By Johnathan Paoli

Kingswood College’s first-team rugby side produced an all-round performance to defeat St Andrew’s College 29-10 in the highly anticipated K-Day derby, securing local bragging rights in one of South Africa’s most celebrated school sporting rivalries.

Playing on St Andrew’s Lower Field in Makhanda, Eastern Cape, on Saturday, heavy rain and a waterlogged surface shaped much of the day’s rugby, forcing teams to abandon expansive play and adapt to difficult conditions.

Kingswood seized control early in the match, scoring three unanswered tries in the opening 20 minutes.

The hosts mounted a spirited second-half comeback with two tries, but Kingswood’s composure and effective game management ensured they held on for victory.

On social media, Kingswood praised the efforts of its players and coaching staff.

“Congratulations to the Kingswood 1st XV and coaches on their KDAY victory against St Andrew’s College on Saturday. The boys played with immense heart to bring home the win 29-10. Thank you to our hosts St Andrew’s College for a great game,” the school posted.

The annual K-Day festival, which this year featured cultural and sporting competitions involving Kingswood College, St Andrew’s College, St Andrew’s Prep and DSG, is one of the highlights of the Eastern Cape schools calendar.

This year’s rugby programme also included fixtures involving Mzansi Rugby Academy and Isibane Selane Rugby Academy, adding to a packed day of schoolboy rugby in Makhanda.

Thousands of pupils, parents, old boys and supporters traditionally converge on the host venue, with the first-team rugby encounter serving as the main attraction.

Saturday’s result represented a significant turnaround from the previous edition of the derby and underlined Kingswood’s growing momentum during the latter stages of the 2026 season.

Coming into the fixture, Kingswood had shown encouraging form with convincing victories over Port Rex Technical High School, Brandwag High School and Westering High School.

St Andrew’s entered K-Day after a narrow 24-21 defeat to Selborne College and faced an uphill battle against a Kingswood outfit that had demonstrated an ability to punish opponents when given space.

St Andrew’s looked to fullback Will Stevens, flyhalf David Chorley and scrumhalf Ethan Hayes to guide the side, while James Badenhorst returned to the No 8 jersey in an effort to strengthen the forward effort.

Kingswood, meanwhile, relied on the leadership of captain Ross Thompson and the contributions of several experienced campaigners, including twins James and Josh Mackenzie, as they sought to secure victory.

The visitors ultimately rose to the occasion, producing a disciplined and energetic display that prevented St Andrew’s from building sustained momentum.

While the home side managed to cross for two second-half tries, they struggled to consistently break down the Kingswood defence or gain control of territory for extended periods.

Kingswood’s 29-point return reflected their ability to convert opportunities into scoreboard pressure, a factor that proved decisive as the match progressed.

The result will be especially satisfying for Kingswood after the disappointment of last year’s encounter, when victory slipped away in the closing moments.

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By Cyril Ramaphosa

To the Young People of South Africa,  
On the eve of Youth Day, we honour a generation of young South Africans who changed the course of our history.

Fifty years ago, the youth of 1976 stood up against injustice and demanded the right to learn, to dream and to determine their own future. Their courage helped open the doors of freedom. The responsibility of our generation is to ensure that those doors lead to opportunity.  
 
The youth of South Africa rose up to reject an education system that sought to keep them in servitude and deny them the opportunity to realise their potential. Exactly 50 years later, as young South Africans, you face a different challenge: finding your place in an economy that has for too long kept its doors closed to you.  
 
We know that for many young South Africans, the promise of democracy can feel distant when jobs are scarce, when opportunities seem out of reach and when qualifications do not always lead to employment.

Many of you are working hard, applying for jobs, pursuing training and seeking opportunities, only to face disappointment. We hear these frustrations, and we understand that they are real. 
 
Inclusive economic growth is essential if we are to tackle youth unemployment in a meaningful and lasting way. That is why we are investing in a massive infrastructure programme and undertaking far-reaching reforms to make our economy more competitive.

We have embarked on a second ambitious investment drive, raising R890 billion in new investment pledges in the last year. 
 
However, these efforts will take time to translate into jobs. And even as the economy grows, young people may still find it difficult to participate in that growth. 
 
That is why we have been investing in programmes that give you access to learning and work opportunities, skills, experience and an income. 
 
One of our most successful programmes has been the Presidential Employment Stimulus, which was launched at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, that stimulus has created in excess of 2.5 million work and livelihood opportunities. More than eight in ten of these opportunities have gone to young people, and two-thirds to women. It has enabled the most rapid expansion of public employment in our history. 
 
While these numbers are impressive, what really makes this initiative stand out is the impact that it has on the prospects of those involved and the contribution it makes to the areas in which they work. 
 
Last year, through the Basic Education Employment Initiative, 200,000 unemployed young people provided valuable support to nearly 22,000 schools in remote villages, townships, dense inner cities, special needs classrooms and farm schools.

The programme is giving young people their first foothold in the world of work while strengthening the foundations of learning in the schools that need it most. 
 
The Social Employment Fund, another successful programme, offers part-time work for young people in social development programmes in areas like education, food and agriculture, health care, environmental improvement and safety.

Because it is part-time, participants get regular and predictable income while spending the rest of their time looking for work, exploring business opportunities or improving their skills. 
 
Alongside these public and social employment programmes, the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention is steadily dismantling the barriers that keep young people locked out of the labour market.

Through the SA Youth online platform, more than 5.7 million young people are now able to search for opportunities, overcoming some of the impediments that often hold them back, such as transport and data expenses. To date, the intervention has facilitated access to over 2.3 million earning opportunities. 
 
The revitalised National Youth Service has placed more than 132,000 young people in paid service to their communities. These are young people learning the dignity of work while giving back to the society that raised them. 
 
The Youth Employment Service, which is a business initiative, places young people in quality year-long work experience opportunities in companies across the country.  
 
We are also pioneering smarter ways of spending training funds. The Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund pays for training for young people only when they are placed in a real, quality job. It is a model that demands results.  
 
Behind every one of these numbers is a young person whose dignity has been restored, whose confidence has been renewed and whose horizon has broadened.

Although these opportunities are mostly short-term, there are thousands of stories of young people who have used them as a stepping stone towards finding a permanent job, starting a small business or studying towards a new career. 
 
The value of these opportunities can be measured not merely by what young people earn while they’re in the programme, but by what they leave with: skills, experience, self-esteem and a sense of purpose. 
 
Much work remains. The scale of the challenge demands that we sustain and deepen these efforts. Every company, every department, every organisation and every South African who is able to open a door for a young person must do so.  
 
Your country sees your potential and will work with you to ensure that you realise it.  
 
Let us together build a South Africa in which every young person finds their place in an inclusive economy and in a thriving society. 

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Nadia Landman

Students arrive in higher education with mindsets and habits shaped by the digital platforms they use every day.

Netflix, Spotify and Uber have normalised daily life experiences that feel simple, personalised, immediate and intuitive, and this has raised students’ expectations for seamless, user-centric experiences in other areas.

Higher education should not try to become on-demand entertainment. But it can certainly learn from the discipline behind these platforms. Students may not expect learning to be easy. Still, they increasingly expect the academic journey to be clear, connected and well supported.

A great student experience does not make higher education less rigorous. But it does make the path through that rigour clearer, more visible and better supported — an ideal all higher education institutions should be aiming for.

The simplicity of our ubiquitous modern-day platforms is often misunderstood.

Their ease of use is not accidental. It is the result of thoughtful design, continuous testing, data-informed improvement and rigorous quality assurance. Every recommendation, notification, search function and progress indicator is designed to reduce uncertainty and help users take the next step with confidence.

The role of data and AI in higher education

Netflix and Spotify show how personalisation and curation can make complex content feel manageable. Behind the scenes, data, machine learning and artificial intelligence help these platforms understand patterns, recommend content and create a sense of relevance.

In higher education, the purpose is different. The goal is not to keep students scrolling. The goal is to help them stay engaged, supported and on track. Used responsibly, data and AI can help institutions identify when students may need support, improve communication and guide learners to the right resources at the right time.

This is where the learning Management System (LMS) becomes critical.

Too often, the LMS becomes a digital filing cabinet filled with documents, announcements and links. A thoughtfully designed LMS should do more than store content. It should guide students through the module, showing them what they are learning, why it matters, what they need to do, when assessments are due and where feedback fits into their progress.

It should therefore be a carefully designed learning environment that helps students understand what to do, why it matters and how each step connects to their progress.

Visibility builds trust

Uber shows how visibility reduces uncertainty: users can track their driver, journey time, and expectations. Higher education should do likewise.

Students shouldn’t hunt for registration, fees, rules, assessment dates, feedback timelines, support services or escalation routes. The clearer the journey, the less confusion and anxiety. In higher education, visible registration status, accreditation, academic rules and support pathways signal trust and boost confidence in the institution and the learning journey.

Why this matters in Higher Education

Trust must be earned continuously. Students and parents need assurance that an institution is legitimate, that qualifications are recognised, and that the learning experience is well governed.

Visible, accurate and easy-to-understand signals — including accreditation, registration status, qualification details, academic rules and student support — do more than meet compliance. They form part of the student experience and demonstrate active quality management.

Student experience is quality assurance in action

Student experience is integral to academic quality and outcomes, and it shows in programme design, LMS structure, assessment communication, feedback and support.

The lesson from our most-used apps is that simple-feeling experiences rely on careful design, robust systems and continuous improvement. This matters for today’s students and especially for Generation Alpha, who expect intuitive, responsive, and personalised digital journeys.

The best institutions will not design only for the students they serve today. They will also pay close attention to the behaviours, expectations and support needs of the students who are coming next. Institutions that make quality visible and trust easy to earn will better navigate academic journeys and demonstrate mature governance.

Nadia Landman is Head: Academic Quality Management Systems at The IIE Academic Centre of Excellence.

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Staff Reporter

The Santa Shoebox Project has urged South Africans to use Youth Day to support teenagers, saying older children are often overlooked despite needing practical help and encouragement ahead of adulthood.

The appeal comes as the organisation marks its 20th anniversary in 2026. It says it has reached more than 1.5 million children over two decades, including tens of thousands of Grade 11 learners who received items to support them ahead of their matric year.

“It’s always heartwarming and inspiring to see firsthand how teenagers’ lives can be changed by a single act of kindness. Our donors have done wonderful things for our Grade 11 learners over the years,” said Santa Shoebox Project CEO Deb Zelezniak.

The organisation said its work with teenagers has shown how small, targeted gifts can have a direct impact on confidence, dignity and school readiness.

“There are many beautiful stories I can tell about how South Africa has shown up for our Santa Shoebox teenage beneficiaries,” said Zelezniak.

“Once, a Grade 11 boy cried tears of joy when he received a shirt and tie so that he could go into his first job interview with dignity and pride. On other occasions, teenagers have received quality hygiene items, books and stationery that really boosted their confidence ahead of their matric year. A group of boys danced around their class when they received rugby balls.”

“Hair and nail accessories, cute toys and PEP Stores vouchers have also brought great joy to our teens — a class even broke out in song to say thank you.”

“Another class told us they loved their gifts so much, they were “speechless”. And one gift that has made a lasting impression on all of us was when shoebox donors from Secunda gave a Grade 11 teen a life-changing voucher for driving lessons!”

The Santa Shoebox Project was founded in 2006. More than 1.35 million Santa Shoeboxes have been distributed to underprivileged and socially vulnerable children since then.

Each traditional or virtual shoebox contains eight specified items, including soap, a washcloth, a toothbrush, toothpaste, educational supplies, clothing, treats and age-appropriate discretionary items selected for each recipient.

Through its SSP Legacy arm, the organisation said it has reached more than 180,000 children by establishing and upgrading early childhood development centres, investing in teacher training and installing reading corners to support cognitive, language and social-emotional development.

Zelezniak said the anniversary year was an opportunity for South Africans to help create more stories of support for teenagers.

“Let’s show up for South Africa’s teens in 2026 and create more beautiful stories to tell. For a teen, a simple gift can open new worlds of possibility. Knowing that people care about you and your future, is a powerful vote of confidence. Together, we can show our teens that we believe in them.”

The organisation said donors can begin preparing boxes now to spread the cost. Corporate pledges open on 1 August and individual pledges open on 1 September.

The Santa Shoebox Project invited South Africans to sign up as volunteers, make a pledge or become brand partners through its website.

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By Charmaine Ndlela

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has raised concern over persistent safety challenges in schools, reporting more than 4,600 incidents of violence and over 4,100 cases of vandalism across the province over the past five years.

Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile released the figures during a school safety media briefing held at the Gauteng Gambling Board in Bramley, Johannesburg, on Sunday.

The department said Gauteng remains one of the country’s major crime hotspots, with 118,311 crimes recorded in 2026 — accounting for 26% of all crimes nationally.

Research by the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention shows a direct link between community crime levels and incidents in schools.

During the same period, nearly 400 cases of sexual misconduct and about 1,400 search-and-seizure incidents involving prohibited items were recorded at schools.

“These numbers are a concern because they indicate that our schools are under threat,” Maile said.

The department said incidents have fluctuated year-on-year, but violence, vandalism, substance-related offences and learner misconduct remain major disruptions to teaching and learning.

Maile said the provincial department is working with the South African Police Service (SAPS) under a 10-point protocol signed in 2025 to strengthen safety measures in schools.

“The protocol allows us to improve reporting, monitoring, searches and seizures, and to ensure we are able to collect and analyse information consistently so that targeted interventions can be implemented where they are needed most,” he said.

He added that school safety challenges reflect broader social conditions affecting communities.

“Crime, violence, substance abuse and social instability continue to affect our communities and increasingly find expression within our school environments. This is why our Thuto Pele campaign, under the theme ‘It Takes a Village to Raise a Child’, seeks to mobilise communities to become active partners in protecting our schools and learners,” Maile said.

He stressed that safe schools are essential for effective teaching and learning.

“Learners cannot learn effectively in environments characterised by fear, intimidation and violence. Equally, educators cannot teach optimally in unsafe conditions. Safe schools are therefore not only a security imperative, but an educational imperative,” he said.

Community consultations under the Thuto Pele campaign have highlighted ongoing concerns, including bullying, learner-on-learner violence, substance abuse, theft, vandalism and crime around school premises.

Parents also raised concerns about learner safety on their way to and from school.

The department said school safety efforts also include mental health and psychosocial support.

Through a partnership with the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), more than 11,000 learners and over 150 educators took part in mental health awareness and suicide prevention programmes in April 2026.

The Teddy Bear Foundation supported more than 100 schools with trauma and abuse interventions, while the Isibindi Ezikoleni Programme reached over 35,000 learners through awareness campaigns and support services.

A comprehensive environmental analysis by the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance assessed more than 1,300 schools in Gauteng and identified 245 high-risk institutions requiring targeted intervention.

It found that gang violence, bullying, substance abuse, theft, vandalism, sexual harassment and surrounding criminal activity remain key safety threats in schools.

To address these challenges, the department has installed CCTV systems at 606 schools and strengthened partnerships with SAPS, alongside expanded mental health programmes.

Maile said interventions must be guided by evidence and community input.

“We remain committed to ensuring that school safety interventions are informed by evidence, community engagement and the lived experiences of learners, educators and parents,” he said.

He added that school safety goes beyond security.

“It is also a learner development issue, a community development issue and ultimately an educational quality issue.”

The department said it is reviewing its School Safety Strategy, with a revised framework expected later this year.

The updated strategy will focus on prevention, early intervention, improved coordination and technology-driven solutions.

Maile said the safety of learners and educators remains non-negotiable, calling on parents, school governing bodies, faith-based organisations and civil society to play an active role in protecting schools and strengthening safe learning environments.

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By Charmaine Ndlela

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) have welcomed a Western Cape High Court ruling declaring the student allowance payment tender involving four service providers unlawful, invalid and unconstitutional.

In a joint statement, the entities said the judgment marked a significant step towards strengthening governance, transparency and accountability in the administration of student financial aid funds.

The court on June 12 ruled that the procurement process which led to service-level agreements between NSFAS and eZaga Holdings, Coinvest Africa, Noracco Corporation and Tenet Technology was unconstitutional, unlawful and invalid.

The ruling follows years of controversy over the appointment of fintech companies to distribute NSFAS allowances to students.

In 2023, the NSFAS board moved to terminate its relationship with the service providers after a report by Werkmans Attorneys uncovered irregularities in the awarding of the contracts.

The investigation also highlighted an alleged relationship between former NSFAS chief executive officer Andile Nongogo and two service providers, Coinvest Africa and eZaga Holdings, raising concerns about whether adequate due diligence had been conducted before the contracts were awarded.

According to the judgment, the procurement process was tainted by several irregularities, including improper tender cancellations, irregular drafting and approval of bid documents, non-compliance with mandatory requirements and the absence of key internal controls.

NSFAS and the SIU said the ruling vindicated their efforts to identify and address governance failures within the student funding scheme.

“The judgment not only vindicates our efforts in identifying and addressing significant governance failures but also reinforces our resolve to root out maladministration and safeguard the integrity of public procurement processes,” the statement said.

The court, however, found no evidence that the service providers were complicit in corruption, maladministration or other wrongdoing.

As a result, the companies may submit claims for reasonable expenses and profits incurred while fulfilling their obligations under the now-invalid contracts. Any claims will be independently verified before compensation is paid.

NSFAS said it would engage constructively with the affected companies to implement the compensation process in line with the court order.

The scheme also reassured students, parents and the public that it remains committed to restoring confidence in the administration of student financial aid and ensuring public funds are managed with integrity and accountability.

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By Charmaine Ndlela

A proposal for a private-sector-funded bursary scheme has emerged from Deputy Higher Education and Training Minister Dr Mimmy Gondwe’s engagement with private higher education institutions, just days after she called on the sector to help expand access to tertiary education.

Gondwe met with private higher education providers and industry associations on Monday as part of a sector-wide dialogue aimed at identifying practical solutions to South Africa’s growing demand for post-school education and training.

During the discussions, she urged the sector to play a greater role in widening access and assisting government to address capacity constraints in the public higher education system.

The first phase of the engagements has now concluded with a proposal to establish a bursary fund financed, administered and managed by private higher education institutions.

According to the Department of Higher Education and Training, private institutions currently enrol about 313,000 students—roughly 30% of all higher education enrolments in South Africa—while public universities accommodate about 1.1 million students.

The department said the proposed bursary scheme could provide financial support to students at private institutions and help broaden access to tertiary education at a time of increasing pressure on public resources.

The proposal gives practical effect to issues raised during Monday’s discussions, where Gondwe emphasised the need to move beyond annual conversations on access and identify tangible interventions to create more study opportunities for school-leavers.

“Given the tightening fiscal environment in the public sector, we now have to think outside the box and consider collaborating more closely with the private sector to support students and build meaningful public-private partnerships,” Gondwe said.

She said such partnerships could strengthen skills development and improve employability, while easing pressure on the public higher education system.

Beyond the bursary proposal, the engagements identified several areas for deeper collaboration between government and private providers.

These include investment in infrastructure, the establishment of specialised universities, curriculum innovation aligned to labour market demands, and creating a more enabling environment for responsible private investment in higher education.

The discussions also focused on strengthening public-private partnerships to improve skills development, infrastructure expansion and graduate employability.

Participants included ADvTECH Group, Regent Business School, STADIO, Eduvos, the Da Vinci Institute, Boston City Campus, and private higher education associations.

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By Lebone Rodah Mosima

The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education has warned that the inability of most South African learners to read for meaning by the prescribed age constitutes a violation of their constitutional right to basic education.

The committee was briefed on Friday by the Right to Read Campaign, a coalition of civil society and education organisations advocating for improved literacy outcomes and the right of every child to read with understanding.

“The Right to Read Campaign aims to make early-grade literacy a national priority through legislative reform and the development of binding regulations for the first three grades,” the campaign told the committee.

It said its work focuses on advocacy and communications, legal and education interventions, and community mobilisation, with the goal of developing regulations in partnership with the Department of Basic Education (DBE).

The campaign’s Right to Read and Write background paper, developed by 19 members of the Section 11 Committee, argues that a core outcome of the right to basic education is that children should be able to read and write with understanding in their home language by the age of 10.

The committee highlighted findings from the Funda Uphumelele National Survey (FUNS), released by the DBE in November 2025, which assessed foundational reading skills among Grade 1 to 4 learners and reading comprehension in Grades 3 and 4.

According to the survey, only about 30% of learners in Grades 1 to 3 are reading at grade level. The committee noted that if 81% of Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning, as reflected in the 2021 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), it follows that most learners have not developed the foundational skills required for reading proficiency.

The survey also revealed stark disparities linked to socio-economic status and language. Grade 3 learners in quintile 5 schools were almost three times more likely to meet grade-level home-language benchmarks than those in quintile 1 schools.

Grade 3 English home-language learners were four times more likely to reach the required benchmark than Sepedi home-language learners, while the Western Cape recorded the highest proportion of learners meeting grade-level standards, followed by KwaZulu-Natal.

The committee further expressed concern about the number of learners who appear to gain little benefit from their first three years of schooling. Overall, 15% of Grade 3 learners were unable to read a single word, rising to 25% among Sepedi- and Xitsonga-speaking learners.

“Learners in quintile 1 schools are four times more likely to be unable to read a single word than learners in quintile 5 schools,” the committee said.

The committee also cited findings from two South African Standardised Assessment System (SASE) reports released in 2024, which found that only 20% of Grade 3 learners perform at or above the expected grade level.

The reports showed that learners taught in English and Afrikaans generally outperform those taught in African languages. More than 40% of Grade 3 learners in Setswana, Sepedi, Xitsonga, isiNdebele, Sesotho and Tshivenda were classified at the “emerging” performance level.

The committee stressed that learners require a minimum package of reading resources, including lesson plans, graded readers, vocabulary posters and other support materials. It described the new Foundation Phase catalogue as a potentially important intervention but noted that implementation remains uneven because provinces are not compelled to procure specific materials and some face budget constraints.

It said evidence from rigorously evaluated literacy interventions in South Africa points to three key success factors: quality teacher training combined with learning and teaching support materials (LTSM), the use of unemployed youth as teaching assistants, and teacher coaching supported by appropriate learning materials.

The committee noted that some interventions could be implemented through existing programmes and funding streams, including teacher development initiatives, LTSM provision and the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI).

It said research papers on the “4Ts” of literacy — time, text, testing and training — are being prepared and will be submitted to the Department of Basic Education through the National Education and Training Council.

The campaign is also convening roundtable discussions with education experts and stakeholders and consulting communities, including parents, religious leaders and young people, to test proposed regulations and build consensus on solutions to the literacy crisis.

The committee said it would continue discussions on how binding regulations could strengthen the implementation of literacy policies and programmes aimed at addressing South Africa’s reading crisis.

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By Charmaine Ndlela

The University of Fort Hare (UFH) has emerged as the top-performing university in the Eastern Cape for research output, outperforming several institutions and ranking among South Africa’s leading research universities.

According to the 2024 Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) Research Outputs Sector-Wide Report, released this month, UFH achieved a weighted per capita research output score of 2.39, surpassing the national average of 2.23.

The score places Fort Hare among only 11 universities nationally that performed above the sector benchmark and makes it the highest-ranked university in the Eastern Cape on the key measure of research productivity and postgraduate success.

UFH also outperformed several institutions, including the University of South Africa (Unisa), which recorded a score of 2.34, and Rhodes University, which achieved 2.36.

UFH Director of Research and Innovation Dr Aceme Nyika said the achievement reflects the university’s commitment to conducting research that responds to societal challenges.

“As an institution that is rooted in communities and conducts research which addresses issues that affect communities, excelling in research means that UFH is making a significant contribution to the socioeconomic development of communities in the Eastern Cape,” he said.

Nyika said the ranking demonstrates the progress made by the university despite historical challenges.

“Being the only historically disadvantaged university among the top 11 universities in the country demonstrates that UFH is making strides in transforming itself into a research-focused university against all odds,” he said.

The university attributed its improved performance to a series of interventions introduced after research output declined between 2017 and 2021.

A major turning point came in 2021 when the institution separated its Academic Affairs Division into dedicated Teaching and Learning and Research, Partnerships and Innovation portfolios, allowing for greater focus on research development.

UFH also introduced mentorship programmes for emerging academics, research seed grants and specialised training programmes to strengthen research capacity.

As part of its research strategy, the university identified five key focus areas: renewable energy; agriculture and climate change; infectious diseases and medicinal plants; township economies; and African liberation heritage.

The institution has also intensified efforts to secure research funding from the private sector, national partners and international collaborators.

The impact of these initiatives is evident in the growth of National Research Foundation (NRF)-rated researchers at the university. The number increased from 29 in 2021 to 53 in 2025, representing growth of nearly 83%.

The university also achieved its first-ever B1 NRF rating in 2025 after producing two B2-rated researchers the previous year.

Postgraduate research capacity has expanded significantly. The proportion of permanently employed academics holding doctoral qualifications increased from 47% in 2022 to more than 65% in 2025, strengthening supervision capacity and contributing to higher master’s and doctoral graduation rates.

“The university’s improved postgraduate throughput contributed to its weighted per capita research output, which has now surpassed the national average,” Nyika said.

UFH plans to further strengthen its research and innovation profile through the establishment of a new Research and Innovation Hub, for which funding has already been secured.

The facility is expected to support collaboration between researchers, industry and investors while helping to commercialise innovations developed at the university.

The university said it is also advancing plans to establish a Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, building on its strengths in agricultural and animal science research.

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