beyond. Dr Mimmy Gondwe, Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, highlighted the importance of innovation in expanding access to quality education: “Initiatives like Rosebank International demonstrate how the private sector can help unlock opportunity at scale—equipping graduates to contribute meaningfully to South Africa and the broader African economy.”

Looking ahead, Rosebank International will expand its portfolio of accredited programmes with a strong emphasis on innovation, technology, and alignment with Africa’s development priorities, while deepening its global academic partnerships.

As it evolves toward full university recognition, Rosebank International is poised to become a leading force in shaping Africa’s higher education future—bridging continents, advancing knowledge, and preparing graduates to lead in a rapidly changing world.

©Higher Education Media Services.

Tears of joy marked a proud milestone for Dr Andile Mkhungo and his family when he graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB).

For his mother, Philile Mkhungo, a domestic worker who supported his journey through years of sacrifice and perseverance, the day was especially meaningful - one she described as “a day that the Lord has made”.

Born in the rural Jolivet community in KwaZulu-Natal and raised in informal settlements in Umlazi’s D Section in eThekwini, Mkhungo understood from a young age that education would be his ultimate key to success.

“Graduating as one of the top students in the MBChB programme is one of the proudest moments of my life,” Mkhungo said, adding that achieving his degree with top honours has always been a dream of his “because it represents the dedication, discipline, and perseverance I poured into my six-year Medical journey.”

Mkhungo said the achievement reflected countless hours of studying, personal sacrifices, and unwavering determination to pursue excellence in Medicine. “My greatest inspiration has always been my mother. I watched her work tirelessly to ensure that I could pursue my childhood dream of becoming a doctor.”

“Growing up in the squatter settlements of Umlazi exposed me to many social and economic challenges, but it also became the very motivation that pushed me to work harder. I knew that education would be the key to transforming my family’s circumstances and giving back to the community that raised me.”

Mkhungo’s passion for helping others was deeply shaped by personal experience. “Losing my grandmother at a young age due to complications of diabetes had a profound impact on my life. Witnessing how chronic illness can affect families inspired me to pursue Medicine and dedicate my life to caring for patients with similar conditions.”

He is currently serving as a medical intern at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital - the largest hospital in Southern Africa and one of the largest hospitals in the world.

“Working in such a demanding and dynamic environment has been both humbling and empowering, as it exposes me daily to complex clinical cases and reinforces my commitment to becoming a compassionate and competent physician.”

Mkhungo reflected on his training, noting that he had the privilege of learning from remarkable clinicians such as Professor Bilkish Cassim, Professor Ayesha Motala, Dr Fraser Pirie, Dr Ashraff Moosa, Dr Nokwazi Shandu, and Dr Onke Nonkala, as well as his ‘favourite’ mentors, Dr Sandile Kubheka and Dr Thabani Nkwanyana, whom he said continue to guide and inspire him. “Through their mentorship, I truly discovered my sense of belonging in Internal Medicine.”

“I was born in Hluthankungu in Highflats but grew up in Umlazi, where I completed my matric at Zwelibanzi High School. I graduated from high school with seven distinctions and an overall aggregate of 90%, an achievement that marked the beginning of my academic journey towards Medicine.”

Mkhungo said the journey to becoming a doctor was not without challenges. “Coming from a disadvantaged background meant that I often had to overcome financial and social barriers. However, these challenges never discouraged me; instead, they strengthened my resilience and determination.

“I remained focused on my goals, worked diligently, and constantly reminded myself why I started this journey. With the support of my family, mentors, and faith, I was able to persevere through difficult moments and emerge stronger. These experiences shaped me into the person and doctor I am becoming today.”

Mkhungo’s greatest pillars of support throughout his life have remained his mother and aunt, Ayanda Mkhungo-Fakazi. “Their sacrifices, encouragement, and unwavering belief in my potential gave me the strength to keep pushing forward even during the most difficult times.”

“If you don’t do it, no one will do it for you”, is Mkhungo’s motto which he said reminded him to take ownership of his dreams and to work relentlessly toward achieving them.

Going forward, Mkhungo aspires to continue expanding his medical knowledge and eventually specialise in Internal Medicine, although he has also developed a strong appreciation for Radiology.

“Beyond my professional aspirations, one of my personal goals is to complete the legendary Comrades Marathon, which represents endurance, discipline, and perseverance - values that resonate deeply with my journey. In my spare time, I enjoy running, which helps me maintain balance, discipline, and mental clarity while navigating the demands of a career in Medicine.”

Reflecting on my journey, becoming a doctor is more than just a personal achievement, but it represents hope, resilience, and the power of perseverance. My story is a reminder that one’s background does not determine one’s future. I hope that my journey can inspire young people from communities like Umlazi and other disadvantaged areas to believe that their dreams are valid and achievable. As I continue my career in medicine, I remain committed not only to providing excellent patient care but also to uplifting and inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals,” Mkhungo said.

©Higher Education Media Services.