Final-year Business Management students at the North-West University (NWU) were recently treated to an engaging guest lecture by one of the institution’s senior leaders, Ntsikie Kote-Nkomo, executive director for strategy and strategic projects in the vice-chancellor’s office.
Ntsikie brings more than two decades of strategic leadership to her role. She oversees institutional strategy development, performance alignment and strategic projects across NWU.
Raised between Botswana and the Transkei, her upbringing shaped her commitment to education as a tool for empowerment. Before joining the NWU, she served in executive leadership roles in various capacities both in the public and private sector.
Her lecture, delivered as part of the BMAN321 Strategic Management module, brought strategic theory to life by offering students insight into how large-scale institutional strategies are formulated, implemented and adapted in practice. Ntsikie is one of the principal architects of the NWU’s newly adopted strategy, “Taking the NWU forward - 2024 and beyond”.
“Her presence in the classroom was inspiring,” said BCom student James Scorgie. “It’s one thing to learn about strategy from textbooks, but quite another to hear it from someone leading real-world transformation. Her lecture gave us a clearer understanding of what it takes to turn vision into action.”
The session not only contextualised students’ coursework but also prepared them for their upcoming industry challenge with Nedbank Group Marketing Corporate Affairs, in which top-performing teams will present their strategic proposals at Nedbank’s head office. This challenge aligns with the NWU objective to embed practical learning and industry collaboration into academic programmes.
“Mrs Kote-Nkomo didn’t just talk about strategy - she modelled it,” said Dr Lerato E. Mdaka, senior lecturer in Business Management. “Her engagement deepened students’ understanding of strategy measurement and evaluation at the highest level.”
Dr Mdaka said this guest lecture forms part of the NWU’s ongoing commitment to bridging the divide between academic theory and industry application. Through initiatives like these, the university aims to produce globally competitive, industry-ready graduates who are equipped to lead in complex environments.
“We are grateful for Mrs Kote-Nkomo’s investment in our students,” added Dr Mdaka. “Her engagement reaffirms the university’s continuous commitment to prepare graduates that are strategic thinkers, ethical leaders and responsive to societal needs.”
