Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Nomalungelo Gina on Saturday launched South Africa’s inaugural National Science Month, calling for science, technology and innovation to be placed at the centre of the country’s development agenda.

Gina, who delivered the keynote address at the Vaal University of Technology, said the new initiative marked a shift from National Science Week to a broader, month-long programme aimed at deepening public engagement with science.

“We must significantly raise public awareness of the value of science in everyday life, while elevating science, technology and innovation as key drivers of South Africa’s socio-economic development,” she said.

The department has run National Science Week since 2000, but Gina said science, technology and innovation had become increasingly central to addressing complex global and domestic challenges.

She said South Africa needed a more sustained public engagement programme to help build awareness of science’s role in economic transformation, industrialisation and national competitiveness.

Gina said South Africa’s investment in research and development remained low, at about 0.61% of gross domestic product, well below the National Development Plan target of 1.5%. She said this lagged far behind leading innovation economies, with South Korea investing more than 4.5% of GDP, Israel more than 5%, and the OECD average sitting at about 2.7%.

The launch was held under the theme: “Science, Technology and Innovation Are for Everyone.”

Gina said the theme was intended to show that science and innovation belonged to all people, regardless of ethnicity, class, gender, belief or location, and must serve society as a whole.

The launch included a science exhibition made up of 132 stands and more than 100 exhibitors, including universities, science councils and entities of the department such as the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the National Research Foundation, the Technology Innovation Agency and the South African National Space Agency.

“Create and harness new technologies to resolve societal challenges such as social inequality, social justice and ecological sustainability; promote informed decision-making and public access to scientific knowledge; and instill a culture of deliberate knowledge exchange between scientists and the public,” Gina said.

She said National Science Month would also be used to tell South Africa’s science story, including work in space science and astronomy through major projects such as the Square Kilometre Array and the Southern African Large Telescope.

“We must also tell the public about the contributions of some of our country’s most advanced scientific infrastructure platforms, including iThemba LABS in the Western Cape, which is the largest particle accelerator-based science facility in the Southern Hemisphere, generating radioactive isotopes for medicine and conducting materials research,” she said.

Gina also highlighted the SANSA Space Weather Centre in Hermanus, describing it as Africa’s only 24/7 operational regional space weather warning centre.

She said National Science Month should be used to inspire young people to pursue careers in science, technology and innovation.

“Drawing from these breathtaking examples of South Africa’s science, technology and innovation capabilities, my message to the learners here today is simple: your dreams are valid, and you must never allow anyone to tell you that you cannot become a scientist,” she said.

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Sixteen South African medical doctors graduated in the Eastern Cape on Friday through the Nelson Mandela/Fidel Castro Medical Programme, as government marked 30 years of a scheme aimed at strengthening healthcare in rural and underserved communities.

The graduation ceremony was held at the East London International Convention Centre and hosted by the National Department of Health in partnership with Walter Sisulu University and Cuban medical universities.

Eastern Cape Department of Health MEC Ntandokazi Capa said during her address that 3,277 South African doctors had completed their training through the programme since it was launched in 1996.

The programme was established by former South African President Nelson Mandela and former Cuban President Fidel Castro to address the country’s shortage of medical doctors, particularly in rural, underserved and previously disadvantaged communities.

The programme provides medical training opportunities to students from disadvantaged communities, with students undergoing medical studies in Cuba before returning to South Africa for clinical integration at local universities. Graduates are expected to serve in South Africa’s public health system after completing their training.

Capa said the graduates were already making a significant contribution to South Africa’s public healthcare system.

“Today, as we speak, 3,277 medical doctors have completed this programme and they are serving in our clinics, hospitals and rural health districts because we need to address past healthcare imbalances, improve the allocation of health resources and ensure access to care for vulnerable populations,” she said.

She congratulated the new graduates, describing them as doctors trained with a strong foundation in primary healthcare, disease prevention and community-based care.

“We celebrate the remarkable academic achievement of this new cohort of medical doctors who are now ready to serve the people of South Africa with compassion as part of strengthening the health system, especially in underserved and previously disadvantaged areas,” she said.

Capa said South Africa needed a proactive healthcare system focused on preventing disease rather than only treating illness, adding that the graduates would play an important role in responding to both communicable and non-communicable diseases.

She also urged the graduates to support the implementation of the National Health Insurance, saying they would form part of the backbone of South Africa’s public healthcare system and help the country move towards universal health coverage.

“You have been trained with a purpose to close the gap of inequality, to bring care where there is none, and to serve with humility, excellence and empathy,” she said.

She encouraged the graduates to take up placements in rural communities, township health facilities, district hospitals and under-resourced primary healthcare clinics.

“The greatest need for doctors in South Africa is in rural areas, township facilities, district hospitals and under-resourced primary healthcare facilities. You must consider your deployment as a calling, not a punishment.”

She thanked the people of Cuba, the Cuban government and Cuban medical faculties for teaching and mentoring South African students, saying the partnership had strengthened South Africa’s health system.

“The relationship between SA and Cuba is rooted in diplomacy and solidarity. Cuba was there for our people during the difficult days of the struggle for freedom, and we are glad that it continues to stand with us in building human capacity, particularly in the health sector. We remain grateful for that.”

She urged the newly qualified doctors to remain open to growth and continuous learning.

“Learning is an ongoing process, and the discipline of medicine will continue to evolve, just as it does in other fields, such as technology,” she said.

“Congratulations, Class of 2026! South Africa is proud of you, the health sector cannot wait to welcome you,” Capa said.

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South Africa needs more agricultural economists to help tackle food security, rural development, trade, climate change and job creation, the Department of Agriculture said at a student symposium in Pretoria on Friday.

The department, in collaboration with the Agricultural Research Council and the University of Limpopo, hosted the symposium for third-year BSc Agricultural Economics students at the ARC VIMP Campus in Roodeplaat.

The event brought together students, academics, policymakers and industry professionals to discuss agricultural economic issues, policy debates, innovation trends and emerging opportunities in the sector.

Acting Chief Director of Sector Capacity Development Mmaserame Macucwa said agricultural economists had a critical role to play in addressing some of South Africa’s most pressing development challenges, including employment creation, rural development, trade, climate change and inclusive economic growth.

“Agricultural economics remains one of South Africa’s critical and scarce skills, with growing demand for professionals capable of informing policy, analysing markets, managing risk, and driving innovation across agricultural value chains,” Macucwa said.

“Students must actively engage with experts to build professional networks and prepare themselves to lead the sector through emerging challenges and opportunities.”

The department said the symposium was aimed at connecting students with industry experts and exposing them to the knowledge and networks needed to support innovation, strengthen food security and help shape the future of South African agriculture.

University of Limpopo academic Dr Mmaphuti Nkoana said the engagement gave students an opportunity to better understand the workplace and the expectations of potential employers in the agricultural sector.

Nkoana said the university offered modules that complemented one another, including those recommended by stakeholders who could employ students in future. Practical exposure through experiential learning and engagement with industry was important in preparing students for work, Nkoana said.

“We saw it befitting to say that we engage with the stakeholders to host our students in these kinds of podiums or symposiums, so that our students can get more information about what is happening in the working environment,” Nkoana said.

“These students here, they are willing to gather more information from different stakeholders, just to capacitate or build their future from now.”

Nkoana said students could also contribute to research projects and seminars by using such platforms to raise and discuss challenges facing South Africa.

Macucwa said the Department of Agriculture remained committed to strengthening partnerships with higher education institutions to develop the next generation of agricultural professionals.

She said she was confident that young economists could contribute meaningfully to the future of South African agriculture.

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The Limpopo Department of Education has launched 465 Winter Enrichment Learning Centres across the province to support 93,500 Grade 12 learners ahead of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, as it targets a matric pass rate of more than 90% this year.

The department said it was confident its intervention programmes would help the province surpass the 90% pass mark.

“During the winter enrichment classes, nearby feeder schools will be clustered, with a minimum of three schools participating at each centre. Some learners will attend residential camps, while others will be transported from various locations to participate in the programme,” departmental media liaison Isaac Mahlangu told Inside Education.

“The goal of the department is to achieve a 90% plus matric pass rate in the province. We are maintaining that target, and it remains the objective of the department,” Mahlangu said.

The Winter Enrichment Programme, which runs until 10 July, is aimed at strengthening learner performance through intensive revision, curriculum support and targeted interventions in key subjects.

The programme is being implemented at 465 centres across Limpopo, including walk-in centres and residential camps, to ensure learners from different communities have access to academic support.

According to the department, the classes are designed to address learning gaps, reinforce critical concepts and improve learner performance ahead of the final examinations.

Learners will receive intensive tuition, revision sessions and supplementary learning materials throughout the programme.

Limpopo Education MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya thanked educators for sacrificing part of their school holidays to conduct the classes and acknowledged School Governing Bodies (SGBs) for helping ensure the programme was properly organised.

She also urged parents to continue supporting and monitoring learners during the winter programme.

Lerule-Ramakhanya is expected to visit several learning centres during the programme to monitor its implementation and engage with learners and educators.

“The department remains committed to improving educational outcomes and creating opportunities that empower learners to reach their full potential,” she said.

“The enthusiastic participation of learners, educators and support staff reflects a shared commitment to academic excellence.”

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Africa Skills Training and Management Services has bought Telkom’s former learning campus in Olifantsfontein, Gauteng, with plans to redevelop the site into one of the country’s largest artisan training hubs.

The 24.7-hectare property, which includes more than 23,500 m² of purpose-built education and training facilities, was acquired by the vocational training company as part of a corporate disposal transaction handled by Broll Auctions and Sales.

Africa Skills Chief Business Development Manager Phillip Harmse said the company had been eyeing the property for some time because its other Gauteng campuses were smaller and full.

“We have had our eye on this property for some time. Our other campuses in Gauteng are smaller and full, so we were struggling with capacity, and this location is perfect. It offers easy access and will serve a significant need in the country,” Harmse said.

“We are happy with the deal we secured for premises of this size, and our intention is to stay true to the building’s origins and history, redeveloping the campus into a work-integrated vocational education and innovation hub for the manufacturing, mining and agricultural sectors.”

Programmes at the campus will include training for millwrights, boilermakers, welders, electricians and plumbers, alongside a new agricultural offering covering plant production, fruit, grains and a poultry-focused livestock component.

“Our qualifications combine theory, practical training and workplace experience over three years, with students spending half their time on campus and half placed with companies so that they add value to employers from day one,” Harmse said.

Existing lecture halls, classrooms and accommodation facilities will be supplemented by modern hybrid learning environments, artisan workshops, agricultural training infrastructure and sustainable campus improvements, developed in collaboration with industry and education partners.

The first intake is targeted for February 2027, with around 2,000 students expected at the campus once enrolment plans are finalised.

“The expansion of Africa Skills into a new, larger premises is in response to a need for additional vocational capacity,” Harmse said.

“South Africa’s labour market requires roughly 30 000 artisans a year, while the country currently produces only 15 000 to 20 000.”

Broll Auctions and Sales Director Jayson-lee Collins said the property was sold through a competitive auction process, with five registered bidders bidding on the day.

“The education sector, from a property perspective, is seeing a strong uptick in transactions. We have concluded some of the country’s biggest property transactions in the educational sector in the past two years including the sale of Johannesburg’s FNB Conference Centre on Grayston Drive and Mayfair Convent.”

The disposal of the Olifantsfontein campus formed part of Telkom’s strategy of unlocking value from non-core assets while enabling new investment and economic development.

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The Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (merSETA) has extended the closing date for its 2026/2027 Discretionary Grant Funding Window by two weeks, giving stakeholders more time to submit applications after amendments to grant guidelines were approved.

merSETA said the funding window, which was originally scheduled to close on June 29, 2026, will now close on July 13, 2026.

“The extension takes effect immediately and applies to all applicable discretionary grant funding windows.”

It said the decision followed updates to the Discretionary Grant Guidelines and Funding Window Guidelines, which were approved to align with the Department of Higher Education and Training Directive on transitional arrangements.

As part of the amendments, merSETA has adopted a revised policy position on legacy, or pre-2009, qualifications.

“These qualifications may continue to be funded on a controlled transitional basis, provided that funding remains aligned to South African Qualifications Authority-approved extension periods and that enrolments and learner achievements are completed within the prescribed timelines,” it said.

The revised position was aimed at ensuring continued compliance with national regulatory requirements while giving certainty to employers and training providers involved in skills development initiatives.

Organisations and institutions that have already submitted applications may ask for their submissions to be reopened so they can incorporate amendments arising from the revised guidelines.

Applicants who need to amend submitted applications must contact the relevant Management Information Systems Support team. External stakeholders should email missupport@merseta.org.za, while internal stakeholders should email MISTechnical@merseta.org.za.

“Each request will be assessed and facilitated on a case-by-case basis. No manual or informal amendments outside the online application system will be permitted,” merSETA said.

Applicants have been encouraged to visit the merSETA website to access the updated Discretionary Grant Funding Window Guidelines and application information.

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The High Court in Bloemfontein, sitting in Botshabelo, has sentenced four people, including the wife and brother-in-law of slain teacher Fezile Mnyobisi, for his brutal and premeditated murder.

Vusimuzi Daniel Nqele, 43, and Moeketsi Innocent Manko, 35, were each sentenced to life imprisonment. Abdool Rahman Thamando, 35, the brother-in-law of the deceased, was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, while Halimmah Thamando Mnyobisi, 38, the wife of the deceased, was sentenced to life imprisonment.

All four accused were convicted of murder, read with the provisions of Section 51(1) Part I Schedule 2 of Act 105 of 1997, relating to premeditated murder.

The case stemmed from events on Friday, 15 September 2023, when Botshabelo police received an alert from a local hospital regarding a suspected murder. A patrol vehicle was immediately dispatched.

Upon arrival, police were told that 35-year-old Fezile Mnyobisi, a teacher at Refihlile Primary School in C-Section, had been brought to the hospital by his wife in a private vehicle. He was declared dead on arrival.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Mnyobisi had sustained more than 30 stab wounds to his torso. Botshabelo police initially registered a case of murder and robbery at the Botshabelo Police Station.

Police said an intense and multi-disciplinary investigation by the Provincial Criminal Record and Crime Scene Management, alongside the Investigative Psychology Section, led to warrants of arrest being issued.

Hitmen Nqele and Manko were intercepted and arrested in November 2024 for murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Further investigation led to the arrest of Mnyobisi’s brother-in-law, Abdool Rahman Thamando.

Police said the final arrest was made on 26 November 2024 at about 16:00, after intelligence-led leads helped the tracking team trace Halimmah Thamando Mnyobisi, who had been on the run.

She was found hiding at a luxury residential complex in Sandton, Gauteng, where she was staying with her alleged boyfriend. She was arrested and brought to face justice alongside her co-conspirators.

Police said the conviction followed work by Detective Warrant Officer Lehlohonolo Tloanyane and Detective Sergeant Lebohang Nkopane, under the leadership of Captain Sandile Dladla, in close consultation with State Advocate Mpemvane from the National Prosecuting Authority.

During sentencing, the presiding officer said: “Most brutal Gender-Based Violence cases are perpetrated by males, but this time around, it is a female who stands accused. This sentence should serve as a lesson to those who still think that because women are generally regarded as vulnerable, they are not capable of such brutal and heinous acts.”

Free State Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thabang Solly Lesia lauded the investigating team and the prosecution for securing what he described as a watertight case.

“This sentence sends an unequivocal message that the law will not hesitate to strike down heavily on anyone who orchestrates the destruction of human life, regardless of their gender,” Lesia said.

“It is deeply disturbing when a spouse, who is meant to be a protector, becomes the architect of such a gruesome betrayal and violent crime. We hope this life sentence brings a sense of closure to the family and colleagues of Mr. Mnyobisi. I highly commend our detectives and the NPA for closing every loophole and ensuring that these perpetrators face the full might of the law.”

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KwaZulu-Natal led the 2026 ABC Motsepe South African Schools Choral Eisteddfod after the first two days of national competition, with 11 trophies as choirs from across the country headed into the final stretch of the four-day championships.

The championships run from June 30 to July 3 at Moreleta Kerk in Pretoria. They are delivered by the departments of Basic Education and Sport, Arts and Culture, in partnership with the Motsepe Foundation, and bring together top-performing school choirs from all nine provinces after district and provincial rounds.

The KZN Department of Education said the province was leading after Day Two with 11 trophies, making it the early frontrunner in the national standings.

In the secondary schools section, the Eastern Cape’s Nolitha won the Special Schools SID Own Song Choice category, followed by North West’s Temogo and Gauteng’s Adelaide Tambo.

KZN’s Newtown won the Special Schools MID, PD, Deaf and Blind category for Ngothando, ahead of North West’s Christiana and Limpopo’s Setotolwane.

KZN also scored strongly in the choir categories, with Aquadene taking first place in Mixed Choirs Western, ahead of Limpopo’s Klaas Mothapo and Gauteng’s Curtis Nkondo.

Klaas Mothapo then won the Mixed Choirs African category for Thuto by P Mamabolo, with Mpumalanga’s D.M. Motsaosele Secondary School second and Aquadene third.

The Mpumalanga Department of Education congratulated D.M. Motsaosele on Thursday, saying the choir had delivered “a performance that resonated with grace, passion and musical excellence”.

“This remarkable achievement is a testament to the visionary leadership and musical excellence of Mr G. Zunguza, whose dedication, discipline and inspiring direction guided the choir to this national milestone,” the department said.

Mpumalanga’s Shongwe won the Mixed Double Quartet for Farm and Small Schools with Silent Worship by GF Handel. KwaZulu-Natal’s Einsiedeln placed second, while Gauteng’s Kudung finished third.

In the primary section, the Eastern Cape’s Lingomsolethu Primary School won the Special Schools SID Own Choice category, followed by KZN’s Thuthukani Primary School and Free State’s Leboneng Primary School.

Mandela Park Primary School from the Eastern Cape also stood out after securing first place in both the Boys’ Choir and Mixed Choirs African categories.

KZN’s Grantham Park Primary School picked up the Best Conductor award, with Ms ZZ Luhlolongwane named as conductor.

The final results are expected after the closing day of competition on Friday.

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Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Lydia Chikunga has called for stronger public-private partnerships to tackle South Africa’s youth unemployment crisis and food insecurity, saying government cannot solve either challenge on its own.

Chikunga was speaking on Wednesday at the launch of KFC Africa’s Impact Report in Bryanston, Johannesburg, under the theme: “Private Sector as a Partner in Youth Economic Inclusion and Food Security.”

“I also wish to commend KFC Africa for being one of the key corporate partners of the Youth Employment Service (YES) — the substantive public-private partnership that has transitioned more than 200,000 young South Africans from being labelled as “unemployed” to being registered as “employed” through a twelve-month work experience placement in the private sector,” Chikunga said.

“KFC’s participation in the YES architecture demonstrates, first-hand, how the transition from learning to earning can be operationalised at scale.”

Chikunga placed KFC Africa’s work within the broader Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI), which she said was government’s national response to youth unemployment and required a strong coalition between government, business and civil society.

She said the PYEI’s performance since its launch was now publicly documented, with interventions reaching millions of young South Africans across different employment and earning pathways.

“The SA Youth platform, which is the digital gateway of the PYEI, currently holds active registrations of more than 2.36 million young people, who are matched to opportunities in the labour market on an ongoing basis,” she said.

“The Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA) system has placed more than 402,515 young people into work experience, learnerships, and formal employment through PYEI-aligned partnerships.”

However, the latest PYEI fourth-quarter update places current SA Youth registrations at more than 5.9 million and ESSA registrations at more than 5.36 million. Since its launch in 2020, the PYEI has facilitated access to more than 2.5 million temporary earning opportunities through SA Youth and a further 422,667 opportunities through ESSA.

The call for deeper partnerships comes as South Africa continues to battle high levels of youth unemployment. According to Statistics South Africa’s first-quarter 2026 labour data, 4.7 million young people aged 15 to 34 were unemployed, while the unemployment rate stood at 60.9% for those aged 15 to 24 and 40.6% for those aged 25 to 34.

Chikunga said partnerships had to be backed by strong knowledge management and must be able to answer the critical questions of any strategic mission, allowing government and its partners to anticipate, respond to and navigate uncertainty.

She said the launch showed how private-sector partnerships could be implemented at scale.

“What we are launching today is indicative of what a partnership can look like when it is executed at scale,” she said.

“I therefore want to make a substantive call to KFC and its associated stakeholders. Our young people must be trained, integrated, and transitioned into viable businesses across the food, agricultural value chains, and related industries — from primary production, to logistics, and distribution to the food services, hospitality sector, and into the digital platforms that increasingly mediate all of these.”

Chikunga said every young South African involved in agriculture, food services or hospitality should have a clear pathway into sustainable economic activity.

She said youth economic inclusion could not be reduced to short-term participation, but had to mean the meaningful integration of young people into productive enterprises on terms that promoted ownership, agency and real prospects of wealth accumulation.

Turning to food security, Chikunga said South Africa’s challenge was not only the availability of food, but whether households could access it consistently and affordably.

“Too often, food security is viewed through a narrow and limited lens. Food security is not about the mere availability of food,” she said.

“Food is abundantly available — yet the marginalised remain food-insecure. The gap between availability and access is the substantive analytical question.”

She said food security also had to be understood through the lens of reparative justice, including the restoration of the rights of historically marginalised communities and their sovereignty over food systems.

Chikunga said South Africa could only be considered food-secure when all people had access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that met their dietary and cultural needs, while also addressing the historical injustices that shaped current food inequities.

She identified several areas where the private sector could support youth economic participation and food security at scale.

These included supporting young South Africans to work the land, with specific attention to young women and persons with disabilities; helping emerging farmers transition into sustainable agribusinesses; investing in extension services, technical mentoring, market access, off-take agreements, supply-chain integration and patient capital.

She also said young South Africans and African entrepreneurs needed better access to local, continental and international markets, including opportunities created through the African Continental Free Trade Area, which brings together a market of about 1.4 billion people with a combined GDP of approximately US$3.4 trillion.

Chikunga said government and business also had to scale up youth employment in food, hospitality and distribution through targeted skills programmes, franchise expansion, enterprise development and the integration of youth-owned SMEs into supply chains.

She said the private sector could further support young people by helping expand affordable, high-speed data access in townships, rural areas and informal settlements, where many young people live and where digital platforms increasingly shape access to opportunity.

Chikunga said partnerships such as those with KFC Africa showed what was possible when social impact initiatives were linked to broader national priorities.

“You can count on our partnership and we very much look forward to working with you well into the future,” she said.

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By 2026, the initial panic that greeted the launch of generative AI in higher education has transitioned into a complex, high-stakes standoff. 

At the heart of this conflict are AI checkers – software designed to catch students using tools like ChatGPT. 

However, a growing number of institutions, including major South African universities, are now switching these detectors off, sparking a fundamental rethink of what it means to learn and be assessed in a digital age.

The primary reason for the retreat from AI detection is a lack of accuracy.

AI detectors do not know if a machine wrote a text; instead, they measure statistical signatures like “perplexity” (how predictable the language is) and “burstiness” (variation in sentence rhythm). 

But as generative models have evolved to mimic human style more effectively, these signatures have become blurred. 

Independent evaluations show that while some tools claim 99% accuracy, their effectiveness drops to between 60% and 80% as soon as a student manually edits or adds “humanise” when prompting the AI. 

Furthermore, newer models like Claude 3 generate natural-sounding prose that frequently evades mainstream checkers.

For many administrators, using such probabilistic tools to make life-altering disciplinary decisions is becoming an unacceptable risk to due process.

The crisis of fairness and bias 

For South African institutions, the most damaging aspect of AI detection is documented bias against non-native English speakers. 

Research has shown that detectors disproportionately flag ESL (English as a Second Language) students because their writing often uses more formal, standardised structures that the software mistakes for machine-generated patterns.

One landmark study found a 61.3% false positive rate for TOEFL essays written by Chinese students, compared to just 5.1% for native speakers. In a multilingual country like South Africa, where English is often a second or third language, relying on these tools creates a systemic equity crisis that risks unfairly penalising students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The devil’s bargain of efficiency 

The complexity is deepened by what scholars call a “devil’s bargain” in modern academia.

AI can automate lesson planning for lecturers and generate plausible essays for students, creating an appearance of productivity while hollowing out actual learning. This leads to the rise of “shallow knowledge workers” –  graduates who are proficient in prompt manipulation but deficient in critical analysis and independent reflection.

By switching off AI checkers, universities are forced to confront this erosion of cognitive capacity. Rather than attempting to detect the machine, they are redesigning the work to make human thinking visible.

The way forward 

The emerging way forward in South African higher education is a shift from “policing” to “stewardship”. The focus is moving toward:

• Authentic Assessment: Moving away from take-home essays toward oral defences (viva voce), in-class writing benchmarks, and practical demonstrations.
• AI-integrated Assessment frameworks: Implementing clear frameworks that define acceptable AI use across different assessment contexts. This may include a tiered approach where AI use is prohibited, permitted for specific parts of an assessment, or fully integrated into the assessment process without penalty, provided its use is transparent and aligned with the learning outcomes.
• Process-Based Grading: Grading the “learning journey” by requiring students to submit research logs, drafts, and “Epistemic Meta-Reflections” where they justify their interaction with AI.
• Human-in-the-Loop Frameworks: Implementing automated grading only when it includes mandatory human review to ensure factual accuracy and fairness.
• Transparency and Disclosure: Replacing bans with disclosure requirements, where students must cite which tools they used and for what purpose.

As South Africa finalises its Draft National AI Policy – which ironically ran into an early roadblock after it was found the first iteration was drafted by AI – the higher education sector has an opportunity to ground AI governance in the philosophy of Ubuntu, with its emphasis on interdependence, human dignity, and collective responsibility. 

The goal should not be to win an unwinnable technological race, but to establish a renewed contract of trust: one in which AI is used as a scaffold for thought, not a substitute for it.

Mario Landman is Executive: Educational Technology and Innovation at The IIE and ADvTECH’s Academic Centre of Excellence. 

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The Presidential Youth Employment Intervention (PYEI) recorded 155,166 new earning opportunities during the fourth quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, from January to March this year,  bringing the total number of opportunities accessed through the initiative to more than 2.9 million since its launch in 2020.

Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli said the latest results demonstrate steady progress in tackling youth unemployment through coordinated partnerships between government, the private sector and civil society.

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More than 5.9 million young people have registered on the SA Youth platform since the programme’s inception, while 5.36 million are registered on the government’s Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA) database. The PYEI is an overarching inititaive With a number of programmes. The largest of these is the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI) which hires teacjer assistants for public shools among others. 

To date, SA Youth has facilitated more than 2.5 million earning opportunities, with a further 422,667 opportunities accessed through ESSA.

Mhlauli said the intervention continues to address inequalities in the labour market, with more than 70% of opportunities benefiting young women.

“PYEI continues to demonstrate its commitment to contributing to closing gaps in the labour market for young people,” she said. 

The intervention’s demand-led skilling programme also recorded strong growth during the quarter. Through the Youth Employment Service (YES), 18,310 young people secured workplace experience opportunities, while the Department of Higher Education and Training, through Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs), placed a further 5,005 TVET students and graduates in work-integrated learning opportunities.

The quarter’s total of 23,315 workplace experience placements was more than double that achieved during the previous quarter, bringing the cumulative total to 228,148 placements.

Enterprise development also expanded, with the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) providing 6,085 enterprise support opportunities during the quarter, including 5,553 non-financial and 532 financial support interventions.

Mhlauli said the Revitalised National Youth Service (NYS) continues to create paid service opportunities for young people while equipping them with valuable skills.

She announced that Phase 5 of the programme will recruit an additional 100,000 young people across South Africa.

“This will result in a significant increase in the number of young people accessing NYS opportunities,” she said.

The Deputy Minister also highlighted the performance of the Jobs Boost Outcomes Fund, South Africa’s first large-scale outcomes-based employment fund.

The R300 million pilot programme, which concluded implementation in March 2026, exceeded several of its targets. By 30 March 2026, 9,260 young people had enrolled, while 7,044 participants had secured jobs, surpassing the placement target by more than 50%.

The programme also verified 5,211 participants who remained employed for at least three months, with 3,795 sustaining employment for six months.

Mhlauli said the results demonstrate the effectiveness of outcomes-based funding in creating sustainable employment opportunities for young people.

ALSO READ: Gauteng schools rocked by corruption as MEC reveals R2.2m overspending in one, theft and procurement scandals in others

“The results of the financial year demonstrate what coordinated, demand-led action can deliver for young people in South Africa,” Mhlauli said.

 “Heading into the 2026/27 financial year, our focus remain on scaling the delivery of quality work placements, advancing the mainstream of outcomes-based financial in public service delivery, and contributing to centre the ambition of South Africa’s young people across every part of the intervention.”

Launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2020, the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention was established as to help young people transition from learning to earning through skills development, workplace experience, entrepreneurship support and employment opportunities.

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The Junior Springboks have welcomed their emphatic opening victory at the World Rugby U20 Championship but insist their attention has already shifted to what they expect will be a significantly tougher examination against hosts Georgia later this week.

South Africa’s defending champions opened their title defence in spectacular fashion with a 104-7 demolition of Uruguay in Tbilisi, Georgia, running in 16 tries to equal their longest winning streak in the tournament’s history with a seventh consecutive victory.

While the result sent an early warning to the rest of the competition, stand-in captain Rambo Kubheka said the squad remained grounded and fully aware that the challenge would intensify when they face a powerful Georgian outfit on Thursday.

“The boys played well, and I couldn’t have asked for more in our first game. Playing against South American teams, you know what to expect. They play with pride, they are very passionate, and they never go away,” Kubheka said.

Kubheka led the Junior Boks in the opening half before regular captain Siphosethu Mnebelele took over following the break.

Despite the lopsided scoreline, Kubheka praised Uruguay’s determination and echoed head coach Kevin Foote’s assessment that the South Americans never stopped competing.

Uruguay’s persistence was reflected in a late consolation try after the final hooter, denying South Africa a shutout despite the Junior Boks’ overwhelming dominance throughout the contest.

South Africa established control after a slightly untidy opening spell, racing to a 50-0 half-time advantage before adding another 54 points after the interval.

Markus Muller opened the scoring before Jordan Steenkamp crossed for the first of his three tries.

Risima Khosa also completed a hat-trick, while Khuthadzo Rasivhaga and Jayden Brits each scored twice.

Ethan Adams, Cheswill Jooste, Mnebelele and Gert Kemp also dotted down, while the Junior Boks were awarded a penalty try.

The clinical attacking display saw South Africa reach the century mark before Uruguay crossed late, underlining the depth and finishing ability within the defending champions’ squad.

However, Kubheka said the encounter with Georgia will present an entirely different challenge.

“We’ve played them three times already this year, so we know what’s coming,” he said. “They are a hard-working, physical side, and we are very clear about the challenge they will bring,” he said.

Steenkamp, who finished with a hat-trick, credited the collective effort behind his individual success after finally getting the tournament campaign underway following months of preparation.

“I’m grateful to my teammates for putting me in positions to score. It was a real team effort, and the forwards laid a strong platform for us backs to finish,” he said.

Head coach Kevin Foote was equally delighted with the performance, saying several players had strengthened their claims for selection as the tournament progresses.

“It’s awesome to finally get going after a long period of preparation. The players showed great intent from the start, and it’s pleasing to begin the tournament with a strong performance. There were plenty of strong performances and a number of players really put their hands up for selection. That’s exactly what you want in a competition like this, where the whole squad will be needed,” he said.

Foote said South Africa’s squad depth would be crucial throughout the championship, particularly with first-choice captain Riley Norton and flyhalf Vusi Moyo unavailable after being called into the senior Springbok squad.

“We have a very good squad, and we’ll give other players opportunities in the next game. The focus is on continuing to build and improve,” he said.

The Junior Boks resumed preparations on Monday after Sunday’s recovery session, fully aware that Georgia will present one of their sternest pool-stage tests.

The hosts narrowly lost 25-24 to Wales in their opening fixture and will be desperate to respond in front of a passionate home crowd.

“You can feel the energy and passion in Georgia already. They’ll be hurting after that loss and will come back strongly. We know they’ll bring a big physical challenge,” Foote said.

With momentum firmly on their side following a record-equalling seventh successive World Rugby U20 Championship victory, the Junior Springboks now face the task of proving their opening-day statement was only the beginning of another title challenge.

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Just days after declaring that corrupt school officials “must be arrested, not just fired”, Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile has laid bare the scale of financial misconduct in the province’s public schools. 

Addressing a media briefing on Sunday, Maile released the findings of an internal assessment commissioned by the department into reported cases of corruption, financial mismanagement, maladministration and governance failures at public schools between 2023 and June 2026. 

The assessment, compiled from official departmental data, identified 41 serious cases involving principals, school governing body (SGB) members, finance officers, educators and general workers. 

“Of the 41 cases recorded, 22 occurred in 2023, accounting for 54% of the total. In 2025, 13 cases were recorded, accounting for 32%. By June 2026, six new cases had already emerged, accounting for 14%,” Maile said.

“The numbers may fluctuate, but corruption remains active. It has not disappeared. It remains embedded in parts of the system. This is not a temporary problem but a structural one.”

Maile said the cases were concentrated accross  several districts, with four districts Accounting for half. 

“The Johannesburg East District accounts for 24% of all recorded cases, followed by Ekurhuleni South at 15%, Johannesburg Central at 10%, and Tshwane South at 7%.” 

Together, the four districts account for more than 56% of all recorded cases. He cited examples from Johannesburg East, which includes Alexandra, Ivory Park, Tembisa and Rabie Ridge, to illustrate the scale of the alleged abuse. 

According to Maile, more than R1m was allegedly misappropriated at one primary school, while another spent about R230, 000 through irregular procurement processes. A special needs school allegedly made payments inflated by up to 500% above market value, while a high school overspent by more than R2.2m over two financial years. 

“These figures represent classrooms not repaired, books not bought, meals not served, and learners not supported,” he said.

Maile also raised concerns about alleged corruption in the scholar transport programme, saying some operators were failing to provide the number and quality of vehicles stipulated in their contracts. 

He said the department was equally concerned about the theft of school resources and the failure to declare donations, both of which undermine accountability and affect pupils directly. 

“Groceries meant for the National School Nutrition Programme, which benefits 1.6 million learners, are allegedly stolen, as are furniture, stationery, technical workshop equipment and building materials,” he said. 

“This theft and misappropriation are not victimless. A missing desk means a learner sits on the floor. A missing textbook means a learner falls behind. A missing meal means a learner studies while hungry.”

The report also highlights widespread governance failures that have forced the department to intervene at schools across Gauteng.

In 2024, the department withdrew governing functions from 12 ordinary public schools and removed SGB members at 16 schools. In 2025, governing functions were withdrawn at seven schools, while SGB members were removed at nine.

By 28 June this year, another seven schools had their governing functions withdrawn, and SGB members had been removed at 12 schools. Maile said the interventions were spread across all 15 education districts in Gauteng, including Ekurhuleni North and South, Gauteng East, North, and West, Johannesburg Central, East, North, South, and West, Sedibeng East and West, and Tshwane North, South, and West.

The department intends to refer implicated officials to law enforcement agencies once disciplinary processes have been completed.

“Where someone is implicated in corruption involving theft, we have to open criminal cases so that we can recover the money,” Maile said.

He said the department had deliberately made the findings public to demonstrate accountability and encourage whistle-blowers to continue reporting wrongdoing.

“We want to be held accountable and to show the public that we are acting. We also want people to remain vigilant and report corruption. Information comes from parents, educators, learners and service providers across different schools.” 

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South Africa’s severe shortage of donor organs has received a significant boost following the installation of Africa’s first liver perfusion machine at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre (WDGMC), a breakthrough expected to increase the number of organs suitable for life-saving transplants.

The new technology keeps donor livers viable outside the body for extended periods while providing transplant specialists with real-time data on organ function before surgery.

ALSO READ: 50 years after Soweto Uprising, EWSETA focuses on preparing youth for jobs of the future

South Africa records one of the world’s lowest deceased organ donation rates, at just 1.4 donors per million people.

Thousands of patients remain on transplant waiting lists, while fewer than 300 organ transplants are performed annually.

Dr Bilal Bobat, a specialist gastroenterologist at WDGMC, said many patients deteriorate while waiting for suitable donor organs due to the ongoing shortage.

“Too many patients in South Africa deteriorate while waiting for a transplant because there are simply not enough donor organs available,” he said.

In a statement, WDGMC said the liver perfusion machine preserves donor organs outside the body for longer periods, allowing clinicians to assess their condition more accurately before transplantation.

Traditionally, donor livers are stored on ice and must be transplanted within about 10 hours. The new technology extends this window and allows for more detailed organ assessment.

The innovation is also expected to increase the number of usable organs by enabling transplant teams to evaluate livers that may previously have been deemed too risky.

WDGMC currently has more than 30 patients awaiting liver transplants and nearly 600 patients on its kidney transplant waiting list.

The centre, South Africa’s first private academic hospital, houses the country’s largest transplant unit and is the only centre in sub-Saharan Africa offering living-donor liver transplants for children.

Having performed more than 1,000 liver transplants, the unit is internationally recognised for its work in specialised transplant care, research and surgical training.

Bobat said the development marks a key milestone in a country where every donor organ is critical.

“This technology represents an important milestone for transplant care in a country with severe organ shortages, where every organ counts. For patients on the waiting list, it provides a greater chance of receiving a suitable organ in time, increasing the pool of viable organs and reducing uncertainty,” he said.

Clinicians say the machine is expected to reduce post-transplant complications, shorten hospital stays and improve recovery outcomes.

Professor Jerome Loveland, Head of Solid Organ Transplantation at WDGMC, said the introduction of liver perfusion technology would strengthen transplant care, research and medical training across Africa.

ALSO READ: Gwarube pushes school hygiene overhaul beyond pit toilet eradication

“As a transplant programme, our responsibility extends far beyond the operating theatre,” Loveland said.

Despite the breakthrough, clinicians emphasised that increasing public awareness and organ donor registration remains essential.

According to the Department of Health, more than 4,300 South Africans are currently waiting for organ transplants, yet fewer than 1% of the population is registered as organ donors.

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The second grader has trouble focusing. He doesn’t listen to teachers and runs around the classroom, she explained. Could he be expelled?

More families across the country are experimenting with private school as states — and soon the federal government — use taxpayer-supported scholarships to encourage them to leave public school.

Soon, half of all American schoolkids will be able to apply for state money to finance a private education, and many states will offer the scholarships even to families with high incomes.

In theory, these programs are supposed to give children an educational opportunity they wouldn’t otherwise have. In reality, students already in private or home school are most likely to benefit, an analysis by The Associated Press shows.

The reasons are complicated. In some cases, public school families don’t know about these scholarship programs, known as vouchers or education savings accounts.

They may lack transportation to get their kids to private school. Some worry their child won’t survive in a more strict disciplinary environment.

Sometimes, as in Texas, the latest state to join the already $10.5 billion private school choice movement, the law is written to benefit families who know how to navigate complicated education systems.

Contreras and her husband had grown up Catholic in Mexico. They moved to Texas, he found a job as a welder, and eventually they got green cards. They were relatively happy sending their three older children to Fort Worth public schools.

But their youngest son, Ian, presented different challenges. He was reading far below grade level.

Contreras asked Ian’s teacher in the fall to test him for a learning disability, not knowing there was a legally mandated process for requesting an evaluation.

For months, no one tested her son.

She wasn’t alone. Students at her son’s elementary school, where nearly all students are economically disadvantaged and the majority are still learning English, have been diagnosed with learning disabilities at a surprisingly low rate. Only 4% qualify for special education services, compared with 14% districtwide.

Contreras had no idea then, but without the testing, she would have few options for paying for a new school for Ian.

The kids who benefit from school choice

Contreras learned about the opportunity for private school scholarships at church, of all places. During announcements at Mass, a man asked in Spanish if anyone wanted $10,000 to attend Catholic school. Ian roused from his nap and raised his hand.

Texas’ monumental program launches this fall, offering around $1 billion of public money to help families with private school or homeschooling expenses. The program funds education savings accounts — a type of scholarship that goes beyond just tuition, giving families money for everything from textbooks and music lessons to transportation and tech.

Republican-led states such as Indiana, Florida and Arizona have long offered taxpayer-funded scholarships for students attending private school or studying at home. But the movement to privatize education has surged under President Donald Trump, who has capitalized on growing skepticism of public schools.

For years, Texas had resisted launching a voucher program, as Democrats and rural Republicans blocked efforts they feared would divert money from public schools. Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, fast-tracked the creation of Texas Education Freedom Accounts last year with an assist from Trump. The president himself called GOP lawmakers to urge them to pass this part of his education agenda.

To get the votes, Texas Republicans abandoned a provision that would have awarded 80% of Freedom Accounts in the first year to students leaving public schools.

Without such a provision, evidence from other states is clear: The majority of scholarships will be used by students already in private or home school.

Last year in Alabama, for example, former public school students made up only 13% of participants in a new education savings account program, an AP analysis shows.

Even when they were approved for an account, most public schoolers ended up not switching schools.

In the end, the Texas legislation prioritized students from any type of school who have documented disabilities, plus their siblings. Those students, as long as their families earn less than $165,000 for a family of four, would be first in line when Texas awarded its Freedom Account scholarships this spring.

Next, the state prioritized lower-income children, whose families earn less than $66,000 for a family of four.

Ian would be in the third group, virtually at the end of the line, since his parents earn around $70,000 a year.

Priority for kids with disabilities

To catapult to the front, Ian would need to have a documented disability — a growing trend in state voucher programs. Today, nine states have taxpayer-funded scholarships to help students with special needs attend private school or learn at home.

But leaving the public school system is risky for many of these students, and special education advocates have long warned against it. Private schools aren’t legally required to admit students with special needs. Contreras was surprised to learn private schools also aren’t obligated to offer services to help kids with disabilities, as public schools are.

Despite decades of research on school choice, academic scholarship hasn’t kept pace with states targeting vouchers to students with disabilities. How those students are faring academically in traditional private schools is unknown.

Educators at Saint Rita Catholic School appeared unfazed when, in the middle of her tour, Contreras interrupted their description of the third grade reading list to disclose how much trouble Ian has sitting still.

“Sometimes a kid would rather be seen as active than not understanding,” replied Principal Kindra Johnston, a former counselor who brings her golden retriever to work each day. “I can teach him how to regulate himself. How to have purpose.”

Having a smaller class and a teacher who knows how to reach him could help, she added.

The school currently enrolls students with learning disabilities, including dyslexia, dysgraphia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and borderline intellectual function, she told a reporter.

There’s no public information showing how many students with disabilities attend private schools in Texas. Representatives of the Diocese of Fort Worth say they have encouraged Catholic school students to apply for the scholarship money so schools can pay for more special education therapies students need.

Missing the deadline for disability testing

Contreras left the tour of Saint Rita wanting to enroll her son immediately. But she soon realized: Without the voucher, she can’t afford the $7,000 tuition.

With her daughter’s help, she formally requested a special education evaluation at her son’s public school.

Under Texas law, the district has 15 school days to respond and then 45 school days to evaluate after a parent files their request for disability testing. If evaluators find a disability and decide it’s affecting a child’s ability to learn, the school is legally obligated to make a plan and provide services to help.

But by the time the Texas voucher application was due, the Fort Worth school district still hadn’t tested Ian. Contreras had made the request too late.

Texas started notifying families in April whether they would get the voucher. According to information released so far, the approved applicants don’t mirror the state population. Only 43% recently attended public school. While more than half of Texas public school students are Latino, only a little over a quarter of voucher recipients are.

At the same time, three-fourths of the roughly 95,000 Freedom Accounts awarded as of May went to low-income kids. The share of approved applicants with disabilities, 28%, was double the share in the public school system.

Ian’s group has been placed on the waitlist.

In April, right before the school’s deadline to respond about the disability testing, and shortly after The Associated Press asked the district about Ian’s evaluation, his school contacted Contreras to arrange testing for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Contreras was surprised to learn the process started with a survey to be completed by a parent and Ian’s teacher, plus a visit to his pediatrician.

On the last day of school, Contreras finally got answers. Ian was diagnosed with ADHD. The school agreed to seat him near the teacher and give him extra teaching on difficult concepts.

But he currently doesn’t qualify for specialized services for his disability. He won’t receive priority status for this round of vouchers.

It’s possible Ian could benefit from leaving his public school and attending Saint Rita this fall.

Chances are, he won’t receive any financial help from the state to do it.

AP

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Ten of the 69 graduates who completed the National Certificate in New Venture Creation have already secured employment, as the Services Sector Education and Training Authority (Services SETA) renewed its call for stronger partnerships to create more opportunities for young South Africans.

The graduates were recognised at a ceremony hosted by Services SETA in partnership with the City of Johannesburg Department of Social Development and the Phosaane Institute at the Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel in Sandton on Friday.

The programme equipped unemployed youth with qualifications in entrepreneurship, business management and employability skills, preparing them for both formal employment and business ownership.

The initiative enrolled 98 unemployed young people, with 69 successfully completing the qualification. Services SETA said the programme achieved one of its highest completion rates nationally.

Acting Chief Executive Officer, Sibusiso Dhladhla, congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to use their newly acquired skills to create opportunities for others.

ALSO READ: Ten graduates secure jobs as Services SETA urges partnerships to tackle youth unemployment

“Nationally, most of our programs, our success rates range between 40 to 70%, so this is one of the highest success rates in terms of the program that we roll out, which is 70%,” Dhladhla said.

He stressed that participants who did not complete the programme should not be viewed as failures but as individuals who still have an opportunity to succeed.

“We don’t use the term ‘failure’. We say ‘not yet competent’ because it gives people the opportunity to return, improve and become competent,” he said.

“In fact, we don’t use the term failure.We say not yet competent, which then gives a space for you to become competent,” he said.

Dhladhla announced that 10 graduates have already entered the job market and expressed confidence that many of the remaining graduates would become entrepreneurs.

“I’m told that we have 10 who have actually been successfully employed. And I’m hopeful that of the remaining, there will be those that start their own business opportunities. The qualification is called new venture creation, meaning the start of new business, meaning it’s founded on the principles of entrepreneurship. THe goal for employment is obviously a honorable goal,” Dhladhla said.

He urged graduates to transform their business ideas into viable enterprises through incubation and business development support.

“So that idea that you have in the back of your mind, you need to incubate it, structure it in a way that it becomes a successful business.There is no business that came from heaven. It came from someone’s ” he said.

“So we need to start thinking positively around the concept of small business development. It’s one of our primary targets as well as an organisation. That beyond training, we also need to look at the fact that not everyone that we train will be employed, so we should create the opportunities and avenues for entrepreneurship, for business development.”

ALSO READ: Gauteng schools resume issuing report cards after SA-SAMS restored

Dhladhla also highlighted the growing demand for skills development opportunities, revealing that although only 100 participants were recruited, more than 30,000 applications had been received.

” To get to the 100 and the 98, to the 68, which is sitting here, it’s not by chance. It’s that opportunity that you were given. So as the graduates sitting here, we need to consider that as well to say, yes, you may be smart, you may be above average, above the norm, but that opportunity comes from thousands who did not make it,” he said.

Services SETA noted that the remaining graduates require continued support through employment placement, internships, workplace exposure, mentorship, enterprise development and improved market access to ensure they transition into meaningful economic participation.

The organisation also highlighted its broader investment in entrepreneurship development, including its R84 million partnership with the University of the Witwatersrand to strengthen entrepreneurship education and innovation.

City of Johannesburg Executive Head of Social Development Martin Ngwako Lebea described the ceremony as a celebration of resilience and the power of collaboration.

“This partnership between Services SETA, the City of Johannesburg and the Phosaane Institute demonstrates what can be achieved when government, skills development institutions and communities work together towards a common goal and objective,” he said.

Lebea said youth unemployment remains one of South Africa’s greatest challenges, but emphasised that young people should be recognised for their potential rather than their circumstances.

“This achievement represents more than a certificate. It represents new confidence, new capabilities and new possibilities.”

He praised the fact that 10 graduates had already secured employment and encouraged those pursuing entrepreneurship to use their skills to build sustainable businesses capable of creating jobs in their communities.

“As a city, we remain committed to ensuring that social development is not only about responding to challenges, but also about creating pathways towards dignity, independence and economic participation. We believe in programs that empower residents with practical skills and connect them to opportunities,” Lebea said.

Following the graduation ceremony, Services SETA is currently hosting its Partnership in Progress stakeholder engagement, where government, industry and private sector partners are expected to make measurable commitments to support graduate absorption, entrepreneurship and youth employment.

The initiative forms part of Services SETA’s broader strategy to strengthen collaboration between government and industry, creating sustainable pathways from skills development to employment and entrepreneurship.

Lebea said the overwhelming demand for the programme underscored the urgent need to expand similar initiatives and strengthen partnerships that create opportunities for young people.

He reaffirmed the City of Johannesburg’s commitment to tackling unemployment through collaboration, skills development and economic inclusion.

ALSO READ: 50 years after Soweto Uprising, EWSETA focuses on preparing youth for jobs of the future

“The future of Johannesburg depends on empowered communities and young people who believe that they can create change,” he said.

Lebea congratulated the graduates, encouraging them to view the qualification as the start of greater achievements, broader opportunities and meaningful contributions to their communities and the economy.

He called on more organisations to partner with government to expand opportunities for young people, stressing that addressing youth unemployment requires a collective national effort.

“We need all hands on deck for us to be able to change the current situation. This is the only country that we have and we have to build it ourselves, brick by brick. And if we are going to lose this war for empowering young people, I always say that this is the war that you cannot afford to lose because the consequences of losing it are more catastrophic than the war itself,” Lebea said.

Lebea encouraged the continuation and expansion of similar initiatives, saying broader partnerships between government, the private sector and skills development institutions would create a greater impact in addressing youth unemployment.

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Postgraduate education is good for a country. Thriving economies need people with advanced academic degrees to enhance research productivity. Research and innovation capability have a positive impact on the competitiveness of a country.

The South African government has developed an extensive financial support programme for undergraduate (first degree) education in the form of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). However, this doesn’t extend to postgraduate programmes.

Postgraduate education therefore remains a luxury for many students, even though the National Development Plan aims to have over 25% of university enrolments at postgraduate level by 2030.

As academics in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the University of the Western Cape, we examined the impact of students receiving financial aid for postgraduate study.

The students in our research were new postgraduate students who registered at the faculty in 2019 (the last normal academic year before COVID-19).

Fewer than half the students received financial aid. We found that aid appeared to have an impact on completion of the study programme, especially for the postgraduate diploma. We think there’s a case for greater investment in support for postgraduate education.

Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey data shows that job seekers with only matric (grade 12 school leaving qualification) have a 35% probability of being jobless.

The unemployment rate is much lower at 12% among jobseekers with first degrees. And it is only 5% among those with postgraduate qualifications.

What’s more, our calculations from quarterly labour force data show that postgraduates on average earn about 38% more than those with only first degrees.

Who got financial aid

We analysed the students’ demographic characteristics, financial aid receipt status and academic results. A total of 623 new postgraduate students enrolled at the faculty: 186 for the postgraduate diploma, 275 for honours, 133 for master’s and 29 for doctorate programmes.

Some important findings emerged from the study.

Firstly, only 45.8% of these new postgraduate students received some form of financial aid. In contrast, almost all undergraduate students in this faculty receive NSFAS support.

Out of all four postgraduate levels, the proportion of students receiving financial aid was the highest at postgraduate diploma level (50.5%). It was lowest at doctorate level (37.9%).

Secondly, for those who received financial aid, the university’s internal financial aid was the dominant funding source (35.8% of students received this aid).

This was followed by National Research Foundation (16.8%) aid and Finance and Accounting Services Sector Education and Training Authority bursaries (15.1%, mainly for Accounting students).

Thirdly, the mean amount of financial aid received for 2019 (in 2025 December prices) was about R55,000 (about US$3,400) for postgraduate diploma and honours students.

It was higher at R110,000 (US$6,800) at master’s level and R225,000 (almost US$14,000) at doctorate level.

Fourthly, the majority of financial aid recipients were Africans at all four postgraduate levels. This is in line with the social justice theory that previously disadvantaged population groups should get support.

Various factors can have an impact on academic performance, such as previous academic experience, residence on campus, and whether parents and students themselves are employed.

But the fifth and most striking finding was about the impact of receiving financial aid.

• It made the greatest positive impact on postgraduate diploma students: 81% of the financial aid recipients eventually completed their studies, as against 71% of non-recipients.
• Similarly, for the honours students, 91% of financial aid recipients completed their studies; 89% of non-recipients did so.
• At postgraduate diploma level, on average it took 1.51 years for financial aid recipients to complete their studies, but it took an additional semester for non-recipients to do so (1.94 years).
• Among the honours students, financial aid recipients took 1.33 years on average to complete their studies. Non-recipients took slightly longer (1.45 years) to do so.

These findings suggest financial aid had a positive impact on study completion and on the time taken to complete studies. The impact was mainly at postgraduate diploma level.

Recommendations

We have three recommendations.

First, policymakers and higher education institutions must consider expanding financial aid beyond undergraduate programmes. This would be a strategic investment in educational equity and academic excellence.

It could be tough ask, given South Africa’s fiscal deficit situation. Even private sector institutions may have dwindling funds available from firms’ profits, given the current economic climate.

Greater investment into postgraduate funding, at a level similar to that of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, is a strategy worth pursuing to alleviate the country’s poverty, inequality and unemployment and to uplift human capital, productivity and even international competitiveness.

Secondly, it is important to determine whether postgraduate diploma and honours students have been overlooked in provision of financial support. They form the foundation for further studies.

Lastly, a wide range of indicators should be considered to determine if a university has produced enough postgraduates to meet the skills needs in the country’s labour market. These indicators may include:

• – the mean years taken to complete studies
• – completion rate (what share of students complete studies)
• – throughput rate (how long it takes to complete)
• – percentage of academic staff with doctorate degrees (which indicates staff capacity to supervise postgraduate students)
• – percentage of postgraduate programmes that are also offered on a part-time basis. If students are also working they are more likely to – struggle with their studies and take more time to complete.

THE CONVERSATION

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The Mpumalanga Department of Education on Monday launched 89 learning centres across the province for its 2026 Winter Vacation Classes, which will run until 17 July to help improve Grade 12 learners’ performance ahead of the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations.

The department said the programme is designed to help the Class of 2026 master difficult curriculum content, improve examination techniques and contribute to a higher provincial pass rate.

The classes will be led by high-performing teachers with a proven track record of producing strong learner results.

“Through this intervention, learners will benefit from the expertise of experienced subject specialists who will reinforce difficult curriculum topics, provide examination preparation strategies and guide learners on how to effectively respond to examination questions,” the department said.

“Learners will write both pre-tests and post-tests to assess the impact.”

The Winter Classes will focus on gateway and high-enrolment subjects, including English First Additional Language (FAL), Accounting, Business Studies, Economics, Geography, History, Mathematics, Mathematical Literacy, Physical Sciences, Life Sciences and Agricultural Sciences.

The department said particular attention would be given to learners from technical schools, where additional academic support is needed following the introduction of these subjects into the curriculum.

To maximise participation, the department will provide transport and school nutrition to qualifying learners.

“We call upon School Governing Bodies (SGBs) to work closely with schools and encourage parents and guardians to ensure that learners attend all Winter Classes,” the department said.

“Their support will also be important in strengthening oversight, promoting discipline and safeguarding school facilities throughout the programme.”

The department said it was confident the intervention would improve learner achievement and strengthen the province’s performance in the 2026 NSC examinations.

It has set a target of achieving a 91% pass rate, building on the 86.55% pass rate recorded by the Class of 2025, with a particular focus on improving learner performance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.

The department cited Education MEC Lindi Masina’s 2026 Policy and Budget Speech, in which she reaffirmed the department’s commitment to academic excellence.

“Our target is to achieve a 91% pass rate across the board, with a significant improvement in STEM subjects,” Masina said.

“We are encouraged by the solid foundation laid by the impressive 86.55% pass rate achieved by the Class of 2025 in the National Senior Certificate examinations.”

“Indeed, the Class of 2025 surpassed all expectations, demonstrating the resilience of our learners, the commitment of our educators and the positive impact of our education system.”

The department wished all Grade 12 learners well and encouraged them to take full advantage of the Winter Classes as they prepare for the 2026 National Senior Certificate examinations.

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The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) is placing mental health at the centre of education, with Head Social Worker Lebongang Maribe saying psycho-emotional wellbeing is essential for academic success, leadership development and personal growth.

Speaking to Inside Education, Maribe, who has led the academy’s social work unit for nearly a decade, said the school has embedded psycho-emotional wellbeing into everyday learning.

“Mental health concerns the state of well-being. Beyond taking care of your physical health by eating well and looking after your body, you also need to take care of your psycho-emotional wellbeing,” she said.

As a trauma-informed school, OWLAG recognises that trauma affects brain development, teaching and learning, she said.

“We understand that if a learner is struggling with mental health challenges, there won’t be an uptake. They won’t be able to retain information or even concentrate in class because of the emotional and psychological struggles they are experiencing,” Maribe said.

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She said emotional wellbeing, leadership and academic performance are closely linked, with learners taught self-awareness and emotional regulation as core leadership skills.

“As leaders, they need to know how to respond appropriately in different situations. We teach our girls to recognise their triggers because if you know what triggers you, you are better able to manage it,” she said.

When learners find themselves in emotionally challenging situations, they are encouraged to step away, regain composure and then re-engage.

Maribe also addressed the stigma surrounding mental health in many black communities, where it is often confused with mental illness.

“Mental health is about mental well-being and taking care of yourself. Mental illness is something different. We need open conversations, especially with parents, so they understand the importance of investing in their children’s mental wellbeing,” she said.

“It’s not only about academics. If a child says, ‘I’m not okay, Mum,’ parents need to understand what that means.”

She said African cultural attitudes often discourage young people from admitting they are emotionally overwhelmed, with many fearing they will be seen as disrespectful simply for asking for a break.

Maribe said supporting learners requires a partnership between schools and parents.

“The school cannot do it alone without parents’ contribution,” she said.

At OWLAG, learners receive lessons on brain development, trauma, stress responses and emotional regulation alongside their academic programme.

“We teach them to understand themselves, recognise their triggers and we provide wraparound support. We don’t only focus on academics,” she said.

As a boarding school, she said, learners spend most of their time together, making emotional support an important part of daily life.

The school encourages learners to openly discuss their emotions and seek help when needed.

“If they’re feeling like they’re not coping, we normalise taking care of themselves rather than focusing only on academics,” she said.

“We teach emotional regulation, meditation, and other techniques.”

Working with adolescents also requires recognising that they are still developing their identities, Maribe said.

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She said staff place strong emphasis on modelling healthy behaviour through mentoring.

“We model healthy behaviour because if we pretend sadness doesn’t exist, we are modelling something that’s not true,” she said.

“We also normalise failure by asking, ‘What can you learn from failing?’ Failure is another step in life because it helps learners grow.”

OWLAG’s wellness team includes social workers, nurses and psychologists, supported by teachers trained to recognise trauma-related behaviours, including dissociation in the classroom.

“That’s our support system,” she said.

Maribe acknowledged that many learners face difficult circumstances outside school, while government support services remain overstretched.

To strengthen support, the academy regularly engages parents through meetings and information sessions.

“Our educators are trained to identify when a learner is not coping or behaving differently. They understand that behaviour is a form of communication,” she said.

She added that many learners arrive with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), requiring a trauma-informed approach that also builds resilience.

The school promotes peer mentoring through leadership committees, with adult mentors guiding student leaders who, in turn, support fellow learners.

“The adult mentor guides the committee, and the committee mentors their peers,” she said.

Maribe stressed that emotional regulation is a prerequisite for effective learning.

“We ensure our girls are well-regulated, feel safe, feel heard and feel attended to before teaching can happen,” she said.

“We understand that to access the higher reasoning part of the brain, the brain stem needs to be calm.”

She called for greater government investment in school-based mental health programmes, warning that untreated anxiety, depression and trauma continue to undermine learners’ educational outcomes.

“If we don’t invest in learners’ wellbeing, we see the consequences. Anxiety, depression and poor academic performance follow,” she said.

Maribe said integrating mental health into subjects such as Life Orientation would help learners better understand their emotions and reduce stigma.

“Children experiencing trauma often operate in survival mode. Some come from dysfunctional families affected by violence and instability,” she said.

“There’s a lot impacting them. We need to invest in helping them understand themselves, speak out and seek assistance.”

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The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) in the North West has warned that it could mobilise its members for collective action if ongoing engagements with the provincial education department fail to resolve a range of longstanding labour and education challenges affecting schools and employees.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the union cautioned that it would not hesitate to escalate the matter should negotiations fail to produce meaningful progress.

“Should these engagements fail to produce satisfactory outcomes, the union reserves the right to mobilise its members and pursue all possible avenues and collective actions necessary to defend the interests of educators and learners,” the union said.

In its first meeting since the recent provincial conference, the union’s Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) expressed serious concern over persistent challenges facing educators, education support staff, and the broader schooling sector, saying many issues have remained unresolved despite previous engagements with the department.

Among the union’s concerns are delays in the processing and payment of pension benefits for qualifying employees, the continued non-payment of acting allowances, deteriorating infrastructure at departmental offices and educational institutions, and the failure to fill critical vacancies for school support staff.

The union highlighted delays in converting temporary educators into permanent employees, which it described as the incorrect implementation of Collective Agreement 4 of 2016, challenges arising from post-provisioning norms, and broader labour relations and human resource problems that continue to undermine service delivery and staff morale.

According to SADTU, these issues have persisted for too long and require urgent intervention from the provincial education authorities.

“The PEC also undertook a comprehensive assessment of the state of education in the province and expressed serious concern over several persistent challenges confronting employees and the broader education sector,” the statement said.

The union said it was particularly disappointed by what it described as the slow pace at which the Department of Education has been responding to these matters.

“The PEC noted with concern the slow pace at which the Department of Education is responding to and resolving these longstanding matters. While engagements have taken place on some of these issues, progress remains unsatisfactory and continues to disadvantage workers and undermine the effective functioning of schools and offices.”

SADTU said the continued delays have had a direct impact on employees while also affecting the quality of education delivery across the province.

In response, the PEC resolved to intensify its efforts to ensure that the department addresses the outstanding issues through established labour and bargaining mechanisms.

“SADTU will utilise all available and relevant engagement platforms, including bilateral meetings, collective bargaining structures, and other established forums, to push for concrete interventions and lasting solutions,” the union said.

While the union emphasised that it remains committed to maintaining constructive relations with the employer, it stressed that dialogue must produce measurable outcomes for workers.

The PEC called for unity within the organisation following the Provincial Conference, urging all structures and members to remain actively involved in implementing the conference’s resolutions.

The resolutions adopted at the provincial conference are expected to guide the work of SADTU North West in the coming term, with the union indicating that addressing workplace grievances and improving conditions in schools will remain among its highest priorities as it continues engagements with the department.

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