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By Charmaine Ndlela
The University of South Africa (Unisa) is set to confer 16,900 qualifications during its 2026 Spring Graduation Season.
The ceremonies run from 5 October to 28 November and will take place in Pretoria, Bloemfontein, Mbombela, Polokwane, East London, Durban and Cape Town.
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The university said the qualifications include 417 master’s and 300 doctoral degrees.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony at the ZK Matthews Great Hall in Pretoria on Monday, Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Puleng LenkaBula reminded graduates that graduation should not be viewed simply as the end of an academic journey, but as the beginning of a new chapter.
“Graduation is more than the conferral of a qualification. It is a declaration that they are equipped to interrogate complexity, challenge assumptions and contribute meaningfully to society,” LenkaBula said.
Using spring as a metaphor for renewal, LenkaBula told graduates that the season represented an opportunity for them to flourish after years of hard work and perseverance.
“Spring is a new year. It represents the new beginnings, and new beginnings after a long winter. It is a season that we see what was planted, and when we see the flowers, the beginning of flowers,” she said.
“And therefore, dear graduates, it’s your season to flower. It is your season to flourish. It is your season to celebrate the accomplishments, the long and arduous work, the investments you would have made with your talents.”
LenkaBula acknowledged that the journey towards graduation had not been easy for many students, particularly those studying through an open-distance learning environment while balancing work, family responsibilities and other challenges.
She joked with graduates about the realities of university life, including repeating difficult modules and missing important assignment deadlines.
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“Some of you might have done one module five times. They’re laughing because they know it’s true,” she said.
She also acknowledged graduates who had faced challenges such as load shedding and limited access to study facilities while completing their qualifications.
“I know that sometimes you have studied with a candle because there was load shedding, or maybe there was not load shedding because of the challenges of life,” LenkaBula said.
“Sometimes you have had to come to the University of South Africa, to the laboratories, or to the classrooms, and we’re quite appreciative for your tenacity.”
She highlighted the significance of being the first person in a family to obtain a university qualification.
She asked graduates to indicate how many were the first in their families to graduate, drawing attention to the number of hands raised in the hall.
“We’re proud of you who are the first generations in your families to graduate,” she said.
“You are truly living that mantra that the first president of this country, His Excellency President Mandela, would have stated about education as an important resource that changes lives.”
LenkaBula said education should be viewed as a lever for social and economic transformation, particularly for students from families and communities where higher education had previously been inaccessible.
She urged graduates not to limit themselves to seeking employment, but to use their education to create opportunities for others.
“As you graduate today, it’s not your last graduation, and instead, that you’re going to invite others to see the purpose of education is that which changes lives for the better,” she said.
“And that you who are graduating will not just look for jobs, but you will create jobs.”
According to LenkaBula, the university’s open-distance learning model had enabled it to reach students across South Africa and beyond, providing opportunities to people who may otherwise have struggled to access conventional university education.
She also reminded graduates of Unisa’s history and its contribution to producing leaders in South Africa and internationally.
Among the institution’s notable alumni is former president Nelson Mandela, whose association with Unisa was highlighted during the graduation address.
LenkaBula told graduates that they were joining a global community of more than one million Unisa alumni who were contributing to their communities, the country and the continent.
“Our undergraduate success rate has risen to 77%, and our tenure cohort has fallen, meaning we’re graduating more students, and more students are doing well.”
She also said Unisa now had 320 academics who had received National Research Foundation recognition, describing the achievement as an important development for the university’s research ambitions.
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