The tennis courts on the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University (NWU) will once again play host to some of the world’s top junior players when two ITF J100 tournaments serve their first volleys on 26 February.

ITF is an acronym for the International Tennis Federation, which is the governing body of world tennis.

The tournaments, the last of which will conclude on 8 March, will once again showcase the NWU’s world-class facilities and underline why the university is the preferred destination for international athletes and events.

Prof Leepile Sehularo, the newly appointed director of the Lifestyle Diseases research niche area at the North-West University's (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus, says the research area is committed to implementing enhanced programmes dedicated to preventing and treating lifestyle-related diseases.

A ground-breaking long-term care model, focusing on psychological perspectives for managing lifestyle diseases, is a key component of the upcoming initiatives.

The minibus taxi industry, despite popular opinion, is more organised than is commonly believed.

The taxi industry lends itself to serious corruption and questionable law enforcement practices, putting the participants at a very high risk.

The taxi industry can get away with providing substandard services such as bad customer service and operating unsafe vehicles because there are few to no standard operating procedures that it has to adhere to.

There is still much “unfinished business” on the national agenda, including a more coherent overall economic plan for much higher job-rich inclusive growth.

In commenting on the 2024 State of the Nation Address (SONA), Prof Raymond Parsons, economist from the North-West University (NWU) Business School, points out that, as expected, prior to the 2024 elections the SONA was inevitably largely a party-political statement and also took stock of the government’s achievements over the decades.

Prof Stefan Siebert from the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences was awarded the prestigious South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) Silver Medal at the recent 49th Annual SAAB conference at the University of Zululand’s Richard’s Bay Campus. This prestigious award was made in acknowledgement of his remarkable contributions to the field of botany in South Africa.

A lack of awareness of our wetlands can have catastrophic consequences for South Africa’s biodiversity. Wetlands play a critical role in biodiversity conservation, water management and community livelihoods, but extensive agricultural expansion, urban development and industrial activities mean that these vital ecosystems are increasingly under threat.

According to Prof Wynand Malherbe from the Water Research Group at the North-West University (NWU), urgent interventions are required to stem this destructive tide.

The North-West University's (NWU’s) Mahikeng Campus recently launched Project First Touch to create a warm and welcoming environment for first-year students as they embark on their university journey.

The primary objective of the project – spearheaded by Prof Sonia Swanepoel, deputy vice-chancellor for community engagement and Mahikeng Campus operations – is to provide comfort and instil a sense of belonging in first-year students as they transition into university life.

His name is Schalk, Schalk Pretorius. And if it had not been for Schalk Pretorius, the North-West University (NWU) would have lost a tennis champion.

Many years ago, in the maize farming community of Bothaville, a young Schalk decided that he wanted to play tennis. Very well, said Mom Erika and Dad Vickus, you will play tennis. If the one child plays, the other one does too, and Schalk’s three-year-old sister Suzanie – still more toddler than person – also received a racket in the hand.

She is by no means overly tall, and on the netball court she is often surrounded by skyscrapers. However, heart and courage are not measured in centimetres, and Martiné Jordaan from the North-West University (NWU) is a firebrand on the court.

She has even caught the eye of the selectors for the Protea team, and from 22 to 28 January she was part of a national training camp in Stellenbosch.

Here her fearlessness was clearly apparent, but she says she undergoes a metamorphosis when she leaves the court.

It is a dance of swift feet and balls travelling in soaring arcs. It is a tapestry of teamwork, sewn together by threads of unrelenting attacks and staunch defence. Netball is a sport like no other, and one the North-West University (NWU) has mastered.