South Africa’s pharmaceutical landscape is marked by ambition, urgency and stark inequities. The continent carries 25 percent of the global disease burden but produces only a fraction of the medicines it consumes. Bridging this gap requires more than scientific talent; it demands infrastructure, accreditation and an ecosystem that can move a molecule from idea to impact. At the North-West University (NWU), the Preclinical Drug Development Platform (PCDDP) is positioning itself as precisely that bridge.

The Centre for Space Research (CSR) at the North-West University (NWU) recently hosted a highly successful Radio Astronomy Advancement Programme (RAAP) workshop – an annual initiative funded by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO) and the National Research Foundation (NRF).

On Friday, 21 November, South African women silenced the nation in a powerful stand against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). Across the country, purple settled over campuses and streets alike—a quiet but unyielding promise that every story of fear, survival, and hope would be carried, not forgotten.

The Faculty of Health Sciences proudly congratulates Prof. Siedine Coetzee, NRF SARChI Chair in Nursing Science (Tier 1) and esteemed researcher at the North-West University (NWU), on her election to the board of the Academy of Nursing of South Africa (ANSA) – a distinguished recognition of her leadership and lifelong contribution to the advancement of nursing in South Africa and beyond. 

North-West University (NWU) staff gathered online on 29 October 2025 to explore how multilingual practices can strengthen learning and promote inclusivity. The webinar, facilitated by Professor Rosemary Wildsmith-Cromarty from the Language Directorate, focused on practical steps educators can take to incorporate multilingual approaches in teaching and learning environments.

A North-West University (NWU) delegation visited the University of Melbourne, Australia’s highest-ranked institution, on 20 November to benchmark international best practices and explore avenues for future collaboration.

The visit comes as the NWU accelerates plans to establish the Desmond Tutu School of Medicine, scheduled to welcome its first cohort in 2028, and advances discussions to launch a School of Mining and Mining Engineering.

In an era when healthcare is increasingly shaped by technology, efficiency metrics and digital interfaces, the oldest element of care remains the most radical: the act of being fully present. At North-West University (NWU), Prof Tinda Rabie from the Quality in Nursing and Midwifery (NuMIQ) programme, argues that the future of compassionate care depends not on machines but on the ability of healthcare professionals to “guide the carescape with light, wisdom and prudence.” Presence in caring, she insists, is not sentimental rhetoric.

South Africa’s place in the world is becoming harder to navigate. The geopolitical map is being redrawn by rising authoritarianism, disinformation wars, cyber sabotage, and increasingly complex regional conflicts. For a state that sits at the junction of Africa’s economic ambitions and the pressures of global power politics, understanding these shifts is no longer optional. It is strategic survival.

• Engineers cannot fix healthcare alone, and clinicians cannot carry the burden without systems support. The NWU is bridging this gap.

• Healthcare systems engineering can be seen as an umbrella term where the healthcare habitat is viewed as a complex system that encompasses technical, organisational, human, and policy dimensions.

Three North-West University (NWU) students are preparing to take on one of the world’s most prestigious youth leadership platforms. Hailing from various parts of South Africa, Kananelo Mlangeni, Nomcebo Dumakude, and Xoliswa Sethunya will represent NWU and SA at the 5th Global Peace Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, from 21 to 23 January 2026.