South Africa does not suffer from a knowledge deficit. It suffers from a translation deficit. The country produces knowledge at scale as universities generate research, publishing extensively and graduating thousands of students each year. Yet, despite this intellectual productivity, graduate unemployment remains high, critical skills shortages persist and a divide remains between what graduates know and what they are able to do.
A recent study, co-authored by Dr Mandla Dlamini, researcher from the Unit of Environmental Management and Sciences (UESM) at the North-West University (NWU), emphasises that floodplain wetland management and disaster risk reduction efforts are unlikely to succeed without the active participation of affected communities.
The research found that while conservation and flood-control frameworks exist in many regions, people living near wetlands often experience these policies differently from how they were intended.
In communities across the country, frustration is quietly building. What begins as a missed service or delayed response often grows into something deeper, a sense that the system meant to serve the people is no longer working for them. The failures of local government are no longer distant policy concerns or abstract debates. They are lived, daily realities, and for many, it is not just about the lack of services but about a loss of trust.
From campus sport to top-flight football, Lulutho Jizana has joined the medical team at Orbit College FC with a focus on player care and injury management.
Lulutho, a former first aider at North-West University (NWU), joined Orbit, a club competing in the DStv Premiership, in March.
He studied sport coaching and human movement science at the NWU and gained experience across multiple sporting codes and match environments while working with NWU rugby and the Soccer Institute.
An outstanding performance by Batswana Commercial High School under-18 team ensured they emerged victorious in the North-West University (NWU) High Schools Netball Tournament.
The tournament was hosted by NWU Netball in collaboration with Student Life and Marketing and Student Recruitment at the Mahikeng Campus netball courts on 21 March 2026.
The event brought together seven schools: International School of South Africa (ISSA), Curro Mahikeng, Mmabatho High School, St Mary’s High School, Living Faith, Tetlano Secondary School and Batswana Commercial High School.
The dream of bringing the Varsity Cup home came to a heartbreaking end for the NWU Eagles on Monday, 13 April, in Pretoria after they fell 31-3 short against a seasoned FNB UP-Tuks side in a sold-out final. A defeat at the rain-soaked Tuks Stadium will always be remembered as one that sparked pride and identity for the Eagles.
Alarm bells have been ringing about how artificial intelligence (AI) will replace certain, if not most, future jobs. But this fixation on job loss may be asking the wrong question. The real issue is not whether AI will take jobs; it is about who controls AI and how it will be used.
The North-West University (NWU), through its NanoEnv Incubation Programme, continues to play a pivotal role in strengthening municipal capacity and governance in the water sector.
In collaboration with the Water Research Commission (WRC) and the Water Institute of Southern Africa (WISA), the NWU successfully hosted a three-day capacity-building workshop on water services legislation and governance for municipal councillors in Mahikeng from 23 to 25 March 2026.
The office of the deputy dean for teaching and learning in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences recently hosted a dynamic Entrepreneurship Breakfast themed “Ideas Without Borders” across all three North-West University (NWU) campuses.
The event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders, including lecturers, academic staff and institutional partners from various faculties, creating a vibrant platform for dialogue on embedding entrepreneurship in the university environment.