Research News

Middle English fires the imagination of top-rated researcher

With a B2 rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF), Prof David Scott-Macnab is the highest rated researcher currently employed in the Faculty of Humanities at the North-West University (NWU).

To receive a B2 rating, an academic needs to have published a substantial body of research in top-tier, high-impact international…

Perennial grasses are the answer for veld restoration

In a water-scarce country like South Africa with growing demands for grazing, cultivated perennial grasses could be the answer to protecting the veld and providing nutrition for animals.

“Droughts, scarcity of rain and overgrazing have caused a lot of degradation of the veld, and therefore veld restoration is a priority for farmers and…

Disease response projects aim to make Africa self-sufficient

In a time of Covid-19 fatigue, citizens are now confronted with an even deadlier and highly transmissible Delta variant. This new virus mutation impacts on already overburdened and under-resourced health systems. More alarming is that on day 460 of the lockdown in South Africa, less than 1% of the population was fully immunised.

Also,…

Project team wants all university students to have access to indigenous African languages

University students who have a mother tongue other than English should not be at a disadvantage compared to those who do speak English at home. This is why it is important to level the language playing field. The North-West University (NWU) is one of four tertiary education institutions in South Africa to work with three European universities…

North West farmers warned of bovine infections through multidrug-resistant bacteria

Livestock farmers in the North West Province are being urged to apply all possible security measures and avoid the introduction of new bulls without sanitary control.

This is necessary to prevent the spread of a bacterial infection that causes abortion, infertility and other reproductive ailments in cattle – and could potentially be…

Passing away of Dr Johan van Zyl

It is with great sadness, shock and disbelief that the North-West University (NWU) community has learnt about the sudden passing away of Dr Johan van Zyl, Executive Chairperson of Toyota SA. Our deepest condolences go out to his wife Santie, family, friends and colleagues. He was indeed a remarkable man and leader.…

NWU to host conference on social media, fake news and hate speech

The advent of social media has brought about the democratisation of communication. The public who has always been consumers of messages has now also become producers since social media is open to everyone who has a device, an account, and data or access to the internet.

NWU online colloquium shares the wonder of the Mahikeng Astronomical Observatory

The Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (FNAS) at the North-West University (NWU) hosted an online colloquium about its Mahikeng Astronomical Observatory (MAO) on 12 July 2021.

The title of the colloquium was “NWU Mahikeng Astronomical Observatory: science cases and usage…

NWU harnesses ozone technology as cost-effective Covid-19 combatant

The North-West University’s (NWU's) researchers and innovators are working towards solutions to effectively destroy viruses, bacteria and fungi, including the Coronavirus, on a large scale. As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to rage, fast-working, low-cost disinfection solutions are essential in tackling the crisis. The NWU has taken up this…

Getting the Constitution to work for street traders

While the informal economy is lifting hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty, several municipal by-laws hinder the growth of their businesses, and – to some extent – allow for the violation of their rights. A researcher from the North-West University (NWU) believes a possible solution for the protection and development of this sector…