Staff Reporter

For the second year, SPARK Schools was again named one of Africa’s Fastest Growing Companies in the 2024 Financial Times (FT) and Statista annual ranking.

This comes shortly after the school group was named one of Time Magazine’s top 250 EdTech companies worldwide in May 2024.

The FT ranking, now in its third year, identifies companies with the strongest revenue growth between 2019 and 2022. SPARK Schools is one of 41 of South Africa’s fastest-growing companies for 2024, ranking in the 118th spot of Africa’s 125 overall. In the Education and Social Services sector, SPARK Schools is one of only five companies that made the ranking.

“In the last six months, we have had fantastic international acknowledgement of our work. Besides the FT and Time accolades, SPARK Schools has been recognised as a 2023 T4 Education World’s Best School winner and named by Global Brands Magazine as the most innovative education provider in South Africa,” says Stacey Brewer, co-founder and CEO of SPARK Schools.

“The FT ranking is a testament to the work we have put into developing a sustainable, low-cost private school model offering world-class education outcomes,” she says.

Brewer says the recent global accolades prove that the education sector remains critically important and noteworthy. “We are so incredibly proud to be recognised in South Africa.

“This award particularly also underscores the appetite for quality education in Africa. Our continued growth means that the model we have developed to challenge the education status quo is working,” Brewer says.

Brewer says the foundations of SPARK Schools’ successful education model are blended learning, the importance of the teaching and support staff, and the core values central to the school’s culture.

“We implemented Africa’s first blended learning model for primary school scholars. Way before the COVID-19 pandemic introduced scholars to online learning, we were already getting scholars to split time between digital content (that adapts in difficulty to their learning pace) and classroom interaction based on best practice tuition.

“We know that our success lies with our team. We work hard to recruit young teachers and invest seriously in their professional development. All teachers at SPARK Schools undergo 200 hours of professional training every year. This means that our teachers are constantly upskilling themselves about education innovations. We have also created our internal pipeline for promotions and leadership,” she says.

Brewer says the concept of values helps scholars become responsible global citizens who are aware of their opportunities and responsibilities. The five core values are Service, Persistence, Achievement, Responsibility, and Kindness. Each school has its unique sixth value.

“The work we do at SPARK Schools is a great example of what is possible in the education sector. Our vision is to make South Africa a global leader in education. The whole journey of SPARK Schools has been about not giving up; we believe we have a bigger role in pushing society into a different way of managing education – so that it lasts generations,” Brewer says.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Staff Reporter

For the first time since its inception, the FISU (Fédération Internationale du sport universitaire) will host the FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens will be hosted in South Africa.

Stellenbosch University will be honoured to become only the second African university – the 2018 edition took place at the University of Namibia – to host the biannual international university rugby showpiece in 2026.

Incidentally, it was also the year that the South African men’s team won the gold medal, while the women finished in fourth place after narrowly losing to Belgium in the bronze medal match.

This year’s tournament will be hosted in Aix-Marseille-Provence, France, and will take place over two days, 10-12 June. Drikus Hancke, head of Rugby at Maties Sport, believes the 2026 edition of the FISU World University Championship Rugby Sevens will show the world what Maties Sport has to offer. Stellenbosch University is well-known for producing top-quality athletes in individual and team sporting events.

However, it is the logistics, potential tourist influx, and event management of this magnitude that a very proud Hancke hopes the public will get to experience and view what the beautiful town of Stellenbosch offers. A tournament of this magnitude has certain standards that have to be adhered to even before the event is awarded to a university.

Maties’ facilities and the people who manage them across all sporting codes have the necessary experience hosting large groups of international travelling teams. This keen sense of detail has set the Maties organising committee on a path to setting a new bar for hosting world-class university competitions.

“We are very proud to have been awarded the bid,” Hancke said.

“The significance of it lies in the fact that it is an international competition showcasing the best Universities 7’s talent of participating countries. We are very proud to host such a big event, allowing us to showcase our facilities and capabilities. It will give us international exposure and bring a high-quality international event to Stellenbosch. The large influx of teams and supporters will benefit the town of Stellenbosch and its surrounds.”
Events of this size have a lasting impact on the community within the institution and the broader communities, districts, towns, and neighbourhoods in which it is situated. Tourists flock to the Cape Winelands town to experience its vineyards, wine farms, and beautiful summer events. The Maties Sports leadership hopes to leave a legacy that will forever be etched in the annals of Stellenbosch.

“The exposure we receive from the tournament will be wide and might attract talent we do not normally reach. Our facility and event management will hopefully attract more potential tournaments to be held here. An event of this size creates a lot of awareness and hopefully attracts more people to rugby in our area.”

INSIDE EDUCATION

Sports Reporter

THE experienced former Banyana Banyana players Amanda Sister and Chantelle Esau have brought to the Baby Wolves since signing with the university club a few weeks ago have proved invaluable.

With dozens of international caps between them, the pair have been able to impart years of footballing wisdom to their younger University of Fort Hare teammates.

The side are currently enjoying a good run in the Hollywoodbets Super League, winning their last two matches to place them a respectable ninth on the log in their first season of elite women’s football.

Sister, 34, boasts a hugely impressive resumé. Aside from making more than 40 appearances for her country, the Gqeberha-born defender has played for Hungarian club Győri ETO as well as Italian Serie A side San Zaccaria.

Striker Esau, 33, arrived in Alice after a stint with Hollywoodbets Super League champions Mamelodi Sundowns and has played more than 25 matches for Banyana Banyana.
Fort Hare interim head coach Sibonelo Doyisa said the experienced duo were brought on board to help the younger players adapt to the challenges of big-time football while learning to show no fear for well-known players.

“We thought, ‘Let’s add a few players who can motivate them, who can add that factor in the camp, clubhouse and change room’. And now it’s working wonders for the team,” he said.

“With Amanda, we told her what her role would be; not just to be a player on the field but off it as well. She accepted the challenge to explain to the other players how to approach games, how to act as individuals and teammates.”

The arrival of Sister and Esau at Fort Hare was largely thanks to the efforts of sports officer Sibabalo Feni, described by Doyisa as the “man behind the magic”.

Passionate about the team’s success, he visited their respective homes to recruit them.
Esau was not getting as much game time at Sundowns as she once did and embraced the opportunity to play for a smaller team where she could add more value.

Though Sister was on the books of Super League team Copperbelt FC, she had been sidelined for some time after a series of injuries.

Feni’s timing in securing their talents could not have been more perfect and they have duly given UFH a huge boost 12 games into the season.
Though the ladies might be older than their teammates, Doyisa emphasised that age was not really a factor in women’s football.

“What matters most is how you communicate with your teammates, telling them when to run and not to run. If you have experience, age is just a number.”

As much as the coach was thankful for the addition of the two stars, he also did not want to diminish the hard work all his players were putting into the campaign.

They always gave more than what was expected of them and put his advice into practice “with ease”, he said.

“It’s not just the experience we now have but the willingness of all our players.”

Fort Hare’s next fixture is against UWC on June 8.

With students writing exams, they have suspended training for the time being but “will be back at the office” on Monday.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Edwin Naidu

Professor Francis Petersen, the Vice-Chancellor designate of the University of Pretoria, has expressed his unwavering commitment to aligning with Tuks’ vision.

He envisions the university to be a leading research-intensive institution in Africa, renowned globally for its quality, relevance, and impact, and for its role in developing people, creating knowledge, and making a difference locally and globally.

“Rest assured, my strategy for UP fully aligns with the vision,” he assured Inside Education.

Prof Petersen said that he would be taking over a respected, stable university, one of the largest residential universities in the country. His unwavering focus would be on consolidating, recalibrating, and examining what works and what does not, with a firm commitment to addressing the challenges rather than adding to them.

With a leadership style rooted in listening, Prof Petersen is acutely aware of UP’s status and standing, acknowledging that no institution is immune from the challenges facing all learning institutions. However, he is confident in leveraging his extensive experience in education and the corporate sector to propel UP towards its vision of becoming the best in Africa, instilling a sense of assurance in his capability to lead.

On Friday, UP said in a statement that Professor Petersen’s appointment is a testament to his distinguished academic leadership record and wealth of experience in higher education.

“His unique blend of engineering, finance, and academic management expertise positions him to lead the University of Pretoria into a new era of innovation and excellence. Professor Petersen’s educational journey is a testament to his academic prowess.”

He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical Engineering) and a Master of Engineering (Metallurgical Engineering) from the University of Stellenbosch, and a Ph.D. in Engineering. A Financial Skills for Executive Management course from IIR Training further enhanced his academic achievements.

Throughout his illustrious career, Professor Petersen has held various academic positions at the University of Stellenbosch, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, University of Cape Town, and University of the Free State. His leadership roles have ranged from Head of Department to Dean and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, showcasing his extensive and proven experience in academic management at departmental, faculty, and institutional levels.

In a statement to staff on Friday, Free State University confirmed that Prof Petersen who has been Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Free State (UFS) since 1 April 2017 and has been reappointed by the Council for a second five-year term as of 31 March 2022 would take up the role at UP.

“Prof Petersen’s tenure at the UFS was characterised by remarkable leadership, and the Council greatly appreciates his work and the university’s achievements under his leadership. Excellence, inclusivity, innovation, academic freedom, a particular focus and emphasis on critical enquiry, social responsiveness, and integrity were the value characteristics through which Prof Petersen led as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the UFS. He led the university through challenging and complex times – not only for the institution but also for the higher education sector – with a primary focus on and commitment to stakeholder engagement. He brought stability to the university and emphasised the institution’s visibility and its impact on society.”

“On behalf of the Council and the entire university community, I thank and commend Prof Petersen for his dedicated leadership and wish him all the best in his new role as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria,” said Mr David Noko, Chairperson of the UFS Council.

“Serving as Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of the Free State has been one of the greatest honours of my career, and I am immensely proud of everything we have achieved together over the past seven years. During my tenure, I have been blessed to work with and meet exceptional staff, students, and other stakeholders from one of the greatest universities in the country to advance the UFS further nationally and internationally. As I step down, I am grateful for the support and collaboration from our university community. I am confident that the university is well positioned for continued growth and success,” said Prof Petersen.

The UFS Council will appoint an acting Vice-Chancellor and Principal to serve in this position from 1 October 2024 until a new incumbent is appointed.

INSIDE EDUCATION