The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has restored funding for 182 Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) students who were defunded under the N+ rule after incorrect qualification codes were entered or updated.

The funding was restored after the Office of Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Yusuf Cassim intervened following more than 300 complaints submitted by TUT students through his help desk.

“Although these issues might seem administrative, for students they are highly personal, affecting their ability to register, access allowances for meals, transport or accommodation, and continue their studies. No student should miss academic time due to incorrect data or unresolved issues between the institution and NSFAS,” Cassim said.

The cases submitted to the help desk primarily concerned students who had been defunded under the N+ rule, pending GAP investigations, dual registrations and data-sharing problems between TUT’s financial aid office and NSFAS.

The N+ rule limits NSFAS funding to the minimum duration of a qualification plus one additional year, or two additional years for students with disabilities.

After receiving the cases from Cassim’s office, TUT and NSFAS worked through the individual files and identified 182 students whose qualification codes had been incorrectly updated.

The university subsequently made the necessary corrections, allowing NSFAS to restore the affected students’ funding.

TUT has confirmed that the funding has been fully restored and that September allowances have been paid to the 182 students.

Cassim visited TUT on Wednesday, accompanied by officials from the Department of Higher Education and Training’s university branch and NSFAS.

The delegation met TUT’s senior management, led by vice-chancellor Professor Tinyiko Maluleke, as well as representatives of the institution’s Student Representative Council.

The engagement also uncovered a separate problem involving more than 1,300 students whose accommodation payments remain unresolved.

According to the ministry, 1,212 students had been placed in accredited accommodation after the NSFAS portal closed, but their accommodation costs had not subsequently been paid.

A further 115 students had their NSFAS funding approved after the portal closed and consequently faced the same accommodation payment problem.

Cassim has written to the NSFAS board, asking that the cases be investigated without delay and that affected students be assisted immediately.

The intervention comes as NSFAS continues to work through a broader backlog of funding and allowance disputes affecting students at universities and TVET colleges.

The scheme has confirmed that payments have been processed for students whose GAP investigations were successfully concluded.

Nationally, funding has been reinstated for 2,476 TVET college students, with payments for students with valid registrations processed and issued from 25 August.

A further 3,234 university students have had their funding reinstated.

Cassim’s office said the deputy minister had been consistently following up on students whose funding was restored after the conclusion of GAP investigations to ensure they also received their outstanding allowances.

NSFAS has indicated that students whose GAP investigations have been successfully concluded but who have not yet received their allowances can approach the help desk to have their cases escalated.

Dual registrations have also emerged as a significant source of funding problems.

NSFAS received 2,982 records involving students who were registered at more than one institution. Of these, 1,303 cases have been confirmed and are being paid.

At TUT, 16 cases of dual registration had already been resolved, but the students’ funding had not yet been restored.

Cassim has urged NSFAS to prioritise the outstanding cases.

The ministry said the issues highlighted during the TUT engagement demonstrated how administrative and data-management problems can have immediate consequences for students’ ability to remain at university.

The latest intervention follows growing pressure on NSFAS and universities to resolve funding disputes quickly, particularly where students face disruptions to accommodation, transport and living allowances.

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The first five years of life lay an important foundation for children’s future schooling, health and earnings. Yet over 77% (table 2) of children in sub-Saharan Africa don’t have access to early childhood care and education. This places them at risk of not reaching their development potential.

In response, governments across Africa are increasingly committing to expanding enrolment in pre-primary school.

But research suggests that expanding enrolment is not enough. It’s also important to create healthy, nurturing learning environments that help prepare children for primary school.

Economists like us have an interest in this because we want to be able to help design effective and scalable early childhood education programmes and policies. We need to know:

• What types of pre-primary education programmes are offered?
• What effects do these programmes have on children’s developmental outcomes?
• Which components of pre-primary education bring about these effects?

We set out to answer these questions by reviewing the most recent evidence available on pre-primary education programmes in low- and middle-income African countries. Our research examined why some pre-primary education programmes may be more successful than others.

Our study identified and reviewed the findings from six programmes carried out by local governments in The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi and Mozambique. Most were in poor, rural and remote areas.

We found that most programmes focused on play-based learning. And, on average, they generated positive effects on children’s development. The research also suggests that programmes that offer support for parents may generate the largest impacts on children’s development outcomes.

This points to the need for programme planners to recruit high-quality teachers and personnel who can effectively engage with both children and parents.

Studies of child development

To address our research questions, we began by searching for studies on the effects of pre-primary education programmes in low- and middle-income countries in Africa. We only reviewed studies with large enough populations to be meaningful and that used rigorous ways of evaluating the results.

Six programmes met our inclusion criteria. There was one each in four countries – The Gambia, Mozambique, Kenya and Malawi – and two in Ghana.

In particular, we examined the effects on two categories of children’s development: cognitive and socioemotional.

• Cognitive development. This refers to a child’s thinking process. This outcome is measured by assessing children’s numeracy, literacy, spatial ability, language, communication and executive function skills, such as attention and working memory.
• Socioemotional development. This encompasses a child’s social and emotional competence, temperament and behaviour regulation. It is measured by assessing children’s awareness of other people’s feelings and how they behave towards others.

On a broad level, we focused on the quality of the classroom environment and the quality of instruction. In particular, we looked at interventions designed to improve teaching practices and teacher-child interactions through play-based learning.

All programmes included teacher training. Some also provided teachers with resources such as basic play and learning materials or teacher guides. In addition, two programmes offered a monthly stipend to teachers who completed training. Teachers did not typically earn a salary.

Most also engaged with parents about school-related activities or educated parents about positive caregiver practices. For example, they encouraged parents to read and play with children, reduce harsh discipline and understand their influence on child development.

Success of programmes

On average, the programmes were successful in improving children’s cognitive, social and emotional development. This finding is important because improvements in these skills early in life are associated with better educational, employment and economic outcomes later in life.

These longer-term benefits can be substantial. For example, in the United States, every dollar invested in the Perry Preschool Program, an early childhood education programme targeted at low-income youth, is estimated to have generated approximately US$7–US$12 in benefits to society.

To explain the positive effects in low- and middle-income African countries, evidence points to the importance of both the classroom and the home environment.

First, successful programmes generally improve teacher practices and classroom quality. Our research shows that teacher training can decrease teacher burnout, increase the use of appropriate instruction materials and improve the quality of teacher-child interactions.

For example, in Ghana, training encouraged teachers to consider children’s ideas during lessons and create opportunities for children to reason and solve problems.

Second, programmes that engage parents may be even more effective in improving children’s development. For example, a programme in Malawi that integrated group-based parenting education sessions into pre-schools with trained teachers brought about even greater gains in children’s language skills and prosocial behaviours.

This programme focused on teaching parents tools for stimulating children’s development and promoting health, such as reading and playing with children and washing hands.

Third, the quality of implementation matters. Recruiting high-quality, experienced teachers is important for the success of the programme.

Where the researchers didn’t find positive programme outcomes, it may have been attributed to inexperienced staff in The Gambia or the difficulties personnel in Ghana experienced in communicating with parents about new approaches to early childhood education.

Implications for policy and practice

The findings suggest that positive caregiving practices should be delivered by qualified personnel who can effectively communicate and engage with caregivers who may have low levels of education or limited access to resources.

Our research has implications for Sustainable Development Goal 4.2. The goal is to provide all children with access to quality pre-primary education by 2030 so that they are ready to enter primary school.

Katherine Theiss is Assistant Professor of Economics, Radford University. Subha Mani is Professor of Economics, Fordham University. This article was first published by The Conversation.

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Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Peace Mabe on Thursday handed over a new multipurpose sports facility at ED Mashabane Secondary School in Evaton, Gauteng, as part of efforts to expand access to sport and develop young talent.

The facility includes a combi court for soccer, basketball, netball, volleyball and tennis, as well as an outdoor gym, a children’s play area and newly planted trees.

Mabe said the facility, which has an expected lifespan of 14 years, would provide learners with a long-term platform to develop their sporting abilities.

Addressing learners during the handover, she said the investment was also aimed at strengthening the pipeline of athletes who could represent South Africa at future Olympic Games.

“We said in the next coming Olympics we should build a bigger and stronger team to represent South Africa in the Olympics,” Mabe said.

She said the country could not expect young people to compete at the Olympics without first providing the infrastructure and opportunities needed to develop their talents.

“This facility will produce people who are going to represent us in the next Olympics because we cannot say, come participate, be part of the Olympics, but we are not building enabling infrastructure,” she said.

Mabe said she wanted the facility to become a place where learners from different schools and backgrounds could discover and develop their sporting talents.

“We want to see children coming from far and all different schools saying, because of the facility in 2026, we are here because we got an opportunity to go and practise there,” she said.

She urged learners to take pride in the facility and use it responsibly.

“So love this combi court. If you love it, it is going to love you back,” she said.

Mabe said the facility was built to world-class standards and would provide an environment that supports both participation and athlete development.

She also highlighted the specialised material used for the sports surface, saying it was designed to reduce the impact on athletes’ joints.

“This facility is made out of a special plastic and that plastic, I’m told, looks after the joints,” she said.

Mabe said the department’s investment in sports infrastructure was about more than providing a place to play, but about creating opportunities for young people to build discipline, confidence and skills and potentially pursue sport professionally.

As part of the initiative, Mabe distributed sports apparel, books and equipment to three schools in the area: ED Mashabane Secondary School, Tokelo Secondary School and Mosioa Primary School.

The equipment is expected to give learners greater opportunities to participate in different sporting codes and develop their abilities, while the new facility will provide space for training and competitions.

Mabe urged learners to make full use of the facility and take responsibility for protecting and maintaining it.

She said the infrastructure belonged to the community and should remain available to future generations.

The handover forms part of the department’s efforts to strengthen school sport by improving access to sporting infrastructure and providing learners with resources to participate in different sporting codes.

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About 165 third-year Computer Science students at the University of the Witwatersrand will gain access to AI-powered software development tools through a new partnership between the Telkom Foundation, BCX, Alibaba Cloud and Wits.

The Qoder Programme aims to equip students with practical experience in emerging artificial intelligence technologies while they work on real-world software development projects.

The initiative is also intended to prepare young South Africans for an increasingly technology-driven economy and ensure university education keeps pace with changes in the workplace, particularly in software engineering.

“The Qoder Programme is an important step in equipping young South Africans with the digital skills required to thrive in a rapidly evolving technology landscape,” said Maanda Rashaka, senior manager at the Telkom Foundation.

“By partnering with BCX, Alibaba Cloud and Wits University, we are helping students not only engage with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, but also use them responsibly and creatively to solve real-world challenges.”

Professor Richard Klein, head of the School of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics at Wits, said AI was already changing how software was developed and applied across industries.

“Artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing the way software is developed, researched and applied across every industry,” he said.

Alibaba Cloud will provide students with access to its Qoder platform, giving them practical exposure to AI-assisted development tools and emerging approaches to software engineering.

BCX, Telkom Group’s technology solutions business, will contribute industry expertise and help strengthen the link between academic learning and the skills required in the technology sector.

Klein said the partnership would help ensure that Wits’ curriculum kept pace with global technological developments.

“It is important that our curriculum evolves alongside these global developments. Through the Qoder Programme, our students gain access to technologies that enhance their learning experience and better prepare them for the realities of modern software engineering,” he said.

According to the partners, students will gain exposure to artificial intelligence, cloud technology, data and modern software development while applying emerging technologies to practical challenges.

The programme will also focus on responsible and creative use of AI as a tool in software development.

Wits said the partnership ultimately aims to strengthen pathways between education, technology and employment while expanding access to future-focused digital skills among young South Africans.

“At the Telkom Foundation, we believe that access to opportunity begins with access to the right tools, knowledge and experiences,” Rashaka said.

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The Department of Higher Education and Training is considering expanding its Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) programme to TVET colleges as government seeks to equip more students with the skills and support to start businesses and create jobs.

Deputy Director-General for the University Education Branch at the department, Professor Thandi Lewin, said discussions were already under way on how the programme, or a similar model, could be introduced in TVET colleges.

Lewin was speaking to Inside Education on the sidelines of the 2026 EDHE Absa Studentpreneurs Indaba at the Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre in Boksburg on Thursday.

The two-day national gathering brought together about 500 student entrepreneurs, academics, investors, university leaders, industry stakeholders and entrepreneurship ecosystem partners.

Lewin said the expansion was particularly important as TVET colleges increasingly move towards occupational programmes.

“But I think as the TVET colleges go more into the occupational programmes and into that space, we need to really think about how this programme, or a similar programme, can be set up in the TVET colleges. So it is something we’re talking about as a department,” Lewin said.

She said TVET colleges could draw on the experience gained from implementing the programme at universities.

The EDHE programme is currently funded through the University Capacity Development Programme, with a portion of the subsidy allocated to universities being used to support the initiative.

“At the moment, the funding for this programme comes through the University Capacity Development Programme, so it’s specifically a portion of the subsidy that we provide to universities that is top-sliced for this programme,” Lewin said.

“It’s something that could have huge traction in TVET colleges and we can learn a lot from how we’ve used the university programme to implement it in TVET colleges.”

The programme is aimed at making entrepreneurship a broader part of the higher education experience, rather than focusing only on students who already run businesses.

Lewin said it had three main pillars.

The first supports student entrepreneurship through programmes designed to help students start and develop businesses.

The second seeks to embed entrepreneurship in the curriculum so that students, regardless of their field of study, are exposed to entrepreneurial thinking.

The third focuses on developing entrepreneurial universities that can turn research, teaching and innovation into real-world solutions.

“The idea of the programme is to ensure that university students get access to entrepreneurship education throughout their degrees, regardless of which field they’re going into,” Lewin said.

She said the broader objective was to ensure students could either find employment after graduation or create employment for themselves and others.

However, balancing entrepreneurship with academic responsibilities remains a challenge for students running businesses while studying.

Lewin said universities provided various forms of academic and student support, while mentorship through EDHE could help student entrepreneurs manage competing demands.

“The difficulty that probably students who are also running businesses face is the same that students who also work are facing: how to balance your academics with earning money if you are working on the side?” she said.

She said students who chose entrepreneurship needed to develop the ability to manage both their studies and businesses.

“Through this programme, I think some of the mentorship work that gets done through the EDHE programme really helps with that,” Lewin said.

The department also acknowledged that entrepreneurship training alone was not enough, particularly when students and graduates need funding, mentorship and other support to grow their businesses.

Lewin said government departments and agencies would need to work together to ensure young people could access the support needed to turn entrepreneurial ideas into sustainable businesses.

“We also need to work across government to ensure that when people do graduate, and even if they don’t, that they have access to funding opportunities and to mentorship and support that they can gain access to,” she said.

This includes agencies such as the National Youth Development Agency, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition and the Department of Small Business Development.

The push comes as government increasingly looks to entrepreneurship and skills development as part of its response to high youth unemployment.

Lewin said graduates were generally less likely to be unemployed than young people without higher education qualifications, but the department wanted universities to prepare students to enter the labour market or create opportunities for others.

“The fact is that if you graduate from university you’re far less likely to be unemployed than if you are not making it into university. So graduate unemployment is not as high. Obviously, what we want is to create young people at universities who are able to go out into the world and either find employment or create employment for themselves and for others,” she said.

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The Department of Basic Education is using the classroom as a frontline in the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), rolling out new Life Orientation and Life Skills textbooks aimed at equipping learners to navigate issues including consent, healthy relationships, safety, wellbeing and citizenship.

Deputy Basic Education Minister Reginah Mhaule and North West Education MEC Desbo Mohono on Thursday officiated at the At the Crossroads Life Orientation/Life Skills Textbook Activation Launch and Textbook Handover at Rutanang Primary School in the Boitshoko Circuit, Bojanala District.

Mhaule said the rollout includes 14,714 learner textbooks and 250 teacher guides, developed in line with the Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) for Grades 4 to 12.

The materials will be distributed to 18 schools in the circuit and reach about 9,064 learners.

The Life Orientation textbook project began in 2017, but Mhaule said the Council of Education Ministers later undertook a review of the curriculum to determine whether it adequately reflected the realities faced by learners.

“The honest answer, at the time, was ‘No. Not fully.’ And so, the work began to change that,” Mhaule said.

She said the rollout marked the activation of a programme rather than the conclusion of a project.

“We officially launched the At the Crossroads textbook series nationally in June last year. What we are doing today, here in Bojanala District, is different and, in many respects, more important. We are moving from policy documents to the hands of a Grade 7 learner in Tantana, a Grade 10 learner in Boitekong, a teacher in Lerutlhware preparing tomorrow’s lesson,” she said.

Mhaule said the success of curriculum reform would ultimately be determined in classrooms rather than government offices.

“This is why the training of our Subject Advisors and Heads of Department matters so much. A textbook, however well written, is only as powerful as the educator who brings it to life,” she said.

Mhaule said GBVF was among the most serious threats to the safety, dignity and future of children, particularly girls, and that education had to form part of the response.

“We cannot legislate our way out of this crisis alone. We cannot police our way out of it either,” she said.

“We must educate our way through it, patiently and consistently, from the earliest grades, so that our learners grow up understanding consent, respect, healthy relationships and their own worth, long before those lessons are tested by the pressures of adolescence and adulthood.”

She said this was the purpose of the revised Life Orientation and Life Skills curriculum.

Mhaule thanked the GBVF Response Fund for supporting the programme, particularly the training of Subject Advisors and Heads of Department.

She also acknowledged the Eskom Development Foundation for supporting the printing and distribution of the textbooks, saying its Electricity Safety Awareness Campaign reflected the broader principle that child safety could not be confined to a single lesson or subject.

“Safety on our roads, safety around water, safety around electricity infrastructure, food safety in the school nutrition programme, safety within our relationships and safety with our own bodies,” she said.

“These are all part of the same conversation about protecting the well-being of a child.”

Addressing learners, Mhaule said young people should play an active role in shaping discussions around their safety and wellbeing.

She encouraged them to use the textbooks, ask difficult questions and speak out when they encountered wrongdoing.

“An educated learner who knows their rights is one of the strongest defences we have against gender-based violence, against unsafe choices and against the social ills that continue to threaten the promise of a better life for all,” she said.

Mhaule said the 18 schools in the Boitshoko Circuit would serve as a pilot for the programme, with lessons from its implementation informing its expansion to other provinces.

“To our principals, subject advisors and educators here in the Boitshoko Circuit, you are the custodians of this pilot,” she said.

“What happens in your eighteen schools over the coming months will generate lessons that inform how we take this programme to the Northern Cape, to the Western Cape, and nationwide.”

She urged educators to use the textbooks consistently and participate in monitoring and evaluation processes so that the department could identify what worked and what needed to be improved before the programme was expanded.

Mhaule also described the initiative as an example of the role partnerships can play in addressing social challenges.

“The Department of Basic Education, the National Education Collaboration Trust, the Eskom Development Foundation and the GBVF Response Fund have chosen to walk this road together so that 14,714 learners in this district will open a new textbook tomorrow morning, written for them, about them and in service of their futures,” she said.

She called on other strategic partners to support the initiative, saying there was a need for more organisations to contribute to the programme.

Mhaule said learners stood at a crossroads in making decisions about relationships, safety, citizenship and the people they wanted to become.

“Let us make sure that what we place there is honest, relevant and rooted in respect for their dignity,” she said.

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South Africa’s university entrepreneurship ecosystem has come together in Gauteng for the 2026 Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Absa Studentpreneurs Indaba, with a strong call for students to move beyond ideas and turn innovation into viable businesses, jobs and economic opportunities.

The two-day in-person national gathering, hosted at the Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre in Boksburg on Thursday, brought together about 500 student entrepreneurs, academics, investors, university leaders, industry stakeholders and entrepreneurship ecosystem partners.

Hosted by Universities South Africa (USAf) through the EDHE Programme, in partnership with Absa, the ninth edition of the Studentpreneurs Indaba is being held under the theme: “Entrepreneurship in Action: From Vision to Implementation. From Policy to Impact.”

The theme reflects the growing need for South Africa’s higher education sector to equip young people not only to participate in the economy, but also to create enterprises, employment opportunities and innovative solutions to social and economic challenges.

South Africa’s 26 public universities represent a significant pool of entrepreneurial talent, research and innovation.

ALSO READ: In Pictures: Bullet, dagga and vapes found in Daveyton school raids

However, the transition from education into meaningful economic participation remains a challenge for many students and graduates.

The Indaba aims to help close this gap by connecting student founders with mentors, investors, industry leaders, academics and fellow entrepreneurs, while strengthening university ecosystems that can support businesses from conception to growth.

Welcoming delegates, EDHE Director Dr Edwell Gumbo said the programme was seeking to build a stronger bridge between academic learning and student entrepreneurship.

“This is the bridge we want to build between academia and student life,” Gumbo said.

He said university learning should not end with a mark on an assignment, but should have the potential to become a prototype, service,
social innovation or growing enterprise.

Gumbo emphasised that academic achievement and entrepreneurship should not be viewed as competing priorities.

He urged student entrepreneurs to complete their qualifications, saying the knowledge and discipline gained through university
studies could strengthen their entrepreneurial capabilities.

“None of you is going to drop out. We need that diploma, we need that degree. You must get it,” he said.

He added that entrepreneurship could make academic learning more practical, creative and relevant.

ALSO READ: Manamela vows to tighten controls after SIU exposes TVET college failures

“South Africa needs graduates who are prepared to enter the world of work, but it also needs graduates who can help shape that world, Gumbo said.

“We need young people who can create products, services, opportunities and employment.”

He added that businesses built by young people should understand the communities they serve and be innovative, ethical and sustainable.

From one product to an enterprise Gumbo said the significance of student entrepreneurship should not be measured only by the size of a business.

More importantly, he said, entrepreneurship enables students to see themselves not merely as people waiting for opportunities, but as people capable of creating them.

The theme of this year’s Indaba, he said, places action at the centre of the entrepreneurial journey.

“Ideas are important, but ideas must eventually leave the notebook,” Gumbo said.

He challenged participants to ensure that business plans meet real customers, prototypes are tested, policies translate into practical support and partnerships create tangible opportunities.

He said Universities must become environments where student enterprises can start, survive and grow.

The Indaba programme includes practical workshops, investment-readiness discussions, pitch sessions, exhibitions and opportunities for students to engage with established entrepreneurs, investors and industry partners.

Gumbo encouraged delegates to use the two-day event to build relationships outside their existing networks.

He also stressed that networking should go beyond collecting contact details.

“A network only becomes valuable when you build genuine relationships and follow up,” he said.

Gumbo called on delegates to support the student entrepreneurs exhibiting their products, urging participants to buy from them and ensure that exhibitors do not leave the event with unsold stock.

Delivering Absa’s partner address, Setlogane Manchidi, Managing Executive: Corporate Citizenship at Absa Group, said entrepreneurship creates possibilities that can have a wider impact on individuals, communities and the economy.

He challenged delegates to move beyond seeing entrepreneurship as an idea and instead focus on turning those possibilities into tangible economic outcomes.

“Let us move from possibility to reality that creates meaningful economic inclusion,” Manchidi said.

He highlighted the potential of entrepreneurship to generate income, create employment, promote economic inclusion, solve everyday problems and contribute to greater social mobility and dignity.

Manchidi also urged student entrepreneurs to remain resilient when confronted by the difficulties that come with building a
business.

He said entrepreneurs would inevitably encounter uncertainty, funding challenges, limited customers and business plans that do
not work as initially expected.

“These moments do not mean you have failed,” he said, encouraging young entrepreneurs to view setbacks as opportunities to learn,
adapt and continue building. He also urged students to remain close to the problems they are trying to solve, arguing that their lived experiences and proximity to everyday challenges can help them develop practical and responsive solutions.

For Manchidi, the ultimate goal is to move from “possibility imagined” to “possibility realised” through action, perseverance and the Opportunities created through partnerships between universities, businesses and other stakeholders.

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Four schools in Daveyton and Etwatwa were searched on Wednesday in Gauteng’s school safety crackdown, with items seized including a bullet, dagga, vapes, cigarettes and other prohibited items.

The SAPS-led operation was joined by Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile and targeted Phandimfundo Secondary School, Lekamoso Secondary School, Rivoni Secondary School and Hulwazi Secondary School, with learners and school premises searched.

“At Phandimfundo and Lekamoso, officials seized 31 prohibited items, including seven vapes, six small bags of dagga, four loose cigarettes, four pairs of scissors, four boxes of matches and two containers of suspected drugs,” the department said. 

At Rivoni Secondary School, a bullet was found concealed inside the arm-strap worn by a learner. 

Vapes, an Okapi knife and other prohibited items were also seized.

Recent raids at schools throughout the province have repeatedly uncovered vapes and dagga.

In August alone, more than 100 prohibited items, including disposable vapes and suspected dagga, were seized during searches at three Alexandra high schools. 

“It’s a routine for us on Wednesdays to join these searches unannounced throughout the province, but these searches happen regularly,” Maile said.

The province has identified school violence, substance abuse and criminal activity as major threats to teaching and learning. 

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Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has vowed to tighten controls across the post-school education and training sector after Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigations uncovered alleged corruption, procurement failures and misuse of public funds at institutions including TVET colleges.

Manamela said his department would act on SIU recommendations, including changes to procurement processes, governance, financial controls and oversight.

The department would also monitor how institutions respond to findings and referrals arising from the investigations, including criminal, disciplinary and regulatory processes.

“We must not only investigate what went wrong; we must fix the systems that allowed it to happen,” Manamela said.

He was speaking after receiving a briefing from SIU head Leonard Lekgetho and his team on investigations into allegations of corruption, fraud and maladministration across the post-school education and training sector.

The briefing covered investigations involving the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), National Skills Fund, University of Fort Hare, Vaal University of Technology and the Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority.

The investigations have exposed a range of problems at TVET colleges, including payments for training that allegedly never took place, incomplete projects, irregular procurement and weak monitoring of service providers.

At Ingwe TVET College in the Eastern Cape, the SIU investigated an R187 million project intended to support the turnaround of the college and artisan development in Lusikisiki and Bizana.

The SIU found that service provider Ada Holdings received R132.98 million from the National Skills Fund but allegedly failed to train learners despite receiving payment.

Investigators also found that training facilities were not completed according to the required specifications.

More than R105 million was transferred between companies linked to the service provider, including R52.49 million paid to Artisan Development, R45.03 million to Umbani and R7.39 million to PWC Institute.

The SIU said it was investigating the financial transfers to establish why the money was moved between the companies.

Some lecturers involved in the project also told investigators they had not received certificates for training that was allegedly conducted.

The SIU appointed a quantity surveyor to determine the amount spent on the incomplete buildings and indicated that it could approach the Special Tribunal to recover funds.

In another investigation, the SIU examined a National Skills Fund project involving Rubicon Communications, where about R2.7 million was paid for a training programme. Investigators found that no training had taken place.

At Vaal University of Technology, SIU intervention resulted in the cancellation of a security contract, preventing an estimated R109 million in future expenditure.

The investigations have also resulted in recoveries.

According to the department, more than R2 billion in NSFAS-related funds has been recovered from universities and TVET colleges.

The University of Fort Hare investigation resulted in acknowledgements of debt worth about R5.4 million, while an acknowledgement of debt of about R2.7 million, plus interest and costs, was recorded in the Rubicon Communications matter involving the National Skills Fund.

Repayments in the Rubicon matter are under way.

Manamela said the government could not allow wrongdoing in the sector to continue without consequences.

“Where public resources have been misused, there must be consequences. Where wrongdoing is established, those responsible must be held accountable. Where money can be recovered, it must be recovered and redirected to its intended purpose,” he said.

He said the impact of losses extended beyond the financial cost.

“Behind every rand lost or misused is an opportunity denied to a student,” Manamela said.

“Every skills-development programme that is funded but not delivered robs a young person and our economy of an opportunity.”

Manamela also warned that wrongdoing involving qualifications could damage the credibility of the education system and devalue legitimate qualifications.

“Any qualification improperly or fraudulently obtained undermines the integrity of our education system and devalues the qualifications of those who have worked hard to earn them,” he said.

The department said it would strengthen its monitoring of SIU matters and hold affected accounting authorities, councils and management structures accountable for implementing recommendations.

Manamela stressed that the SIU must be allowed to conduct its investigations independently, while the rights of people affected by ongoing investigations must be respected.

He said people implicated in ongoing investigations should not be treated as having been found guilty before the relevant processes had been completed.

The department said it would continue working with the SIU, law-enforcement agencies and other authorities to pursue corruption cases and implement reforms across the sector.

“Our ultimate objective is to build a PSET system in which public resources are protected, institutions are properly governed, qualifications retain their integrity and students can have confidence that the system is working in their interests,” Manamela said.

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A banner strung around the rubble showed the faces of children and teachers killed here by an American airstrike on Feb. 28, the first day of the war on Iran. Among them are Sadeghi’s 11-year-old grandson Hami and the boy’s mother, Neda Salehizadeh.

“I searched the bodies for my kids, thinking maybe one would be among them,” Sadeghi said Monday evening as he recounted how he rushed to the school in the moments after the explosions. He called out their names, saying, “‘Come with me! I’ve come to get you.’ They weren’t there,” he said, weeping.

The Shajareh Tayyebeh school has become a place to wrestle with grief and preserve the memories of the dead. Here, relatives try to comprehend the incomprehensible — how around 120 of their children could be snuffed out, just after they’d been dropped off for a day of classes.

At least one U.S. missile hit the school that morning in Minab, according to an Associated Press investigation, but there has been no final accounting of what happened. Iranian state media have said 168 people were killed in the strike, most of them children.

The Trump administration has yet to directly accept the blame or release findings of a Pentagon investigation into the bombing.

For Sadeghi, the day of the strike began as every school day did.

He drove Hami and the boy’s 9-year-old sister Nila to school along with their mother, his daughter-in-law Salehizadeh, who was a teacher. As usual, he planned to pick them up at 1 p.m.

“But the bell was rung early — by Trump,” he said.

Hami was a fifth grader who loved soccer and riding his bicycle, Sadeghi said. His body was so mangled in the blast, they could only identify him from the clothes he was wearing, he said.

Nila was pulled alive from the rubble.

“Thank God, she is physically fine,” Sadeghi said. “But mentally, no.”

The girl and her father have moved in with Sadeghi and his wife. The slightest, unexpected noise frightens her. She often goes to bed in her grandmother’s arms but lies awake for much of the night.

Sadeghi said he often invites Nila’s friends to come spend the night, hoping their presence will distract her.

He wants to see Nila smile. So he grieves here at the school away from her.

“I come here and cry,” he said. “Then I go home and dance in front of the girl.”

The site is becoming a memorial to the dead

The school had a girls’ school upstairs and a boys’ school and preschool on the ground floor. Some of the students were children of officers at a Revolutionary Guard base located next to the school; many were local children from Minab, which is populated predominantly by members of Iran’s Baluch ethnic minority.

The banner at the site listed 120 students killed – 47 girls and 73 boys – and 26 teachers and staff. Three more children are presumed dead but their bodies were never found.

The governor of Hormozgan province, where Minab is located, has said the damaged building would be preserved to be turned into a memorial and war museum.

Several dozen visitors there Monday evening included relatives of the dead but also out-of-towners who had come to see.

In a government-sponsored mourning ceremony held every evening, men and women – including one in the Guards uniform — took turns at a microphone, telling wrenching stories about those who died and describing in graphic detail the day of the attack. Some visitors broke down weeping from their accounts.

A separate section of Minab’s cemetery has also been set aside for those killed at the school. Every grave has a photo of the dead, with a shade overhead and artificial grass around so families can sit with their loved ones. Some lay flowers and prayer beads on the graves. Others bring dishes of “shuleh-zard,” a saffron rice pudding eaten at funerals.

One teacher tried to protect her students

At the cemetery, Fatemeh Barani sat by the grave of her daughter, Nasim Neyestani, a second grade teacher at the school. Barani comes several times a week to be with her daughter.

She thinks about her daughter’s last hours, which school staffers later described to her, and how everything could have turned out differently.

At around 9 a.m. news came of the airstrikes in the capital Tehran that had hit the compound of Iran’s supreme leader. They didn’t know it at the time, but those initial Israeli strikes killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and much of the top military leadership.

Neyestani was alarmed, fearing wider strikes, and urged the principal to cancel classes and call parents to come collect their children, Barani said, according to what she was told by other staffers. The principal didn’t think that was necessary. But Neyestani began calling the parents of her 22 students herself, urging them to come get their children, Barani said.

Fourteen of Neyestani’s children were picked up before the strike, Barani said. The parents of eight others did not get there in time.

Neyestani took the eight children into the schoolyard, her mother said. But the principal told her to take them into the school’s prayer room, thinking it would be safe.

The prayer room was hit. Barani said her daughter and all eight children with her were killed.

“My daughter’s classroom was mostly left intact,” she said. “Probably if she had been in that classroom, she would not have been killed.”

Details of Barani’s account could not be independently verified, but it meshes with other accounts.

The AP’s investigation of the strike found that several teachers called parents to pick up their children before Iran’s government ordered schools closed nationwide at 10:15 a.m.

The first missile hit the school about an hour later. Accounts of the strikes posted on banners at the school say three missiles struck. The principals of both the boys and girls schools were among those killed.

A teacher’s mother is overwhelmed with grief

After the strikes, Barani’s husband and sons went to the school; later, they told her her daughter had been killed.

They found Neyestani’s bag. But Barani said her sons have hidden it from her because they fear seeing it would only hurt her more.

Parents of students who escaped the school because Neyestani had called them visited the family to pay their condolences, but Barani said she was so overwhelmed with grief that she doesn’t remember any of their visits.

She said she still hasn’t been able to enter her daughter’s bedroom.

She talked about how her daughter, who had not married, was rarely idle. She taught in the mornings and worked as a salesperson at a cosmetics store in the evenings. At home, she stayed busy with her hobby making handicrafts, particularly “minakari,” a traditional art of decorating objects with enamel. The enamel work relaxed her, Barani said.

The enamels are still there around the house, a reminder of her daughter.

“Every day, this grief feels fresh again,” Barani said.

AP

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South Africa must stop treating inclusive education as the responsibility of specialist teachers and instead make it a core professional responsibility for every teacher, according to Higher Education Deputy Minister Nomusa Dube-Ncube.

“Inclusive education begins with inclusive teachers,” she said on Wednesday.

“No education system can be more inclusive than the teachers it prepares, develops and supports.”

Dube-Ncube was speaking at a Teacher Education for Inclusive Teaching (TEfIT) Close-Out Conference in Boksburg. It was convened by the department in partnership with the European Union in South Africa, the University of Johannesburg (UJ), the University of Pretoria (UP) and the Wits University.

ALSO READ: Beaufort West schools to reopen Thursday after water crisis closure

The two-day conference, which ends on Thursday, is being held under the theme: “Advancing inclusive teaching competence: consolidating TEfIT gains for a responsive and equitable teacher education system.”

At the centre of the deputy minister’s address was a challenge to the education sector to ensure that inclusion becomes embedded in teacher professionalism, rather than being treated as an additional or specialist function.

She said South Africa’s constitutional commitment to dignity, equality and quality education requires more than providing learners with access to schooling.

The education system must enable every learner, regardless of disability, language, socio-economic background, geographic location or learning need, to participate meaningfully and succeed.

Dube-Ncube said that 25 years since the adoption of Education White Paper 6, inclusive education remains an unfinished task.

Many learners continue to face barriers that affect their participation and achievement, while teachers require greater support, preparation and resources to respond to increasingly diverse classrooms.

Dube-Ncube said teachers need to be able to recognise learner diversity, remove barriers to learning, adapt their teaching approaches, support participation and create learning environments where every pupil can thrive.

TEfIT had made a significant contribution towards this goal by strengthening institutional capacity, developing professional expertise and creating foundations for continued innovation in inclusive teacher education, she said.

ALSO READ: UJ researchers honoured at 2026 NRF Awards

Among the project’s key achievements is the establishment of three specialised centres of excellence – the Centre for Neurodiversity at UJ, the Centre for Visual Impairment Studies at UP and the Centre for Deaf Studies at Wits University.

They will focus on research, innovation, teacher education, professional learning and knowledge production.

The project has also expanded teacher education capacity through the development of inclusive education qualifications, short learning programmes, specialised teaching resources and curriculum innovations.

It has contributed to the publication of 23 accredited journal articles and two scholarly book chapters, alongside specialised textbooks, learning resources and research platforms.

It has also supported the graduation of 19 PhD graduates and 38 Master’s graduates, contributing to the development of a stronger academic community capable of advancing inclusive education research.

One of the graduates mentioned by Dube-Ncube was Guy McIlroy. He is the second deaf academic to complete the programme and now serves as a full-time academic staff member.

She said his journey demonstrates that inclusion should not simply be about allowing people to participate, but about creating opportunities for empowerment, achievement and leadership.

The conference comes at a time when several policy and qualification frameworks are undergoing review or implementation

Dube-Ncube said the review of the Policy on the Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications provides an opportunity to make inclusive teaching competencies core graduate attributes across initial teacher education programmes.

The review of Education White Paper 6 also provides an opportunity to assess more than two decades of implementation and determine how teacher education can better support an inclusive education system.

ALSO READ: Public school fees rise faster than inflation as families battle cost of living crisis

Despite the achievements of the project, the deputy minister stressed that its conclusion must not mean the end of the work.

Instead, it should mark the beginning of a new phase in which TEfIT research, resources, partnerships and lessons are embedded across the teacher education system.

“The true legacy of the TEfIT project will be measured not by the activities completed during the life of the project, but by the extent to which its lessons continue to influence policy, curriculum, professional learning, research, innovation and institutional transformation,” she said.

Dube-Ncube called on the sector to move beyond individual projects towards sustainable system-wide change, and from policy aspirations to practical action.

She said lessons emerging from TEfIT, together with the ongoing reviews of the various policies and frameworks, will give South Africa a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to build a more coherent, responsive and inclusive teacher education system.

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Learners in Beaufort West are expected to return to classrooms on Thursday after the Western Cape Education Department confirmed that all schools in the town will reopen following a temporary closure caused by a severe municipal water crisis.

“All schools will be open on Thursday, 10 September,” the department announced on Wednesday. 

The reopening followed the closure of 12 public ordinary schools in the town on Monday and Tuesday because of a municipal water outage. 

ALSO READ: Thongwana High gets container library with over 4000 books

The water crisis was triggered by heavy flooding of the Gamka River on Friday, 4 September, which damaged parts of Beaufort West’s main water supply infrastructure. 

The damage left the municipality struggling to provide a reliable water supply to residents and public institutions. 

The situation was serious enough to affect almost 10,000 learners across the 12 affected schools, according to reports at the time of the closure. 

Beaufort West’s schools are currently in the third term of the 2026 academic year, which is scheduled to run until 23 September. 

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Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube on Tuesday handed over a container library to Thongwana High stocked with more than 4,000 books in honour of National Book Week and International Literacy Day (ILD).

“With more than 1000 matric learners and an impressive 96.7% matric pass rate in the 2025 NSC exams, Thongwana High School is an important example of what learners and educators can achieve even through difficult circumstances,” Gwarube said.

This year’s ILD theme is Literacy for people, the planet and prosperity, which UNESCO said “highlights the role literacy plays not only in education, but also in creating opportunities, improving well-being and building more sustainable societies”.

Gwarube said Thongwana High’s container library was the first of its kind in the area.  

The handover followed another book donation by Gwarube on Monday, when she visited Mengu Primary School and donated two trolley libraries, each containing 500 books.

The libraries are intended to support learners in both the Foundation and Intermediate Phases, strengthening access to age-appropriate reading material from the early stages of schooling. 

The trolley libraries are being provided through the AVBOB Road to Literacy campaign, which has expanded its 2026 rollout to 2,000 trolley libraries in all of the country’s official languages, including Braille.  

International Literacy Day was established by UNESCO in 1966 and first observed in 1967. Six decades later, UNESCO said at least 739 million young people and adults still lack basic literacy skills.

Said Gwarube: “Building strong reading foundations starts early. Our learners must have the opportunity to develop the skills to read with understanding and read for meaning. By increasing access to books and reading resources, we are giving children the tools they need to learn, grow and succeed.” 

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The number of schools damaged by severe storms in the North West has risen to 60, with the provincial Department of Education assessing the damage and putting emergency measures in place to minimise disruption to teaching and learning.

Strong winds swept through parts of the province between Friday, 4 September, and Saturday, 5 September, damaging school roofs, destroying mobile classrooms and affecting other infrastructure.

ALSO READ: Dube-Ncube: DHET tracking girls in STEM to boost women in AI, engineering

The department initially reported damage at more than 20 schools following the storms, but further assessments and reports from affected schools have since increased the number to 60.

The latest damage comes as the department is still dealing with the aftermath of fires that recently affected three schools.

North West Education MEC Desbo Mohono said the department was concerned about the extent of the destruction but was focused on ensuring that learners did not lose valuable teaching time, particularly as the academic year enters its final term.

“We are deeply concerned by the extent of the damage caused by these destructive winds, particularly because our department is already dealing with the impact of recent school fires,” Mohono said.

“However, our focus now is on finding practical solutions that will ensure that our learners do not lose valuable teaching and learning time.”

The department said it was working towards having affected schools repaired by the beginning of the fourth term, depending on the extent and nature of the damage.

Where classrooms or mobile classrooms have been completely destroyed and cannot be used, learners will temporarily be accommodated at nearby schools while repairs are undertaken.

Schools that remain operational but have lost classroom space may introduce platooning, allowing different groups of learners to use the same classrooms during separate shifts.

Under the arrangement, one group could attend classes from 07:45 to 12:00, while another uses the classrooms from about 13:00 to 16:15.

The department said arrangements would be determined according to the circumstances at each school and monitored by school management, district officials and departmental officials.

Grade 12 learners have been prioritised as they enter a critical period of preparation for the National Senior Certificate examinations.

Mohono said the department understood the importance of ensuring that their academic programmes were not disrupted.

“I want to particularly assure our Grade 12 learners, educators and parents that we understand the importance of this period in the academic calendar. Their learning programme must continue, and we will put the necessary measures in place to support them as they prepare for their final examinations,” she said.

The department said it was working with infrastructure and disaster management teams to assess the damage, prioritise urgent interventions and accelerate repairs.

Initial assessments showed damage across all four education districts.

In the Ngaka Modiri Molema District, affected schools include Thuto ke Matla Secondary School in Groot Marico, Setilo Secondary School in Mareetsane Village, Refentse Primary School and Serite Early Learning Centre in Ga-Khunwana Village.

ALSO READ: Allan Gray Makers uses Fusion Fest to drive artisan business growth

In the Dr Kenneth Kaunda District, damage was reported at Pudulogo Primary School in Ikageng, Maitemogelo Secondary School in Wolmaransstad, Noordwal Primary School in Orkney, Tshedimosetso Secondary School in Jouberton, Toevlug Primary School in Ventersdorp, Sentlhaga Primary School in Wolmaransstad, Laerskool Saamtrek in Klerksdorp, Promosa Primary and Secondary School in Potchefstroom, Boitshoko Secondary School in Ikageng, Gatelapele Secondary School and Tigane Primary School in Tigane Township.

In the Bojanala District, affected schools include SG Ntuane Primary School in Tlhatlhaganyane Village, Rantlaka Primary School in Phalane Village, Nonceba Primary School in Welverdiend near Madikwe and Motshabaesi Primary School in Obakeng Village near Madikwe.

In the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District, affected schools include Kokomeng Primary School in Kokomeng Village, Walter Letsie Secondary School in Manthe near Taung, Raditshipi Primary School, Thapama Secondary School, Choseng Secondary School and Reabetswe Secondary School.

The department said the list of affected schools could increase as assessments continue.

The damage ranges from roof damage to destroyed mobile classrooms and other infrastructure, with officials assessing each school to determine the appropriate intervention.

The department said it remained committed to ensuring that learners continued attending classes while infrastructure repairs were carried out.

It said it would continue monitoring affected schools and provide updates as further assessments were completed and interventions implemented. 

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The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) is deliberately tracking the number of girls and young women entering STEM-linked TVET programmes as part of a drive to increase women’s participation in engineering, artificial intelligence, robotics and other technology-driven careers.

Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training Dr Nomusa Dube-Ncube said the government was working to equip girls and young women with digital, AI and robotics skills across the post-school education system, from TVET colleges to universities.

“We are tracking, deliberately, the number of girls and young women entering STEM-linked TVET programmes, because a target we do not measure is a promise we cannot keep,” she said.

She was speaking at the Standard Bank Top Women Conference 2026 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg on Tuesday, where she placed education and post-school training at the centre of efforts to expand women’s participation in the economy.

The two-day conference brings together women entrepreneurs, business leaders, policymakers and other stakeholders to examine economic inclusion, skills development, technology and opportunities for women to grow and lead.

Dube-Ncube challenged stereotypes that continue to discourage girls from entering science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, singling out engineering, coding, robotics and artificial intelligence as areas where women needed to be represented not only as users of technology but as its creators.

“For too long, chauvinism dressed up as common sense has told girls that engineering, coding, robotics and artificial intelligence are not spaces for them,” she said.

“This was never tradition. It was, and remains, a stereotype, and it has cost this country generations of talent we can no longer afford to waste.”

“The technologies reshaping our economy are built by women, not merely used by them,” she said.

Dube-Ncube said the government was also focused on ensuring that qualifications translate into workplace experience.

She highlighted the department’s Skills Revolution programme, which is expanding Work-Integrated Learning placements to give students practical workplace experience before graduation.

Sector Education and Training Authorities are also partnering with employers to place learners directly into industry, while TVET colleges continue to strengthen the artisan pipeline.

Dube-Ncube said obtaining a qualification should only be the start of a young woman’s journey.

She said education was the first rung on a ladder leading from opportunity to enterprise, representation to multiplication, and mentorship to sponsorship.

“The department can build the technical pipeline. It is this room, and platforms like it, that build the confidence, the networks and the sponsors who turn a qualification into a career, and a career into leadership.”

She said corporate involvement needed to move beyond once-off sponsorships towards sustained commitments that produce measurable outcomes.

These could include bursaries linked to Work-Integrated Learning placements, mentorship that develops into sponsorship and procurement pipelines that create opportunities for women-owned businesses.

“Government brings policy, scale and reach; industry brings capital, workplace exposure and markets. Neither is sufficient alone,” she said.

She said girls’ education was an economic issue, citing World Bank estimates that the global economy forfeits between US$15 trillion and US$30 trillion in lost lifetime earnings and productivity because millions of girls do not complete 12 years of quality education.

She said the figures demonstrated why girls’ education should be treated as an economic priority rather than simply a social intervention.

“A woman who completes secondary education earns, on average, almost twice as much over her lifetime as one who does not,” she said.

“That is not a social statistic. It is an economic one, and it belongs in every industrial strategy, every skills plan and every investment prospectus this country writes.”

Dube-Ncube said Africa could unlock significant economic gains by closing the gender gap.

She cited McKinsey research estimating that Africa could add US$316 billion to its GDP if every country matched the progress of the continent’s best-performing nation on gender parity.

She also pointed to a Mastercard Foundation-commissioned study which puts another US$287 billion on the table by 2030 if the continent reverses the decline in young women’s share of Africa’s GDP.

That contribution fell from 18% in 2000 to 11% in 2022, according to the study cited by Dube-Ncube.

“That is not a statistic we can accept without a fight, and post-school education and training is where that fight is won or lost,” she said.

The Deputy Minister also linked education and economic independence to the fight against gender-based violence and femicide.

She said constitutional rights to dignity, equality and safety must be supported by opportunities that allow women to become economically independent.

“An educated girl, and later a skilled and economically independent woman, has more power to walk away from harm, to negotiate her worth in a relationship or a boardroom, and to refuse a dependency that abusers so often use as a weapon against her,” Dube-Ncube said.

She said investing in girls’ skills was therefore also an investment in their safety and ability to make independent choices.

“South Africa’s future economy starts in today’s classrooms,” she said.

“Every girl equipped with digital, AI and robotics skills is a future engineer, entrepreneur and executive we choose not to lose.”

She said every rand invested in a girl’s education should ultimately be viewed as an investment in economic growth, personal safety and the dismantling of gender stereotypes.

“Let us strengthen this partnership, deliberately and without delay, so that Her Power, truly, becomes Africa’s Future,” she said.

Her call was echoed by Topco Media CEO Ralph Fletcher, who told Inside Education that education and skills should be regarded as fundamental to developing women and nurturing talent within organisations.

Fletcher said the conference should not be viewed simply as a business networking event, adding that its value also lies in exposing women to opportunities, role models and networks that can help them move from education into enterprise.

“What education does and skills do is it unleashes the brilliance within you,” he said.

Fletcher said businesses had a responsibility to invest in their people, particularly as artificial intelligence changes the workplace and the way people access knowledge.

“With AI, suddenly I’ve got access to all the knowledge, and that skill is going to make us far more productive and raises the bar for all of us and opportunities,” he said.

Fletcher pointed to the growth of the conference’s WhatsApp community and its digital platforms, saying the event’s message was reaching people beyond those physically attending the conference.

The conference programme itself includes initiatives designed to move conversations towards practical opportunities, including Business MatchMaking and PitchPower Networking, while the EmpowHER Pitching Den gives women entrepreneurs an opportunity to present their businesses to potential investors and partners.

Fletcher said the platform’s value could also be seen in the progression of women who had previously participated as finalists or emerging entrepreneurs and had since grown their businesses.

He recalled the example of a civil engineer who was a finalist several years ago and who has since secured major multinational contracts.

“What Top Woman does is it gives people a platform to basically lift their own confidence and confidence that other organisations have in them,” he said.

Fletcher said successful women also played an important role in showing young women what could be possible beyond the classroom.

“People are getting more exposed now to ordinary stories of ordinary women who finished school, didn’t really know where they were going. And now they’re doing extraordinary things,” he said.

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Allan Gray Makers is pushing for a coordinated trades economy capable of supporting hundreds of thousands of artisan-led businesses by 2035, as the number of unemployed young South Africans reaches five million.

The youth unemployment rate rose by 1.5 percentage points to 47.4% in the second quarter of 2026, according to Statistics South Africa, with the number of unemployed people aged 15 to 34 increasing by 264,000 to five million. Youth employment fell by 40,000 to 5.6 million over the same period.

Allan Gray Makers used its Fusion Fest 2026 in Gauteng to set out its longer-term plan aimed at turning technical and vocational skills into sustainable businesses capable of generating employment.

“By 2035, South Africa will have a coordinated trades entrepreneurial ecosystem catalysing the launch of 200 000 and growth of 20,000 artisan-led trades businesses,” said Seth Mulli, Programme Director of Allan Gray Makers.

The Makers programme focuses on developing entrepreneurship in technical and vocational trades. It says its aim is to support technical entrepreneurs to establish and grow businesses and, in turn, create employment.

The programme began as a pilot in 2018, with a focus on testing models that could accelerate entrepreneurship and job creation in vocational and technical trades, before being expanded more widely.

Its interventions include business incubation and entrepreneurship training for artisans. The 2026 StartUp Academy, for example, is an eight-month incubation programme aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs in bricklaying, carpentry, electrical work and plumbing, providing entrepreneurship training and business support.

Fusion Fest 2026 ran over three days in September, with its main conference bringing together about 150 participants from across the trades entrepreneurship ecosystem.

The conference at the Radisson Hotel & Convention Centre brought participants together in five working groups to examine ways of strengthening the sector.

Allan Gray Makers said the 2026 gathering moved beyond identifying weaknesses in the sector towards developing practical solutions.

ALSO READ: UJ, Barloworld open science centre at rural Limpopo school

Mulli said the work built on an assessment conducted around Fusion Fest 2025, when the organisation examined the sector against 10 conditions: institutions, culture, networks, infrastructure, demand, intermediaries, talent, knowledge, leadership and finance.

“We consolidated 10 conditions into five goals — not because the system became simpler, but because shared action must become clearer. Five goals that can be owned, resourced and measured,” Mulli said.

Those goals cover building stronger connections between organisations operating in the sector, improving the use of data, expanding the pipeline of artisan entrepreneurs, improving access to finance and markets, and changing perceptions of trades as a career and business opportunity.

The market-access element took a more concrete form during Fusion Fest, with the launch of Find A Maker, a digital platform aimed at connecting artisans directly with customers.

Allan Gray Makers said the app allows customers to find verified trade professionals through profiles, in-app messaging and two-way ratings. The platform has initially been launched in Gauteng.

Market-access is one of five areas Allan Gray Makers said must be addressed if small artisan businesses are to expand beyond survivalist enterprises.

The first area is building a more connected ecosystem in which funders, training bodies, government institutions and businesses better understand what others in the sector are doing.

The second is improving the evidence available to policymakers, funders and support organisations through research and shared data.

ALSO READ: UJ researchers honoured at 2026 NRF Awards

The third is creating a stronger pipeline of young people entering trades through TVET colleges, apprenticeships and other vocational pathways, with entrepreneurship presented as an option alongside formal employment.

The fourth focuses on making it easier for artisan-led enterprises to access appropriate funding, business support and paying customers — that requires business support that fits artisan enterprises, finance that reflects their real risk, and markets that reward quality, credibility and compliance.

The fifth goal is to change the status of trades and entrepreneurship so that artisan business owners are regarded as viable contributors to employment and economic growth rather than trades being seen primarily as a fallback career.

The Fusion Fest programme also included the Artisans of Mzansi business competition, where finalists pitched for prizes worth up to R200,000, followed by the South African National Artisan Awards, held in partnership with the Department of Higher Education and Training.

Allan Gray Makers said entrepreneurship alone would not solve South Africa’s employment crisis, but that improving access to skills, funding, markets and business support could allow more artisans to build enterprises capable of supporting livelihoods and creating jobs.

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The University of Johannesburg (UJ) and Barloworld have opened a new science centre at Hanyani Secondary School in Limpopo, saying it will expand access to practical STEM education for learners in the rural Tshipise area.

The centre, officially opened on Monday, is equipped with microscopes, 3D printing technology and digital learning resources and is aimed at giving learners practical experience in science, engineering and technology.

UJ said the facility formed part of its Societal Impact project, which has brought infrastructure and education initiatives to communities in the area since 2014.

UJ Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi said the project demonstrated what could be achieved through partnerships between universities, businesses and communities.

“Local talent deserves global opportunity,” Mpedi said.

“Science is a mindset, it is the courage to ask why, the curiosity to ask how and the determination to ask what if.”

UJ said the centre was intended to bridge the gap between classroom learning and practical science, allowing learners to experiment and become familiar with equipment they may use in further study and technical careers.

Grade 11 learners were given an opportunity to explore the centre during the opening, with students conducting practical activities using some of the new equipment.

The facility builds on UJ’s work at Hanyani, where the university has previously installed solar panels and established the Tshumisano Learning Centre, which is equipped with computers, books and other learning materials.

The wider project, launched in the area in 2014, spans communities including Gwakwani, Matatani and Mbodi and has involved interventions in energy, water, connectivity, education, food security and healthcare.

Hanyani Secondary has recorded a dramatic improvement in its matric results. According to the Department of Basic Education School performance report for the 2025 matric exams, the pass rate was 57.4% in 2023 to 92.1% in 2024 and 94.9% in 2025.

Barloworld Divisional Chief Executive Officer Andronicca Masemola said its investment was intended to extend beyond conventional corporate social responsibility.

ALSO READ: Gauteng has enough school places, but not where parents want them

“Investing in this state-of-the-art science facility is far more than a Corporate Social Investment project for us; it is a deliberate, long-term commitment to South African technical innovation and industrial capability,” Masemola said.

“At Barloworld, we firmly believe that Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) form the essential bedrock of sustainable economic development.”

She said advances in areas such as precision engineering, 3D rapid prototyping, digital diagnostics and material science meant learners needed greater exposure to modern technology.

“By equipping this facility with microscopes, 3D printing technology, and digital learning resources, we are closing the gap between classroom theory and real-world application for high school learners in remote communities who might otherwise lack access to modern equipment.”

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Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela says his department could clear a backlog of between 29,000 and 36,000 TVET students needing workplace opportunities within the next year, as it pushes SETAs, colleges and employers to better coordinate training and placements.

Speaking to Inside Education on the sidelines of the South African National Artisan Awards (SANAA) 2026 in Gauteng, Manamela said figures presented last week showed between 29,000 and 36,000 students still needed assistance, but he believed most could be brought into programmes over the coming year.

ALSO READ: UJ researchers honoured at 2026 NRF Awards

“So that’s the second number we are working on. The third and big number is being able to place each and every student who registers for an occupational trade at our TVET colleges – not just theory, not just workshop, but also link them to a host employer. That will be the major sign of success,” he said.

Manamela said the objective was to create a system in which training led students into workplace experience, employment or entrepreneurship.

He said every young person who walked onto the stage at the awards was linked to employment or had started a business, with each award recipient intentionally connected to some form of work.

“What we need to do additionally is to link them into entrepreneurship,” he said.

“Our economy has been facing major challenges. For the last five years, the economy has been under decline. Unemployment has been its worst, and graduate unemployment has also been affected greatly.”

Manamela said having an in-demand skill improved a young person’s chances of finding work, but the department could not stop training people simply because the economy was struggling to absorb them.

Institutions contributing to the country’s skills pool, he said, had to work more deliberately with industry so that money spent on training produced programmes linked to economic demand.

A particular challenge was finding workplace opportunities for N6 graduates who had completed the academic component of their studies but still needed workplace-integrated learning to obtain their diplomas.

“About two or three years ago, the President announced a target of 10,000 initially of our N6, in particular graduates, getting them into workplace-integrated learning,” he said.

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“If we succeed with the integrated planning that we have enforced between the department, the SETAs, the National Skills Fund, and to mobilise industry, we should be way in advance to ensure that all those students who have their N6, who do not have their diploma, who do not have work places, are placed.”

Manamela said the department would continue visiting colleges throughout the year to assess infrastructure, the availability of teaching material and whether occupational programmes were starting as planned.

“We have to understand that this is a major transition. It has been in the build up for some few years, and there are going to be a lot of challenges that we’re going to be confronted with,” he said.

“Now and then, there’ll be a student who does have a stipend. We have to check with the principal, the HOD, the person who was responsible for occupational programmes. We have to check with the SETAs that are supposed to fund these programmes, and the National Skills Fund that’s dedicated billions of to this.”

He said the department had to establish whether problems stemmed from inadequate resources or failures in planning, and ensure fragmentation within the system did not hurt students.

College principals, he said, had to take responsibility for what happened at their institutions and would be held accountable by the department.

“Whoever they hold accountable subsequent to that, working together with their council, that’s their issue.”

“We’re going to drag them. We’re going to push them. We’re going to make sure that they give us the results that we want in the country.”

Manamela acknowledged that the transition from legacy qualifications to occupational programmes could temporarily affect the number of artisans qualifying, but said getting the system right over the next year or two could ultimately put the country ahead of its artisan targets.

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“[W]e think that with time, we should be able to get the TVET college system, the SETA system, our people at NAM, and all these other institutions that are responsible for artisan training programmes, to give us the numbers that we need over time,” he said.

His comments came as SANAA held its second annual awards under the theme “Changing Artisanal Identity and Status”, recognising artisans across 13 priority trades.

The gala featured the SANAA Awards, Artisans of Mzansi Awards and Inter-College Competition Awards, while a Rite-of-Passage Ceremony formally invested 34 artisans as National Artisan Ambassadors.

“The recitation of the SANAA National Artisan Ambassador Declaration is more than a ceremonial moment – it is a solemn pledge that defines the values, responsibilities, and legacy of every artisan chosen to wear the SANAA Ambassador Blazer,” SANAA said.

“This declaration is not just words — it is a living commitment. It reminds artisans that their craft is a cornerstone of South Africa’s economic growth, industrialisation, and community development.”

In his keynote address, Manamela challenged the perception that a university degree was the only path to professional success, saying that qualified artisans carried advanced applied knowledge, judgement and discipline.

“A nation that cannot produce its own plumbers, welders and cobblers does not have the luxury of dreaming about sending people to Mars,” he said.

“The point is simple. Ambition must stand on capability.”

He said talented young people were too often forced to carry the consequences of fragmented planning, weak equipment, delayed certification and too few workplace opportunities.

“The classroom, the workshop and the workplace must operate as one learning system,” Manamela said.

“When they are disconnected, the student pays. When they are aligned, the country gains a capable artisan.”

Manamela said the National Development Plan set an objective of producing 30,000 qualified artisans a year by 2030, but cautioned that progress could not be measured merely through registrations, launches or agreements.

“We must count learners who complete, artisans who qualify, graduates who enter work, and enterprises that survive and grow,” he said.

“We must modernise college workshops and simulators, strengthen lecturer development and industry exposure, and protect the integrity and turnaround times of assessments, trade testing and certification.”

He said workplace learning was a central bottleneck in the artisan training system. While government could fund training and colleges could provide theoretical and simulated practical learning, apprentices could not become fully competent artisans without meaningful exposure to real workplaces under qualified mentors.

Employers, he said, needed to help design programmes, open workplaces, provide mentors, verify competence and absorb capable graduates, while SETAs and the National Skills Fund had to ensure funding followed learners throughout their training.

“The measure is not how many meetings we hold. It is whether, week by week, the system moves more apprentices into workplaces, more candidates through trade tests and more qualified artisans into productive work,” he said.

Manamela also called for women, people with disabilities and young people from rural and township communities to have greater opportunities to enter, qualify and advance in the trades.

“Inclusion is not achieved by enrolment alone. It requires safe training environments, fair assessment, competent mentorship and visible routes into employment, ownership and leadership,” he said.

Addressing the finalists, Manamela said recognition carried a responsibility to uphold the standards of their trades, mentor young people and help create opportunities for others.

He said South Africa valued and needed its artisans, and was now asking them to lead.

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Three University of Johannesburg (UJ) researchers have been recognised at the 2026 National Research Foundation (NRF) Awards, with Professor John Maina receiving his fourth A-rating and two emerging scholars honoured for research excellence.

The awards ceremony was held at the Boardwalk Hotel and Casino in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, under the theme “Building an Inclusive, Impactful and Transformed Research Future”.

The theme reflects the NRF’s Vision 2030 and its five strategic pillars of Transformation, Innovation, Sustainability, Excellence and Impact.

Among this year’s UJ recipients were Maina and PhD researcher Anathi Msobo from the Faculty of Science, as well as Digital Media Design lecturer Nthabiseng Mabale, who is pursuing a PhD in Media Studies at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Maina, a researcher in UJ’s Department of Zoology, received his fourth NRF A-rating.

An A-rating is awarded to researchers recognised by their peers as leading international scholars in their fields, based on the quality and impact of their recent research. Each rating is valid for six years.

Maina’s work focuses on respiratory systems in animals and how they have evolved and adapted. He studies how different species exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide across aquatic and terrestrial environments.

His research uses technologies including three-dimensional computer reconstructions, micro-computed tomography scanning, microscopic cell imaging and detailed physical measurements.

More recently, he has been investigating the use of bird lungs and fish gills as bioindicators of environmental pollution. He is also studying ostrich eggshell structures and the development of the chorioallantoic membrane, which enables an embryo to exchange gases while developing inside the egg.

The work could help identify structural factors contributing to poor ostrich egg hatchability, with potential benefits for South Africa’s ostrich farming industry.

Mabale, a lecturer in UJ’s Department of Multimedia, received a Research Excellence Award for Next Generation Researchers.

She is pursuing a PhD in Media Studies at Wits University titled Fortification of Self-Reliance and Independence of Black South African Women in Informal Businesses.

Her research examines how digital tools can support women traders operating in Johannesburg’s Kwa Mai-Mai community.

She works with the traders as co-creators of knowledge, documenting their experiences, business practices and challenges while exploring ways digital technologies can strengthen economic self-reliance.

The research is funded through the NRF-FirstRand Empowerment Foundation Black Academics Advancement Programme, which supports Black academics pursuing doctoral qualifications.

Msobo, a PhD researcher in UJ’s Department of Biochemistry, also received a Research Excellence Award for Next Generation Researchers.

Her NRF-funded work investigates antiviral compounds in South African medicinal plants, including natural compounds with the potential to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, a protein the virus relies on to replicate.

She combines artificial intelligence, computational science, advanced chemistry and laboratory testing to accelerate the identification of potentially useful compounds.

The approach could contribute to antiviral drug discovery and pandemic preparedness while building expertise in biotechnology, metabolomics and computational drug discovery.

Delivering the keynote address at the ceremony, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Professor Blade Nzimande raised concerns about the concentration of research funding and infrastructure at historically stronger institutions.

According to Nzimande, about 63% of NRF funding goes to the 10 universities with the highest research outputs, while 83% of South African Research Chairs Initiative Chairs are hosted at top-output universities.

He said efforts were being made to broaden participation at historically disadvantaged institutions, universities of technology and newer universities.

Earlier this year, 41 new SARChI Chairs were awarded specifically to these institutions. The NRF has also begun implementing its University Programmes and Collaborations initiative to strengthen research and human-capital capacity at historically disadvantaged institutions.

“The issue is crucial not for posterity, but for practical reasons: to ensure our country, with its scarce resource base, makes full use of its institutional resources to reach deeper and wider into every corner of South Africa and unleash its full potential,” Nzimande said.

The 2026 NRF Awards also included Lifetime Achievement Awards for Professor Jonathan Jansen of Stellenbosch University’s Department of Education and Professor Helen Rees of the University of the Witwatersrand’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

UJ Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Letlhokwa George Mpedi said the awards reflected the university’s growing research profile.

“The NRF Awards represent a wonderful and prestigious recognition for any scholar; it is something to treasure. UJ has over the years shown a stronger performance in these prestigious awards, and this year is not different,” Mpedi said.

UJ Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Innovation Professor Refilwe Phaswana-Mafuya said the recipients reflected the work being done by established and emerging scholars at the university.

“The awards show the quality of the research, not only for its own sake but for societal impact and sustainability. As a university, we are immensely proud of the achievements and of the work of our scholars, and we hope the awards will inspire more students,” she said.

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Durban University of Technology (DUT) has finalised the allocation of a R1.15 million Motsepe Foundation donation to students burdened by historical debt, months after the funding was provided to the university’s Student Representative Council.

DUT said the contribution was made at the beginning of the year and was aimed at providing financial relief to students facing outstanding historical fees.

“The payment process for students identified through DUT’s Financial Aid processes has now been finalised, marking an important milestone in the initiative and providing support to students affected by historical debt,” the university said.

“The donation was received by representatives of the DUT SRC, with the funding directed towards assisting students identified as beneficiaries through the relevant processes,” it said.

“This contribution will make a meaningful difference to students who have been carrying historical debt. As the SRC, we recognise the responsibility that comes with managing this support and remain committed to ensuring that the initiative reaches the students it is intended to assist,” said SRC Finance Officer Thalente Mteshane.

Mteshane, who serves as SRC Finance Officer for the 2025 to 2027 term, said partnerships such as the one with the Motsepe Foundation were important in addressing challenges faced by students.

“Financial challenges can place significant pressure on students and can affect their ability to focus on their studies. Support such as this provides much-needed relief and gives students an opportunity to continue working towards completing their qualifications,” he said.

The R1.15 million contribution follows a R1.1 million donation made by the Motsepe Foundation to the DUT SRC in 2024.

That funding was allocated to initiatives supporting students with historical debt, food security, gender-based violence, mental health and peace building.

The Foundation has also previously provided funding to assist DUT students with registration.

“For students, historical debt can present significant challenges, particularly where outstanding fees affect their ability to progress or complete their academic journey. The latest intervention therefore provides important support to students identified through the University’s Financial Aid processes.”

DUT said the initiative also demonstrated the value of partnerships between universities, student leadership and external organisations.

“DUT appreciates the Motsepe Foundation for its continued support of the University’s students and its commitment to initiatives that contribute towards student success.”

“The partnership demonstrates the value of collaboration between higher education institutions, student leadership structures and external stakeholders in addressing challenges that can affect students’ ability to succeed.”

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