The greatest age of discovery is still ahead of us

Prof. Jeffrey Mphahlele, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research & Innovation, Community Engagement, Postgraduate Studies with assigned function of the Vanderbijlpark Campus

Prof. Jeffrey Mphahlele, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research & Innovation, Community Engagement, Postgraduate Studies with assigned function of the Vanderbijlpark Campus
- South Africa’s schools have not collapsed — but “not collapsed” must never become our standard for success.
- A child who cannot read for meaning by Grade 4 is not merely behind at school; that child faces a narrowed future.
- A country cannot build an innovation economy when hundreds of its schools do not even offer Mathematics.
The North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus welcomed the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Nokuzola Capa, to a high-level youth dialogue aimed at empowering the next generation of agricultural leaders and advancing sustainable food security.
What began as an entrepreneurship programme for students at the North-West University (NWU), has expanded into a community initiative that is helping local business owners grow their enterprises.
The Student Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion (STEP) programme at the Mahikeng Campus now includes community members, with one participant already translating classroom learning into business growth and national recognition.
The North-West University (NWU) proudly congratulates History Education lecturer Dr Mojuta Motlhamme on receiving a PhD in History from the University of the Witwatersrand.
The School of Human Movement Science at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus is celebrating the achievements of six students who were selected for the 2026 National Winter School Sport Championships, held from 11 to 13 July 2026 in the Eastern Cape.
The initiative provided students with a unique opportunity to apply the theoretical knowledge gained in the classroom in a real sporting environment while strengthening their professional skills and industry readiness.
By Prof. Bismark Tyobeka, principal and vice-chancellor of the North-West University (NWU)
Mount Fuji’s famous peak is hidden behind a blanket of clouds today. It is a wondrous sight, and there is a serenity to it. It feels as though Japan, and specifically Tokyo, where I am, has been transported from the future to the present. The country is a technological marvel of automation and innovation, yet I also find myself carried into the past, to terrible moments more than 80 years ago.
The North-West University (NWU) has emerged as one of the most represented institutions in the 2026 North West Sports Awards, with 10 athletes, three coaches and the NWU Soccer Institute securing nominations across several of the top categories at the event.
The nominations cap a six-month period in which the university celebrated achievements ranging from Olympic and international athletics success to a historic breakthrough in South African professional football.
By Cobus Steenkamp, lecturer and researcher in police practice at the North-West University (NWU).

Cobus Steenkamp
At the age of 31, Dr Reoikantse Lucrucia Shuping has become South Africa’s youngest doctoral graduate in African Language and Linguistics (Setswana), following research that addresses the divide between spoken and written Setswana.
Dr Shuping, a Setswana lecturer in the School of Languages at the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus, received her DPhil degree from the University of the Witwatersrand on 13 July 2026.