By Gofaone Motsamai

Thirty years ago, South Africans gathered around negotiation tables to confront a painful history and chart a democratic future. It was a time of uncertainty, but also of hope, as political enemies discovered the power of dialogue to dismantle apartheid and build a Constitution admired across the world.

On 19 September 2025, that same spirit of engagement was revisited when the North-West University (NWU) Business School hosted an online Pitso discussion on “South Africa’s National Dialogue”.

As the curtain comes down on the 2025 Varsity Netball season, North-West University (NWU) captain Martine Jordaan says the team is ready to leave everything on the court in their bid to lift the championship trophy when they face the University of the Free State (UFS) in the final in Bloemfontein on 29 September.

The final offers the NWU a chance to avenge their heavy 83–59 defeat to UFS in round five of the tournament, a result that fuelled their determination and sharpened their focus.

‘Recidivism’ is not a word commonly heard in everyday conversation, yet it carries enormous weight in the South African context. The term refers to the tendency of offenders to commit further crimes, and it was a central theme at the National Summit on the Review of the South African Parole System, held on 22–23 September at the Kgosi Mampuru II Management Area in Pretoria.

An independent advisory panel of agricultural experts is at the helm of one of South Africa’s most ambitious experiments in sustainable farming. This panel plays a decisive role in shaping the vision, trials, and daily operations of the North-West University’s (NWU) new Centre for Sustainable Agriculture—a bold initiative designed to meet the country’s urgent need for resilient, productive, and environmentally responsible farming systems.

What sets this panel apart is not only its independence from the university but also the breadth and depth of its expertise. It includes:

• “It is important to stress that we cannot afford to lose international visitors at this point, nor can we risk creating confusion around one of our flagship attractions,” says tourism expert.

• “Renaming would almost certainly lead to short-term brand loss, visitor uncertainty, and broader economic costs across the tourism sector.”

• “Kruger is arguably one of the most famous wildlife brands in the world. It is mentioned alongside names such as the Serengeti and Yellowstone.”

South Africans are still basking in the glow of the Springboks’ emphatic 43–10 dismantling of the All Blacks in the Rugby Championship. It was a win that restored pride, silenced doubters, and reaffirmed South Africa’s place at the summit of world rugby.

Now the Springboks will host Argentina in Durban as Rassie Erasmus’ men look to defend their Rugby Championship crown in the coming two weeks.

In a battle of experience versus youth, the North-West University (NWU) Eagles emerged triumphant on Saturday, 20 September, with a well-matched 23-16 victory over Pirates Rugby Club, claiming the 2025 Castle Lager Pirates Grand Challenge title. The intense physicality of the match was reflected in the scoreboard, with both teams giving their all.

Pirates piled on the pressure in the opening minutes of the game and converted a penalty kick to take an early lead. The Eagles levelled the score at the five-minute mark of the game through a superb penalty kick from Divan du Toit.

Naming 136 frog species and 407 reptile species in nine South African cultures has been the focus of Fortunate Mafeta Phaka, senior postdoctoral researcher of herptile-human interactions at the North-West University (NWU). His project has produced the first comprehensive analysis of indigenous naming and classification of these species.

The North-West University (NWU) knows that pool-stage victories count for nothing when it comes to knockout netball. Having already defeated the University of Johannesburg (UJ) earlier in the Varsity Netball tournament, the Eagles are preparing for a rematch that will decide who advances to the final on 22 September.

As was widely expected, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) decided (by a 4 to 2 vote) on 18 September to again pause its interest rate easing cycle for now.

In commenting on this decision, Prof Raymond Parsons, economist from the North-West University (NWU) Business School, says the MPC saw the risks around the inflation outlook as being balanced, and inflation as now being contained.