The Vanderbijlpark Campus of the North-West University (NWU) marked a historic milestone recently as student leaders hosted the first-ever Vanguard Gala Dinner – an elegant celebration of leadership, service and impact.
Held at the Tsebonokeng Hall, the evening brought together student leaders from across the campus in a night filled with pride, reflection and recognition.
In a groundbreaking step towards addressing gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbijlpark Campus has launched its first-ever GBVF Empowerment Centre – a safe space designed to offer comprehensive, trauma-informed support to survivors.
A powerful collaboration involving academia, industry and water authorities is helping to inspire future generations of scientists and engineers in the rural village of Disaneng in the North West Province.
The partners, who conducted a high-impact outreach at two secondary schools on 29 July 2025, were the Nano-Environment Incubation Programme at the North-West University (NWU), the Northern Provinces Branch of the Institute of Municipal Engineering of Southern Africa (IMESA), and Magalies Water.
In a gym-turned-arena in the North West Province, 17 student-athletes from the North-West University (NWU) stepped forward one by one, each bringing months of repetition, routine and self-control to the spotlight.
Competing against 54 of the province’s best, they left with 21 trophies, one overall title and 11 invitations to the national stage.
Representing the NWU’s Mahikeng Campus, the team competed in the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation (IFBB) North West Provincial Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships on 2 August 2025.
David Magae – a seasoned communicator whose career spans the broadcasting, local government and water utility sectors, is a proud alumnus of the North-West University (NWU). He is a leading voice in communication and public engagement, and an inspiring mentor to future professionals in the field.
Despite his many responsibilities as senior manager for communication and media relations at Magalies Water, David makes time for mentorship. “The mentors who took the time to shape and guide me made such an impact. That experience inspired me to pay it forward.”
South Africa's bold economic reform initiative, Operation Vulindlela (OV), is gaining momentum as it enters its second phase. Government officials are promoting significant progress in tackling the deep-rooted issues holding back the country’s economy.
The programme focuses on improving key services like electricity, water, transport, and digital communications, essential building blocks for a strong economy.
By Gofaone Motsamai
From the village of Leshobo in Taung to the corridors of leadership in the Free State’s Department of Agriculture, Ntombana Dlanga’s life story is one of effort, purpose and the impact of education.
Born and raised in a household led by a single mother who worked as a nursing assistant, Ntombana’s dreams of higher education seemed out of reach after she matriculated in 1997. “There was just no money for university,” she recalls. “So, I went into what I knew – hustling.”
As part of the flagship community engagement initiative of the North-West University (NWU), the bhive Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) at the Vanderbijlpark Campus hosted 50 members of the Vaal United Business Forum (VUBF) for a transformative lecture on entrepreneurship.
Centred around the principles of asset-based community development (ABCD), the session was both practical and empowering – designed to equip local business leaders with tools to drive growth using resources they already possess.
The North-West University (NWU) continues its commitment to inclusivity and support for students with disabilities, with the official handover of newly renovated, state-of-the-art offices to the Disability Rights Unit (DRU) on the Mahikeng Campus.
The handover ceremony, held on 21 July, homed in on the daily challenges of students living with disabilities.
Taxonomic immortality can take many forms. For Prof Louis du Preez of North-West University (NWU), it comes with a twist of humour and a splash of irony: a newly discovered parasite, Latergator louisdupreezi, now bears his name.