2017 saw the Mahikeng Campus of the North-West University (NWU) offering a one-year full-time honours programme in logistics.

This follows the introduction of a bachelor programme in transport economics and logistics management in 2003.

According to Ms Karen Visser, the programme coordinator, the establishment of the bachelor programme was in response to government’s effort to realise strategic objectives in terms of broad capacity building and empowerment programmes aimed at historically disadvantaged universities and societies as a whole.

“Today, 14 years later, the bachelor programme in transport economics and logistics management has delivered more than 600 graduates. It is with great pride that we can say that this programme withstood the test of time. Its success paved the way for establishing the honours programme in logistics, which will be followed by an honours programme in transport economics in 2018,” says Karen.
“For 2017, our first year of offering the honours programme in logistics, we have received more than 60 applications and have registered 18 students,” she adds.

“The Department of Transport Economics and Logistics currently boasts an employment rate of 75% after completion of a first degree (BCom in transport economics or logistics management), and we are convinced that this will be maintained and even improve for graduates holding an honours degree,” says Karen.

“The department is also planning to introduce master’s and doctorate studies in due course, increasing vertical articulation opportunities available to students to ensure that we retain our graduates until the ultimate exit level – a PhD.”