September is Biodiversity Month - discover the NWU's wild side!

As part of Biodiversity Month, the NWU is proud to unveil its biodiversity information booklet, "From Soil to Sky: Get to Know Your Campus". This guide showcases the rich and diverse ecosystems thriving across our three campuses.

From secretive hedgehogs and iconic springboks to…

Eagles dominate Varsity College in Varsity Netball opener

In their 2025 Varsity Netball campaign opener, the North-West University (NWU) Eagles displayed confidence and teamwork in their convincing 63-29 victory against Varsity College at the Maties Coetzenburg Indoor Centre in Stellenbosch on Sunday, 24 August.

The Eagles dominated from the outset, taking the lead in the first quarter and…

Our war on plastic delivers results

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) stand against plastic pollution, launched in 2023, has evolved into an institutionalised environmental policy and the results speak for themselves.

In the first six months of 2025, the NWU recycled 140,6 tons of campus waste, including 36 tons of single-use plastic. This reflects reduced plastic…

Training for traditional leaders combines language, custom and justice

In a powerful demonstration of language, heritage and collaboration, university language specialists have partnered with the Provincial House of Traditional and Khoisan Leaders to hold a training programme for Dikgosi (traditional leaders).

The Language Directorate of the North-West University (NWU) played a key role in the week-long…

Musician-turned-professor makes a masterpiece of his inaugural lecture

The concert hall was silent. When the words came, they came almost reluctantly. “Here I am, having to give a lecture,” said Prof Piet Koornhof, a violinist. “I would much rather perform music. So, I shall do both.”

With that, Prof Koornhof from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Music set the tone for an inaugural lecture…

National Dialogue Outreach Session with former President Thabo Mbeki

The North-West University (NWU) in partnership with the Strategic Dialogue Group (SDG) and the Thabo Mbeki Foundation will host former President Thabo Mbeki for the inaugural session of the national dialogue discussions.

This event takes place on Saturday, 5 July 2025, at the Auditorium on the NWU’s Potchefstroom Campus from 09:00 to 14…

Enhancing premarital counselling to increase marriage stability

The institution of marriage in South Africa is quietly collapsing. Many marriages that were once full of promise and joy are crumbling all too quickly, causing heartache, isolation and unstable connections within families. This reality has deeply concerned Pastor Gugulethu Ndlovu, a PhD student at the Faculty of Theology at the North-West…

Struggles and shifting realities of informal traders during Covid-19 offer lessons for future crises

By Gofaone Motsamai

When South Africa went into lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic impact was immediate. Informal traders – those who operate without formal registration or protection – were among the most affected. With no income, no access to trading spaces and limited government…

Singing your way to well-being and growth

Music’s power to heal, inspire and connect took centre stage during the inaugural lecture of Prof Conroy Cupido, director of the School of Music at the North-West University (NWU).

Hosted by the Faculty of Humanities at the Potchefstroom Campus on 12 June, the lecture explored the intersection of music, emotion and positive psychology…

Some races are worth running

When the 2025 Comrades Marathon kicked off on Sunday, 8 June, Benjamin Tjiane was running more than just the 90-odd kilometres between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. He was pursuing a goal that had started during the Covid-19 lockdowns. What began as a personal challenge has evolved into something much deeper.

“My first race was 21 km in…