South Africa's higher education system continues to expand at a time when the economy into which it feeds remains largely unchanged. Universities are expected to serve as engines of social mobility, offering individuals a path out of poverty and into the middle class.
Renowned nuclear physicist Prof. Siyabonga Majola has joined the North-West University (NWU) as the new head of the Centre for Applied Radiation Science and Technology (CARST). His appointment means one of South Africa’s emerging leaders in nuclear science is at the helm of a centre positioned at the intersection of research, industry and national development.
The forward-looking strategy of the North-West University (NWU) continues to deliver results. According to the 2026 edition of the outcome-based Global 2000 list by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), the NWU ranks in the top 4,1% of universities worldwide. The CWUR published the latest rankings on 1 June.
A Setswana proverb shared on TikTok, a traditional wedding blanket draped over a bride’s shoulders in a music video and folktales narrated through podcasts may seem like ordinary digital content. However, new research from the North-West University (NWU) reveals that these online spaces are becoming powerful tools for preserving indigenous language, identity and cultural memory in the digital age.
Prof. Ushotanefe Useh, Deputy Dean for Community Engagement and Stakeholder Relations at North-West University's Faculty of Health Sciences, has been appointed Chairperson of the Academic Subcommittee of Universities South Africa's Higher Education Sustainability Community of Practice (HESCoP) and has joined its Executive Committee, effective April 2026.
By Prof. Bismark Tyobeka, principal and vice-chancellor of the North-West University (NWU).
The North-West University (NWU) continues to shine on the national stage, having been named a finalist in two prestigious categories of the 2025/2026 NSTF‑South32 Awards. This recognition underscores the impact of the university in science, engineering, technology and innovation in South Africa.
Cystic fibrosis can be a life-altering and potentially fatal disease, but early detection through newborn screening can dramatically improve outcomes. The North-West University (NWU) houses the Centre for Human Metabolomics, a diagnostic laboratory uniquely offering cystic fibrosis newborn screening services to the South African public.
There was a time when passengers could board a train in Johannesburg, travel through Krugersdorp, Magaliesburg and Zeerust, pass through Mahikeng, Madibogo, Mareetsane and Taung, and continue towards Kimberley before making the return journey. Those trains are gone. So too are many of the rail services that once connected communities, supported local economies and provided an affordable alternative to South Africa's roads.
A North-West University (NWU) delegation, led by the deputy vice-chancellor for student life, transformation, people and culture with assigned function of the Mahikeng Campus, Dr Joe Molete, recently held a strategic engagement with the leadership of the Taletso TVET College.
This engagement was aimed at strengthening institutional relations and exploring collaborative opportunities between the two institutions.