By Michelle Hammann

Every year, the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Brilliants Programme honours 22 top-performing students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related (STEM-related) study fields. For 2026, Caitlin Mans, a first-year Bachelor of Science student (BSc) in Biological Sciences with Microbiology and Biochemistry, is representing the North-West University (NWU) for this achievement. 

Opinion piece by Ella Mogashoa, a researcher in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the North-West University (NWU).

South Africans have become all too familiar with rising food prices. Every trip to the supermarket seems to confirm the same reality: the weekly grocery bill is higher than it was only a few months ago.

Opinion piece by Ella Mogashoa, a researcher in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the North-West University (NWU).

Dr Moleboheng Mokhele, a senior lecturer and researcher at the Research Unit for Self-Directed Learning at the North-West University (NWU), has been named a semi-finalist in the Public Service category of the TransUnion Rising Star Awards of South Africa.

Cystic fibrosis can be a life-altering and potentially fatal disease, but early detection through newborn screening can dramatically improve outcomes.  The North-West University (NWU) houses the Centre for Human Metabolomics, a diagnostic laboratory uniquely offering cystic fibrosis newborn screening services to the South African public.

The ten-minute drive from the North-West University's (NWU) Potchefstroom Campus to Pienaarskamp, just outside the city, is not scenic in the classical sense of the word. Along the route, new shopping centres and other developments show that Potchefstroom is slowly spreading its commercial wings. Yet once you pass through the farm's gates, greeted by thriving sunflower and maize fields, it becomes clear that this is more than just a farm.

South Africa’s fresh produce markets moved more goods in April 2026, but earned less money in the process, exposing pressure points in the country’s food distribution system and raising concerns about oversupply, pricing and operational bottlenecks.

A North-West University (NWU) researcher has joined a group of scientists recognised for shaping environmental science across the world.

Prof. Victor Wepener was named a recipient of the 2026 Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Fellow Award during a recent event in the Netherlands. The award recognises sustained contributions to environmental science, research leadership and societal impact.