On Friday, 31 October, the Siyakhula Sibasha Science Showcase brought community leaders, academics and young innovators together at the Khaya Ibhubesi Conference Centre in Parys. The event celebrated the achievements of all participants in the flagship project, ‘Reimagining Community Education Post-Covid-19: Mobilising Youth as Community Assets to Reduce the Educational Divide in a South African Township”, which ran from 2023 to 2025.

Caregivers of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS carry responsibilities that shape family stability and community support. A new study has produced health-promotion strategies to strengthen their ability to care and sustain their own well-being.

By Gofaone Motsamai

When water gushes from a rural borehole, many see purity, but beneath that clear stream could lie invisible fungal organisms capable of causing serious infections. To protect public health, South Africa should introduce inclusive microbial monitoring, according to a North-West University (NWU) study.

South Africans continue to navigate load-shedding while the right to sufficient water faces strain in vulnerable communities.

Recent North-West University (NWU) graduate Miranda Andhile Mkansi conducted research on “The impact of load-shedding on the right to have access to sufficient water”. Her study explores how disruptions in electricity supply challenge the constitutional right to water.

Recognising prior learning in indigenous knowledge (IK) will ensure that people and communities who have preserved traditional knowledge for generations are included in South Africa’s national innovation agenda.

This is the intention of the national Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), which in partnership with the North-West University (NWU) and several other universities, is facilitating the development of norms and standards for IK as a discipline.

By Phenyo Mokgothu and Gofaone Motsamai

When the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus opens for the 2026 academic year, students will step into two newly built lecture halls designed with advanced digital and acoustic systems to improve teaching and learning experiences.

By Mzwandile Ndlovu

Three minutes and not a second more – that was the amount of time postgraduate students had to present their master’s or doctoral research in the Three Minute Thesis competition (3MT) that recently took place the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus.

What a wonderful and historic moment for South African cricket. The Proteas have finished runners-up at the ICC Women’s World Cup after a thrilling final against hosts India on Sunday, 2 November 2025.

Although they narrowly missed out on the title, they made history by becoming the first South African senior side ever to reach an ICC Cricket World Cup final in any format. Their run to the final has been nothing short of inspirational.

In a region grappling with youth unemployment and slow economic growth, the North-West University (NWU) is actively tackling these issues through its robust entrepreneurship development initiatives.

Each year, the University’s bhive Enterprise and Development Centre supports sustainable business creation for students, staff and the wider community by hosting competitions and offering skills development programmes.

By Gosego Phutieagae

A North-West University (NWU) law student has claimed top honours at the 2025 Martin Luther King Spoken Word Competition held on 9 October at Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam.

Thabang Mnculwane, an LLB student currently participating in the NWU Faculty of Law Academic Exchange Programme in Amsterdam, won the contest hosted by VU’s Faculty of Law as part of the annual Martin Luther King Lecture series.