Award-winning author dedicates award to late professor

By Mzwandile Ndlovu

When North-West University (NWU) senior lecturer Dr Salphinah Vuloyimuni Ubisi reached a new milestone in her career with a publishing award, she was quick to praise her later supervisor.

In December 2025, she was awarded the 2024 Hiddingh-Currie Award at a ceremony hosted by Unisa…

Second Smart Village dialogue aims for implementation

A renewed push to translate indigenous knowledge (IK) into practical rural development will take centre stage when stakeholders gather for the Second Smart Village conference in Nyandeni in the Eastern Cape.

Being held under the theme “Towards an indigenous knowledge-based smart village model: A multi-stakeholder planning dialogue for…

The President’s annual national address: Was this another box-ticking exercise?

Section 84(d) of the Constitution vests in the President the authority to convene both Houses of Parliament for a special sitting, a power that is generally interpreted as encompassing, by implication, the delivery of the State of the Nation Address. On Thursday evening, President Cyril Ramaphosa carried out the annual presidential ritual of…

Hundzula retreat seeks practical digital solutions for low-resource African language

If African languages are to thrive in a digital world, it is essential that these languages be part of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution sweeping society.

Natural language processing, which enables computers to understand, interpret and generate human language, could play a significant role in enabling African language…

SONA 2026: What to expect — and what not

President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver his 2026 State of the Nation (SONA) address on Thursday 12 February, and he will do so in a world starkly different from that of a year ago. Political uncertainty, strained international relations and domestic pressures mean the president is operating in a political climate that is no longer simmering but…

Alumnus turns military discipline into academic success

By Mzwandile Ndlovu

Mphumudzeni Siphuma, a North-West University (NWU) alumnus, has swopped his military fatigues and rank for civvies and the title of lecturer in Communication, Journalism and Media Studies at the university’s Potchefstroom Campus.

His career change began in 2019 when he decided to…

Support for Groenewald and the VF Plus confirms the conjunctural and fluid nature of South African politics

An opinion piece by Dr Mabutho Shangase

There appears to be a growing trend of advocacy and political support for Dr Pieter Groenewald and the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) among black users of social media platforms. Although the overall scope of the campaign has not yet been precisely defined, its presence is…

NWU alumnus honoured at Icons of Africa Awards

What began as a digital footprint in South Africa has grown into a continental voice, one strong enough to earn North-West University (NWU) alumnus John Nchoe an honorary award at the prestigious Icons of Africa Awards.

Nchoe, a social media entrepreneur who holds a BA and BA Honours in Communication from the NWU, was recognised for his…

What South Africa can learn from China’s quiet wisdom

South Africa can learn a great deal from China, not by copying its politics but by understanding how it builds relationships, trust and social harmony. That is the argument made by Dr Casper Lötter, a conflict criminologist at the North West University, who believes China’s way of thinking offers practical lessons for a deeply divided South…

Putting people at the centre of digital innovation

The Centre for Digital Humanities was born out of the realisation that the humanities are central to creating equitable digital futures for South Africans.  “As digital humanists, we understand that technology exists within a network of human and more-than-human relationships,” says Prof. Janelize Morelli.  “True digital…