By Gofaone Motsamai and Oscar Mosiane
In a significant step towards advancing agricultural research and community development, Eden Roots – a bee farming enterprise based in Tloung Village, Mahikeng – donated a honey extractor to the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Crop Science subject group on 28 February 2025.
The honey extractor will be stationed at the NWU’s Molelwane Farm.
Despite its vast resources and production capacity, Africa remains heavily reliant on external markets. This state of affairs has prompted Botswana to raise the alarm about low levels of intra-African trade.
“It's disheartening that Africa is still unable to realise trade among its countries,” said Dr Phenyo Butale, Botswana’s Minister of International Relations, delivering a lecture in honour of the late South African Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Aziz Pahad at the North-West University (NWU) on 25 February 2025.
The North-West University (NWU) Soccer Institute has reinforced its squad by re-signing a seasoned winger with top-flight and lower-division experience in South Africa and Botswana,Orebotse Mongae.
Mongae previously represented the NWU, returns to bolster the team’s campaign in the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
“It brings me peace and harmony to don the colours of this beautiful institution again. I am happy to be back home and play the beautiful game with such amazing people,” he said.
By Mafumane Tlhapi and Kealeboga Motshabi
North-West University (NWU) student Tsholofelo Hope Batumile has been crowned Miss Gender-Based Violence (GBV) North West. She is a second-year student in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, pursuing an extended Human Resources Management programme.
Batumile said she entered the competition to raise awareness about GBV and highlight its impact in the region. “I wanted to extend and promote the message of self-love and self-appreciation among individuals,” she said.
The North-West University (NWU), in collaboration with the national Department of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Nyandeni Local Municipality, recently concluded a two-day conference focused on smart villages, themed “Indigenous Knowledge-led Smart Village Regeneration”. This event attracted participation from a diverse group of scholars, researchers, indigenous-knowledge students, traditional leadership and innovators representing various universities both nationally and internationally.
Television advertisements influence how society views gender roles, and a new study from North-West University (NWU) explores how women are represented in South African adverts. The research, conducted by Koketso Rabanye from the NWU’s School of Communication, examined both traditional and changing portrayals of women in the media.
Instead of further depleting overharvested indigenous plants for medicinal purposes, it might be possible to use the bacteria inside their roots. This would preserve at-risk plants while still allowing access to the medicinal properties associated with them.
The trade relationship between South Africa and the United States (US) faces uncertainty as tensions between Pretoria and Washington grow. The potential loss of benefits under the African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) raises concerns about economic consequences for key industries.
"If South Africa loses AGOA benefits, the impact will be felt in manufacturing and agriculture," said Mpho Lenoke, an academic at the North-West University (NWU). "Increased tariffs will make South African products less competitive in the US market, affecting export revenue."
By Gofaone Motsamai
In the dry, sandy soils of southern Africa, a rugged survivor stands tall: Vachellia erioloba, more commonly known as the camel thorn. Once classified under the genus Acacia as Acacia erioloba, this hardy tree is also called the giraffe thorn, mokala tree, or kameeldoring in Afrikaans.
By Gofaone Motsamai and Phenyo Mokgothu
The North-West University’s (NWU’s) School of Governance Studies hosted a panel discussion on Friday, 14 February 2025 on the Mahikeng Campus.
The discussion aimed to critically analyse President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), focusing on key themes, omissions and broader political implications.