South Africa’s femicide rate is five times higher than the global average, and one in three women has experienced gender-based violence (GBV) in her lifetime. Increasingly, this violence is no longer confined to physical spaces. It has migrated to digital platforms such as social media, messaging apps and online forums, where abuse is amplified, often anonymously, and even across country borders.
From Ghana to South Africa, similarities in health, education and social policy programmes have raised questions about how public concerns over foreign nationals shape solidarity across the continent.
On a quiet morning at the Mahikeng Campus of North-West University (NWU), the halls of the Disability Rights Unit hum with purpose. At the heart of it all is Vida Mutlaneng, a disability coordinator whose presence radiates warmth, compassion and an unwavering commitment to justice.
Affectionately known as Mama Vida or Mother Theresa by the students and university staff, it was not by chance that she came to lead this critical unit. In fact, her journey was both personal and providential.
By Phenyo Mokgothu and Ntokozo Maseko
The North-West University (NWU) Eagles battled hard to secure a 55-41 victory over Maties in a tightly contested Varsity Netball clash.
The first quarter of the match set the tone for a physical encounter as both sides pushed to establish dominance. The NWU showed composure in front of goal and edged ahead 13-9 by the end of the quarter.
Zoe Aidomo Idemudia certainly does not shy away from that answer. From coding challenges to life lessons, she’s proving that girls really do run the world. With a sparkling energy that matches her brilliance, she has made waves in a world that, until recently, felt overwhelmingly male. Zoe obtained her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematics degree with 29 distinctions out of 31 modules, and an impressive 86% GPA.
When a research paper leaps from the quiet world of academia into the glare of public debate, it is rarely accidental. For Prof Suranie Horn of the North-West University (NWU), that moment arrived when she and her colleagues revealed that HIV antiretrovirals (ARVs) such as lopinavir and efavirenz were not only saving lives but also seeping into South Africa’s rivers. The study showed that residues downstream of wastewater treatment plants were accumulating in aquatic ecosystems, with troubling consequences.
Genomic medicine promises to revolutionise healthcare, but Africa remains dangerously underrepresented in the data that drives it. This gap leaves thousands of families without answers and, too often, without hope. At the North-West University’s (NWU) Mitochondria Research Laboratory and the National Metabolomics Platform, Dr Maryke Schoonen is determined to change that.
South Africans tend to think of retirement in rands and cents. Yet, research by Lulama Mabala suggests that what people do with their time after leaving work is just as critical as how they fund it.
Women in leadership positions should strive to be role models for younger women coming up through the ranks, always standing for ethics and integrity. This was the message from top women leaders who spoke at an event hosted by the North-West University (NWU) Business School to mark the conclusion of Women’s Month.
The celebration of women in leadership, with a particular focus on women shaping the public sector with courage and integrity, was held at the Mahikeng Protea Hotel on 29 August.
Dr Rorisang Machailo, senior lecturer and deputy director at the School of Nursing at the North-West University (NWU), has been recognised as a top 3 finalist in the Women in Academic Administration category of the 2025 Higher Education Women Leaders (HEWL) Awards.
This honour highlights her outstanding leadership and dedication to advancing mental health education and equity in South Africa’s higher-education sector.