South African policy makers and researchers are in agreement: a thriving small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) sector is the key to job creation, economic sustainability and ultimately positive growth. With the National Development Plan (NDP) predicting that by 2030 SMMEs will generate 90% of the 11 million new jobs targeted, the future could be very bright.

The extreme pollution in a number of South Africa’s rivers, dams and marine systems is posing a threat to the country’s R52 billion recreational fishing industry.

The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Prof Ilani Loubser walked away with the Distinguished Young Women Scientist: Astronomy award during the 2018 South African Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA) ceremony.

Researchers and postgraduate students of the North-West University (NWU) recently attended the 13^th annual International Conference on Management, Finance and Entrepreneurship (ICMFE) as well as the 15^th International Conference on Economics and Social Sciences (ICESS) in Johannesburg.

The Optentia research focus area at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) campus in Vanderbijlpark has quite a busy month ahead. One of the highlights is certainly the workshop by Dr Hannu Savolainen, professor in special education in the Department of Education at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland and extraordinary professor at Optentia.

Prof Melville Saayman, director of the research focus area Tourism Research in Economic Environs and Society (TREES) at the North-West University (NWU), recently received Tourism Educators of South Africa’s (TESA’s) first Tourism Educators Lifetime Achievement Award during the International Tourism Scholars Association (ITSA) conference held in Pretoria.

Prof Ilani Loubser, an associate professor at the Centre for Space Research and also the subject chair of physics at North-West University's (NWU's) campus in Potchefstroom, has been announced as a finalist in the Department of Science and Technology’s (DST’s) South African Women in Science Awards (WISA).

North-West University (NWU) academic Prof Emmanuel Mukwevho spoke candidly about his research overview that focuses of finding therapeutic agents for obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome during his inaugural lecture held at the campus in Mahikeng on 15 August 2018.

Dr Musawenkosi Saurombe, a postdoctoral fellow from the North-West University (NWU) spoke at several events to commemorate Women’s month

Two experts from the North-West University (NWU), Prof Danie Meyer and Mr Jacques de Jongh, has changed the face of South Africa’s regional economic development practice by introducing a new multi-dimensional regional economic development index.