Long-term capacity building is required to address perinatal mood disorders which affect more than a third of women in South Africa, negatively impacting individuals and families.

To address this, local, international health care professionals and academics met in Mahikeng from 9 to 13 March 2026. The purpose was to advance a joint programme aimed at improving early detection and management of perinatal mood disorders in rural South Africa. Limited access to specialised mental-health services in these areas continues to affect maternal and child health.

Nkululeko Khwezilomso Malgas, manager of the North-West University (NWU) Soccer Institute, has obtained a CAF A coaching licence, a development he says will strengthen player training and coaching standards at the institution.

Nkululeko linked the achievement to the institute’s mandate of producing players ready for the professional game.

In a time of multi-media and content creators, the critical role of indigenous languages in shaping inclusive and meaningful media content was explored during a lecture at the North-West University (NWU).

Itumeleng Bahetane, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) North West regional operations manager, returned to the NWU where his media journey began, to deliver a public lecture on the importance of preserving and promoting indigenous languages.

Appointed the new Public Service Commissioner for the North West Province, North-West University (NWU) alumnus Advocate Neo Sephhoti is determined to strengthen accountability in the province.

Her appointment was confirmed during a sitting of the North West Provincial Legislature in March where the Speaker, Dr Desbo Mohono, introduced her following a recruitment process conducted by an ad-hoc committee to fill the position that had been vacant for several years.

Governments across the world are turning to digital policing systems to improve crime detection, manage information and respond faster to security threats, but North-West University (NWU) legal expert Advocate Justice Khoza say the expansion of these technologies is raising new questions about privacy, accountability and constitutional rights.

The growing influence of the North-West University (NWU) Soccer Institute in national university sport was underscored this week when institute manager Dr Vuyolwethu Sambo was elected secretary general of University Sport South Africa (USSA) Football, a body responsible for coordinating football competitions across higher-education institutions in the country.

A local government law workshop hosted by the Faculty of Law at the North-West University (NWU) brought together municipal councillors and officials from across the country to strengthen the legal knowledge required for effective service delivery.

The training workshop was organised by the South African Research Chair in Cities, Law and Environmental Sustainability (CLES) in partnership with UN-HABITAT and with support from the National Research Foundation.

With South Africa preparing for the 2026 local government elections, the role of the media in strengthening democracy and drawing in younger voters is under focus as analysts warn that low youth turnout remains a concern for the credibility of the electoral process.

After nearly 16 years in senior leadership at the North-West University (NWU), Prof. Sonia Swanepoel says the growth of the Mahikeng Campus, the development of staff and the relationships built with students, colleagues and the community stand out as defining parts of her time at the institution.

Prof. Swanepoel is preparing for retirement after a period that saw academic expansion, infrastructure development and changes in student life on the campus.

The North-West University (NWU) continues to advance community-engaged scholarship through a compelling historical documentation project led by Dr Mojuta Motlhamme, a History Education lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the Mahikeng Campus.

His work focuses on preserving and sharing the rich heritage of the Barolong boo Ratshidi, a prominent Setswana-speaking community rooted in the Mahikeng region.