Akani Nkuna

The KwaZulu-Natal education department will receive additional funding over the next three years to cover salary costs, support teacher assistants, and strengthen school infrastructure, MEC Francois Rodgers said on Tuesday while tabling the 2026/27 budget.

The amount allocated to education is R71.193 billion, accounting for 42.4% of the total R168.2 billion provincial budget.

ALSO READ: R5 million in prizes up for grabs in Gauteng innovation challenge

Rodgers said the department would receive R647.3 million in 2026/27, R676.5 million in 2027/28 and R697.6 million in 2028/29 “towards addressing the existing budget pressures in compensation of employees in the department, which were largely caused by significant historic budget cuts”.

Rodgers also announced additional funding for Grade R teachers as the province continues to bring their pay in line with the rest of the basic education system. The department will receive R29.8 million in 2026/27, R59.5 million in 2027/28 and R101.6 million in 2028/29 for “the progressive equalisation of the remuneration of Grade R teachers”.

“Grade R is now part of the compulsory phase of basic education and the teachers should be remunerated accordingly. These funds are therefore added to our budget to progressively increase these teachers’ salaries,” he said.

ALSO READ: Champions Sundowns storm into Gauteng Development League season

The budget also retains support for school-based employment through the Presidential Employment Stimulus.

Rodgers said the department would receive R70.1 million in 2026/27 for the Teacher Assistants Programme.

“These funds are aimed at providing work and livelihood opportunities, particularly for youth and women,” he said.

ALSO READ: KZN can’t approve retirement, exit applications

Rodgers said the Education Infrastructure grant would receive an incentive increase of R41.5 million in 2026/27 after the department met required milestones.

The phased merger of the Education Infrastructure grant and the School Infrastructure Backlogs grant would result in an aggregate increase of R505.3 million in 2026/27, he said.  

INSIDE EDUCATION

Staff Reporter

A R5 million national prize pool is being offered to help scale South African clean-tech ventures globally as the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) and its partners launch the Gauteng instalment of the National CleanTech Innovation Challenge (NCIC) 2026, focused on smart mobility.

The challenge also includes a R1 million provincial prize that will be awarded to one winner in each of the nine provinces to support diffusion and piloting for regional economic development.

The national prize will go to the top challengers, with first prize set at R3 million and second prize at R2 million. In addition, 30 semi-finalists will receive advanced acceleration through a specialised UNIDO Global Cleantech Innovation Programme (GCIP)-aligned intervention across TIA’s regional Cleantech Hub network.

Organisers said a minimum of R5 million in direct blended funding would also be made available for real-world technology demonstrations and pilot programmes with corporate partners, supplemented by GCIP investment.

The TIA, in partnership with the NGIN, Start-Up Culture and Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, said the Gauteng challenge invites South Africa-based innovators, entrepreneurs, SMMEs and university research teams to submit scalable clean-tech solutions aimed at transforming how Gauteng’s 15 million residents and the country’s freight move through the province.

Applications close on 21 April 2026.

Gauteng, South Africa’s economic heartland and busiest transport corridor, loses billions of rand each year to traffic congestion through lost productivity, increased fuel consumption and environmental degradation.

The NCIC 2026 Smart Mobility challenge supports the Gauteng provincial government’s Smart Mobility 2030 vision by seeking innovations that can move from pilot stage to real-world deployment.

The challenge covers electric and alternative-fuel vehicles, intelligent transport systems, last-mile delivery solutions, ride-sharing and multi-modal platforms, non-motorised transport, fleet management and logistics optimisation, transport data analytics, and commuter safety technologies.

“Gauteng’s transport challenges are immense, but so is the innovation potential in this province. NCIC 2026 is designed to find and accelerate the smart mobility solutions that can get Gauteng moving cleaner, faster, and more inclusively,” said Vusi Skosana, interim head of GCIP SA PMU.

NCIC is part of the Global Cleantech Innovation Programme, which is backed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Organisers said the GCIP pipeline has supported a number of South African ventures through structured acceleration and post-acceleration support since 2014.

Other support for successful applicants includes project funding to advance their smart mobility solution, incubation services with dedicated technical and business mentors, access to investors and industry partners in the mobility and transport sector, intellectual property specialist guidance, and a pathway to pilot and deploy solutions on Gauteng’s roads.

The Gauteng Smart Mobility challenge is one of nine provincial NCIC 2026 challenges, each focused on a specific regional clean-tech priority. Other provinces are tackling issues including waste-to-value, regenerative agriculture, clean energy, mining land rehabilitation and clean port logistics.

“Gauteng is a high-density testing ground for the future of sustainable urban mobility. Through NCIC 2026, we are surfacing world-class cleantech solutions. From EV infrastructure to intelligent data analytics that address the universal challenge of decarbonising rapid urbanisation,” said Mark Harris, CEO of Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct.

“This challenge gives mobility innovators a structured pathway to go from idea to impact and from pilot to pavement, while also positioning South African ingenuity as a vital contributor to the global green economy,” he said.

Applicants must be South Africa-based and have scalable smart mobility solutions aligned to Gauteng’s transport priorities. Applications must be submitted online at https://ncic-sa.org/gauteng/ by 21 April.

INSIDE EDUCATION

Ohio State President Walter “Ted” Carter Jr. resigned on Monday after disclosing “an inappropriate relationship” with a woman seeking public resources for her private business.

Carter, 66, said in a statement that he had resigned voluntarily after informing the university’s board of trustees of his error. He did not elaborate on the nature of the relationship and said he was leaving with his wife, Lynda.

“For personal reasons, I have made the difficult decision to resign from my role as president of The Ohio State University,” he said. “I disclosed to the board of trustees that I made a mistake in allowing inappropriate access to Ohio State leadership.”

Ohio State is the nation’s sixth-largest university, with more than 60,000 students, over 600,000 living alumni and a highly ranked football team and medical center. Carter oversaw a fiscal year 2026 budget totaling $11.5 billion in revenues and $10.9 billion in expenditures.

The university brought Carter on board in 2023 from the University of Nebraska system. He is also a former superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy and holds the national record for carrier-arrested landings with over 2,000 mishap-free touchdowns.

He filled a vacancy at Ohio State left by the mid-contract resignation of President Kristina Johnson, which went largely unexplained.

The engineer and former undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Energy had been chancellor of New York’s public university system before she joined the Buckeyes as president in 2020.

AP

By Johnathan Paoli

The 2026 Gauteng Development League season got underway with a flurry of goals across the Under-19 division this weekend, with defending champions Mamelodi Sundowns opening their title defence in emphatic fashion.

Sundowns thrashed Rockevfs 5-0 in the standout result of the opening round, with Tebogo Moreri scoring a first-half hat-trick after Liano Snyders had opened the scoring inside the first 10 minutes. Kgaogelo Monanyane was also on target as the champions made an early statement.

Moreri grabbed his first in the 23rd minute before adding two more before the break, while Sundowns’ strong start underlined why they will again be among the teams to beat this season.

Kathorus Hyper Academy also began the new campaign with a win, edging Africa School of Excellence 4-3 in one of the weekend’s highest-scoring encounters.

Gift Muyambo opened the scoring, Sizwe Sidu added another, and Esethu Witvoet converted from the penalty spot as Kathorus held off a spirited fightback.

Remember Elite Sport Academy, runners-up in last weekend’s Top 8 final, also opened with a victory, beating Panorama 3-2 in a closely contested match. Bandile Sithole scored twice, Nceba Jozela added the other goal, and Brian Molefe supplied all three assists in a decisive contribution.

Elsewhere, Siwelele FC beat Jomo Cosmos 2-0, Randburg AFC overcame newly promoted Prestige Football Development Academy 2-1, and Joburg City FC secured a 3-1 win over the University of Pretoria. Wits Junior also claimed an impressive 1-0 victory over Highlands Park.

One of the most anticipated fixtures of the opening weekend, between Kaizer Chiefs and Seven’s Academy, was called off because of waterlogged fields at Chiefs Village in Naturena.

The new league season followed Kaizer Chiefs’ 1-0 win over RESA in the Under-19 Top 8 final the previous weekend, and the opening round suggested another fiercely competitive campaign lies ahead.

INSIDE EDUCATION

By Lebone Rodah Mosima

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education said on Sunday it could not currently approve applications under the Incentivised Early Retirement Programme and Voluntary Exit Programme because it lacked the financial capacity to absorb related costs from its existing baseline budget.

The department said it acknowledged cabinet’s decision to introduce the Incentivised Early Retirement Programme without penalisation of pension benefits, as well as the Voluntary Exit Programme, for public service employees. The decision was approved at a special cabinet meeting on 10 April 2024.

ALSO READ: WorldSkills conference opens as government warns of skills gap threat

The Department of Public Service and Administration issued a formal determination in October 2025 setting out the framework and procedures for implementing the programmes across government departments. The determination provided for financial incentives to qualifying employees, with certain costs, including the waiving of pension penalties and incentive payments, funded by National Treasury.

However, other associated costs, including pro-rata service bonus payments, capped leave, unused annual leave and resettlement expenses where applicable, had to be funded from the baseline budgets of individual departments.

“Given the current fiscal constraints faced by the department, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education regrettably does not have the financial capacity at this stage to absorb the additional costs that must be funded from its existing baseline budget,” the department said.

It said approval of applications under the programmes was not automatic and that departments were required to assess applications against specific criteria, “including ensuring that service delivery is not negatively affected, that critical skills are not lost, and that the financial implications remain sustainable within departmental budgets”.

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It said that while employees retained the right to apply, it was “presently unable to approve applications under the current phase, particularly in circumstances where the departure of employees may create service delivery gaps that cannot immediately be addressed”.

The department said its position did not oppose or undermine cabinet’s decision or the DPSA determination, but reflected “a responsible and transparent approach” to communicating its financial and operational realities while remaining aligned with national policy directives.

INSIDE EDUCATION

A 62-year-old Eastern Cape school principal has been summoned to court by the Hawks on allegations of fraud and perjury linked to a Road Accident Fund (RAF) claim worth about R2.9 million.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) confirmed that the summons was served on Thursday by the Mthatha-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit. The suspect is expected to appear before the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 25 March.

In a statement released on Friday, the Hawks said the principal faces charges linked to allegedly contradictory claims submitted after a motor vehicle accident in 2017.

ALSO READ: UFS study: Sanitary pads are safe and won’t be withdrawn from shelves, says Motsoaledi

The government, scientists and researchers have allayed fears over endocrine-disrupting chemicals in sanitary pads, saying there was no evidence from research conducted over more than a century to suggest they caused any harm to humans.

At a high-level joint press conference on Sunday, spearheaded by Health Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, who was joined by other agencies such as the World Health Organisation, the message from representatives was that production of the pads would continue and they would not be withdrawn from shelves.

The issue came into the spotlight after a University of the Free State (UFS) study found the presence of EDCs in several brands of pads and pantyliners that were sold in the country. That prompted an investigation by the National Consumer Commission.

ALSO READ: Letsike urges tourism sector to turn women’s inclusion into economic power

Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Mmapaseka Steve Letsike used a tourism dialogue marking International Women’s Day to call for stronger policies, investment and structural support to expand women’s economic opportunities in South Africa’s tourism sector.

Speaking at the Women in Tourism Dialogue on Saturday, ahead of International Women’s Day on Sunday, Letsike said the conversation should not focus only on celebrating progress, but also on widening women’s participation and ownership in the economy.

The event was held under the banner of women in tourism.

Letsike said women make up more than half of the global tourism workforce, citing research by UN Tourism and UN Women. UN Tourism says women account for 54% of tourism employment worldwide, a higher share than in the broader economy, but are still concentrated in lower-skilled, lower-paid and often informal work.

INSIDE EDUCATION

y Thapelo Molefe

Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Nomusa Dube-Ncube says South Africa must urgently strengthen its artisan and vocational skills pipeline to support infrastructure development and economic growth, as the country pushes to produce 30,000 artisans annually by 2030.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the WorldSkills South Africa Competition, Conference and Career Festival at the Durban International Convention Centre on Sunday, Dube-Ncube said the country’s economic ambitions depend on building a stronger technical and vocational workforce.

“Every year we hear about our country investing trillions and billions of rands in infrastructure development,” she said. 

“The question that we have been asking ourselves is, who is going to roll out this infrastructure development if we do not have the skills that will roll out that infrastructure development?”

The national competition brings together more than 230 finalists who will compete across 27 technical and vocational skills categories. They were selected from over 1,500 applicants who entered the competition process, which s that began in 2024.

About 33 competitors will be chosen from the event to represent South Africa at the WorldSkills International Competition 2026 scheduled to take place in Shanghai, China later this year.

Dube-Ncube said the competitors would carry the hopes of the country onto the global stage.

“Many of them will be carrying not just tools and technical expertise, but the aspirations of our nation and the belief in the transformation of our skills system,” she said.

To improve South Africa’s performance at the international competition, the department plans to prepare the national team through international partnerships and additional training platforms.

“We are planning to use our bilateral relations with Austria, Germany and China as training and competition grounds for these young people before the September competitions,” Dube-Ncube said.

She also announced additional psychosocial support for competitors during the national event through Higher Health.

“I have spoken to the CEO of Higher Health to make sure that we have a team present here during the competition so that we provide psychosocial support to the competitors,” she said.

The deputy minister said skills competitions play an important role in improving training standards and strengthening collaboration between industry and the post school education and training system.

“This journey reflects our outcomes as the Department of Higher Education and Training in building a high quality, responsive and effective skills development system that strengthens pathways into employment and economic growth,” she said.

She also urged stronger cooperation between government, training institutions and industry, stressing that skills training must be aligned with labour market needs.

“We cannot teach in a vacuum. Whatever we teach in the classroom has to be driven by industry,” she said. 

“We must ask ourselves who we are teaching, what we are teaching for, and why we are teaching.”

Dube-Ncube said government would continue expanding artisan training opportunities and workplace learning programmes through partnerships with employers, training institutions and Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs).

The deputy minister also welcomed the participation of learners from technical high schools, noting that two competitors from a technical school in Umlazi were taking part in the competition for the first time.

Addressing the competitors, she urged them to represent the country with pride.

“You carry not just your own aspirations. You carry the aspirations of this country and of other young people who did not have the opportunity that you have today,” she said.

Dube-Ncube officially declared the 2026 national competition open, saying the event represents a broader national effort to modernise skills development and build a workforce capable of supporting South Africa’s future growth.

“Through WorldSkills South Africa we are advancing a national movement to modernise skills development and build the citizens who will construct South Africa’s future,” she said.

INSIDE EDUCATION