Institutional News

Prof Erica Derbyshire empowers small and micro enterprises

In celebration of the Women’s Month 2025 theme of the North-West University (NWU), “Empowered to Lead: NWU Women Shaping the Future”, the Technology Transfer and Innovation Support (TTIS) office proudly showcases the achievements of women innovators who are transforming society through practical solutions. Leading this charge is Prof Erica Derbyshire, a chartered accountant and academic, whose pioneering research has resulted in the Financial Literacy Survival Toolkit, a practical resource designed to equip owners of small and micro enterprises with essential financial skills.

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NWU School of Mines and Mining Engineering set for future success

The North West province of South Africa sits on a bedrock of riches. From platinum to chrome, vanadium to gold, the region is among the most mineral-endowed in the world. Yet its communities remain scarred by poverty and unemployment, relics of a resource economy too often divorced from local benefit. For a province where mines dominate both the landscape and livelihoods, the need to convert mineral wealth into long-term skills, jobs and technological leadership is a necessity.

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Kick-offs to final whistles: NWU Staff Wellness games deliver non-stop action

There is always something special about seeing colleagues outside the boardroom, offices and lecture halls while swapping shoes for sneakers with whistles blowing instead of the ping of an incoming email.

On 15 August 2025, staff members from across all three campuses of the North-West University (NWU) came together for the annual Staff Wellness Tournament.

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Radiation expert wants SA to benefit from his radiological crime scene management training

South Africa’s capacity to deal with incidents involving radioactive materials has received a boost. North-West University (NWU) academic Dr Tebogo Kupi has returned from Austria where he attended a high-level international training course aimed at preparing experts to deliver national workshops on radiological crime scene management.

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Alumnus Andries van Heerden leads Afrimat in mining and industrial expansion

North-West University (NWU) alumnus Andries van Heerden is the chief executive officer of Afrimat Limited, a JSE-listed company that supplies iron ore, anthracite, phosphate, construction materials and industrial minerals across Southern Africa.

“I started as a first-year mechanical engineering student in Potchefstroom in 1984,” he recalls. His studies took him to the NWU’s Vaal Campus, where he graduated in 1988.

Reflecting on his time at university, he says: “I think my dream to become a successful entrepreneur was really born during the two years in Vanderbijlpark.”

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Grace, growth and thriving embody the spirit of Women’s Day

In celebration of Women’s Month, the North-West University (NWU) hosted a vibrant and thought-provoking Women’s Day celebration on Friday, 8 August 2025 under the theme “Personal branding – Leadership branding master class”.

Held at the Mahikeng Campus and livestreamed to the Potchefstroom and Vanderbijlpark campuses, the hybrid event focused on empowering women through leadership, branding and growth.

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Being fully present with and for a patient restores wholeness

Ideal Healthcare is not only about treating patients but also about being fully present for and with them. This notion was at the heart of an inaugural lecture delivered at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Potchefstroom Campus on 8 August 2025.

Prof Tinda Rabie from the Faculty of Health Sciences presented her lecture titled “Can the light of presence in caring still shine in the health profession through wise and guiding healthcare providers? Absolutely!”

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NWU netball gears up for Varsity showdown with eyes on glory

The countdown is almost over, and the opening game of the 2025 Varsity Netball tournament is set for this Sunday, 24 August at the Maties Coetzenburg Indoor Centrein University of Stellenbosch against Varsity College at 15:00.

The North-West University (NWU) team will be stepping onto the court with more than just ambition; they are bringing months of strategising and training into the competition.

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