South African Business 2024

OVERVIEW
Africa (WWF-SA) and Peace Parks Foundation
initiative. The college is located near the Orpen
Gate on the edge of the Kruger National Park.
Universities
There are three types of public universities
in South Africa: traditional universities,
which are academic in focus and award
degrees; universities of technology, which
have a vocational emphasis and can award
diplomas and certificates; and comprehensive
universities which offer a combination of both
types of qualification and can confer degrees
and diplomas.
The addition of two universities in the
provinces of Mpumalanga and the Northern
Cape means that every South African province
now has a university.
The official launch of the University of
Mpumalanga was in October 2013, with the first
cohort of 169 students registered in just three
programmes in 2014. By 2024, the plan is to offer
approximately 70 qualifications to over 8 000
students. That is the year in which the university’s
first doctoral graduates will be capped.
Research relevant to the needs of the
province can now be done at local level.
With Sol Plaatje University celebrating its 10th
anniversary in 2023, the chances of indigenous
young people being able to study on its campus
have been boosted by large donations from two
Anglo American subsidiaries.
Kumba Iron Ore and De Beers Group are
among the biggest mining companies active in
ONLINE RESOURCES
Centres of Specialisation: www.dhet.gov.za
National Department of Science and Innovation:
www.dst.gov.za
Sol Plaatje University: www.spu.ac.za
TVET colleges: www.tvetcolleges.co.za
University of Mpumalanga: www.ump.ac.za
A team of students from ORBIT TVET College
competed successfully in an international AI
competition run by Intel.
the Northern Cape. Their donations of R20-million
and R5-million towards the university’s Lesedi La
Afrika Fund will support scholarships and social
impact projects. The fund has set a target of R100-
million over the next three years.
SPU has seen major growth in its enrolment
figures and staff recruitment in recent years,
with 60% of its academic staff having PhDs. As
part of its sustainable growth, the institution
is committed to community engagement and
scholarly activity.
The first intake of students at the Kimberley
campus of Sol Plaatje University in 2014
was 124. For the 2023 academic year a total
of 28 454 applications (undergraduate and
postgraduate) were received by SPU. This is
an increase of just under 9 000 against the
applications received for 2022.
Another milestone was reached in the
university’s young history when the Risk and
Vulnerability Science Centre (RVSC) celebrated
its first birthday, on 9 September 2022. As the
Northern Cape is water-scarce, the unit’s location
is highly relevant. RVSC is a programme of the
Department of Science and Innovation under
the Global Change Research Plan for South
Africa – funded through the National Research
Foundation’s Global Change programme.
Most of South Africa’s universities have
business schools attached to them, offering
MBAs, management diplomas and a variety of
short courses. ■
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