By Johnathan Paoli
An agreement seeking to strengthen higher education institutions, address sectoral challenges and enhance university-industry engagement has been signed by Universities South Africa (USAf) and the Technological Higher Education Network South Africa (THENSA).
The Memorandum of Understanding will explore universities’ engagement with industry beyond traditional bursary support, with USAf CEO Phethiwe Matutu highlighting the need for work-integrated learning as a potential foundation for bridging the gap between graduates and the job market.
“Many school leavers know nothing about life post-school; many are clueless about the National Student Financial Aid Scheme and applying to universities or TVET colleges.
“Similarly, at universities, some students struggle to see the link between acquiring qualifications and understanding where to apply their skills in industry, despite having careers offices at each university,” she said.
The CEO advocated for a structured approach to equipping students with career-readiness skills through internships, mentorship programmes and hands-on learning opportunities in collaboration with industry leaders.
THENSA CEO Henk de Jager echoed these sentiments, asserting that universities must actively ensure graduates were work-ready.
De Jager reaffirmed the consortium’s commitment to engaging with industry stakeholders to enhance employability and skill development initiatives within the higher education sector.
Another key focus of the MoU is the acute shortage of space for students at universities.
Matutu stressed the necessity of collaborating with the Higher Education and Training Department to find innovative solutions to accommodate increasing student enrolments.
“We, therefore, need to look into how we could enhance the capacity of universities to absorb more school leavers. What can the DHET do from their side to capacitate universities, and what can we, as universities, do on our end in preparation for 2026? We need to explore what is possible,” she said.
Engagements with the department are expected to focus on infrastructure expansion, increased funding and alternative educational pathways to mitigate the growing demand for higher education.
De Jager agreed that given limited resources, collaboration and strategic planning with the government and private sector partners was essential for sustainable expansion.
Under the MoU, joint learning programmes will be implemented to foster entrepreneurial skills among university students.
It calls for the pooling of resources to secure funding from both local and international partners.
It stresses the need for strengthening regional global partnerships to enhance knowledge exchange, as well as facilitating initiatives to support innovation, incubation and commercialisation in higher education.
The agreement further calls for developing models to assess the effectiveness of academic and industry partnerships as well as any additional projects that support the advancement of the country’s higher education sector.
One of the key international programmes highlighted during the signing was the Erasmus Plus initiative of the European Union. This programme offers opportunities for student and faculty, youth exchanges and capacity-building projects.
De Jager emphasised that participation in such initiatives would strengthen South African universities and enhance their global competitiveness.
Additionally, THENSA has established collaborations with the United Kingdom, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland and the United States.
These partnerships focus on entrepreneurship, climate change response and technology transfer, areas where the synergy between USAf and THENSA could yield significant benefits.
USAf director of Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE), Edwell Gumbo, stressed the importance of integrating entrepreneurship into university curricula.
Gumbo highlighted the reliance on departmental funding, which currently accounted for 80% of EDHE’s financial support, and emphasised the need to attract additional private sector investment.
THENSA operations and partnership director Christelle Venter revealed that a US Fulbright scholar would be assisting universities in the ethical use of Artificial Intelligence in 2025, an initiative to be extended across all 26 public universities through USAf.
Beyond the MoU, the two organisations discussed multiple avenues for further collaboration, including expanding engagement with universities in India to strengthen academic and research partnerships, as well as PhD training opportunities in Ireland through the Irish Consulate.
Additionally, the UK-sponsored Research and Innovation Systems Africa programme was identified, which THENSA recommended expanding through USAf.
The USAf-THENSA partnership marks a critical step in fostering innovation, expanding higher education access and ensuring graduates are well prepared for the evolving job market.
The organisations have stressed that this collaboration promises to drive transformative change in the country’s higher education landscape, ultimately benefiting students, universities and industry stakeholders alike.
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