US visa restrictions are gunboat diplomacy without the gunboats

“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” That was one of the mantras of Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States. It meant diplomacy backed by real force. As US imperial ambitions expanded – remember, this was the time when the US fully invested in the building of the Panama…

KZN’s tourism promise faces its municipal test

Tick-tock, tick-tock. The clock is counting down to the start of KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN’s) summer tourism season. Soon, visitors will be treated to the warm Indian Ocean lapping against the shores of some of the country’s most scenic beaches. Inland, about 200 km of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg escarpment culminates in…

Seminar explores the future of community media

By: Mafumane Tlhapi and Sthembiso Seyama

Community media must strengthen its finances, improve governance and embrace digital platforms to remain relevant. It must also continue giving local communities a voice and provide young media professionals with practical training. These were…

NWU PhD student earns international recognition for occupational hygiene research

A study highlighting a less recognised form of chemical exposure among South African petrol attendants has earned the North-West University (NWU) PhD student Lize van der Westhuizen international recognition.

Lize received the award for the best oral presentation by an early-career…

Across faculties and borders: International Teaching Weeks bring global perspectives into classrooms

Academics from across Africa and Europe joined colleagues and students from the North-West University (NWU) for a week of teaching, learning, collaboration and cultural exchange - bringing international perspectives directly into NWU classrooms.

From 14 to 18 September 2026, the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (FEMS) and the…

Across faculties and borders: International Teaching Weeks bring global perspectives into classrooms

Academics from across Africa and Europe joined colleagues and students from the North-West University (NWU) for a week of teaching, learning, collaboration and cultural exchange - bringing international perspectives directly into NWU classrooms.

From 14 to 18 September 2026, the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences (FEMS) and the…

National teaching honour recognises researcher’s passion for student success

A researcher in physiology at the North-West University (NWU) has received one of the highest levels of recognition for excellence in higher education teaching in South Africa. Dr Annemarie Wentzel, senior lecturer and researcher in physiology, is one of only six recipients of the 2026 National Teaching Awards (NUTA…

Nursing student Mecayla Johnson takes her skills to the world stage

Mecayla Johnson is ready to step on the world stage. After months of intensive preparation, the North-West University (NWU) nursing student will represent South Africa at the 48th WorldSkills competition in Shanghai, China, from 22 to 27 September 2026.

Mecayla, a fourth-year student,…

Student entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level

For some students, university is the start of a career. For others, it is where they discover that they can create their own careers and even create jobs for others. Eight North-West University (NWU) students recently took their business ideas and ventures to the regional stage of the EDHE Absa Entrepreneurship…

Africa already has answers to its health challenges

Africa does not have to look beyond its borders for every answer to its health challenges. Much of the knowledge, expertise and data needed to find solutions already exist on the continent.

That is the message from North-West University (NWU) physiology professor Lebo Gafane-Matemane,…