South Africa’s children face increasing risks of abuse and neglect, while the professionals responsible for protecting them often work within systems that limit their ability to respond effectively.
This was the message delivered by North-West University (NWU) academic, Prof. Elmien Crofford from the Faculty of Health Sciences, during her inaugural lecture on 1 July 2026.
The 30th National Association of Student Development Practitioners (NASDEV) Best Practice Summit, held at the University of Cape Town from 24 to 27 June 2026, brought together higher education leaders, student affairs professionals and practitioners from across South Africa under the theme, "30 Years of Positioning Student Affairs for Impact: Reflecting on the Past, Present and Envisioning the Future."
"The real divide in South African politics may no longer be between left and right, liberation and opposition, or even government and opposition. It may increasingly be between those who continue searching for political enemies and those prepared to confront structural constraints that have no face, no party and no obvious villain."
Walk into almost any entrepreneurship workshop in South Africa and the ritual is familiar.
Someone hands out a business-plan template. Boxes must be completed. Markets analysed. Revenue streams estimated. Risks quantified. Funding projections prepared.
Only afterwards comes the awkward silence.
For decades South Africa has sold itself to the world through lions, beaches and vineyards. Yet one of its largest untapped tourism assets attracts millions of people every year without featuring prominently in national tourism strategies. It is not wildlife or wine. It is faith.
By Michelle Hammann
Danielle Verster has been in the running game for most of her life. She is currently a North-West University (NWU) student-athlete and has been sponsored by Nike for five years. She has been to numerous countries for athletics championships, mostly for the 1 500 m or 800 m, and for cross-country events.
Ten years ago, a young lad from Thabazimbi made Varsity Cup history in the NWU 10 jersey by scoring the competition's first-ever nine-point try.
A decade later, Benhard Janse van Rensburg is once again making headlines – this time with the opportunity to earn his first Test cap for England against Fiji this weekend after being named in Steve Borthwick's squad. Should he pull on England's famous white jersey, he will become the first rugby player from Thabazimbi and Hoërskool Frikkie Meyer to represent England at test level.
The Gauteng Provincial Stakeholder Cohort on Higher Education Institutions Discipline and Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) recently convened at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus to review progress made by higher education institutions on implementing resolutions adopted during previous engagements.
Just weeks after helping the North-West University (NWU) Soccer Institute secure promotion to the Motsepe Foundation Championship and being named Player of the Tournament at the ABC Motsepe League National Playoffs, Khunganani Sigadi has reached another milestone in his football career. The talented midfielder has been selected for the South African under 23 national team.
The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus bodybuilding and CrossFit team has once again demonstrated its sporting excellence by securing the Overall Team Championship at the 2026 University Sport South Africa (USSA) National Bodybuilding and CrossFit Championships.