Our performance against our six capitals
- Our intellectual capital
- Our human capital
- Our social and relationship capital
- Our natural capital
- Our financial capital
- Our manufactured capital
Our intellectual capital
Our intellectual capital is all about the knowledge assets that result from our core business activities.
We use our knowledge resources to create more knowledge and to inform the activities, policies, strategies and procedures that support our business operations.
If we increase our intellectual capital, the benefit will flow through to all our stakeholders who are interested in the knowledge that we create through our research, our teaching and our community engagement activities.
The stakeholders include our staff, current and prospective students and their parents, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), communities, donors, alumni, employers, business and industry, and professional bodies.
(Click here to see what the icons used in this section stands for.)
The risks include the demand for organisational change and ongoing transformation (for instance concerning the decolonising of the curriculum), risks related to academic matters (teaching-learning, research and innovation and academic administration), the risk of non-compliance (for instance with the standards and regulations of professional bodies), risks related to IT, university systems and commercialisation of our innovation and research results.
Click here to see how we mitigate these risks.
As students return to our campuses in 2022, we had to maintain a safe distance among students in our lecture halls.
This meant that fewer students were able to gather in our venues at the same time. Consequently, not all students were able to simultaneously attend face-to-face classes.
This is why we piloted a hybrid-flexible (HyFlex) approach, allowing some students to attend classes in person, while others participate through online learning.
To enable the HyFlex approach, 80 venues across the NWU have been fitted
with
state-of-the-art technology that includes follow-me cameras, wireless
microphones and the necessary computer software to live-stream, capture and
store lectures.
The follow-me cameras track the lecturer’s movements to give students who are online a sense of interaction with someone who is not just a face on a screen.
This is one of the 80 venues across the NWU that have been fitted with state-of-theart technology for piloting the hybrid-flexible (HyFlex) teaching and learning approach. On the left you can see the follow-me camera that tracks the lecturer’s movements in the lecture hall.
Our teaching and learning activities are central to our ability to create value. In this section, we summarise the main teaching and learning activities of 2022. For greater detail, click here to view the NWU’s integrated annual report that was submitted to the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).
Academic literacy tests and modules
Depending on the results of the compulsory academic literacy test that all first-year students take, they may be required to register for specific academic literacy modules in academic writing, reading, computer and information literacy and study skills.
A fresh look at distance learning
Enrolments in distance offerings have been declining. Two workshops conducted during the year resulted in a number of decisions on distance education. These included phasing out of all paper-based distance learning programmes and study material, closing some learning support centres and establishing better-provisioned regional learning hubs.
Increase student access and success
We offer extensive, value-adding academic support to students:
- Students in several academic programmes can complete their studies over an extended period. The overall student success rate in these extended programmes is approximately 90%.
- The one-year University Preparatory Programme (UnivPrep) is a pathway to formal degree studies for prospective students who do not meet the admission requirements of the faculties of Humanities, Theology and Economics and Management Sciences. Demonstrating the success of UnivPrep, over 50% of participants become eligible to apply for formal studies in these faculties.
- We offer tutorial support in the form of supplemental instruction (SI) and tutoring. In 2022, we had 194 tutors providing support to students in 118 modules. Our analyses showed a definite correlation between attending tutorials and passing.
- The Mathematics and Statistics Centre assists students with coursework, assignments, and exam preparation in mathematics and statistics.
HyFlex teaching-learning in 2022
In 2022, we continued with our hybrid teaching and learning model, HyFlex. A total of 80 venues were fitted with equipment for simultaneous streaming and recording of contact sessions.
Student success rate
In 2022 we maintained a contact success rate of 84,7% and a distance success rate of 91,6%. Our 2022 contact undergraduate graduation duration factor was 1,08, improving from the 1,09 of 2021.
This follows our enhanced strategies for student support, early identification of at-risk students and NSFAS funding for books and accommodation.
How much value we created, compared to previous years:
| Academic performance | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Contact student success rate (undergraduate and postgraduate students combined) | 85% | 85% | 90% | 87% | 84,7% |
| Contact undergraduate, graduation duration factor | 1,13 | 1,13 | 1,12 | 109 | 1,08 |
| Graduation rate* | 25,1% | 23,5% | 27% | 27% | 25,4% |
| * | Typically, approximately a third of any cohort should graduate from an education institution where the education offering consists mostly of three-year programmes. The NWU figure is reassuring considering that there will be a small percentage of academic failures and dropouts or stop-outs in any given year. |
How much value we created, compared to our targets:
| Academic performance | Target | Definition | Actual |
| Contact student success rate (undergraduate and postgraduate students combined) | 87% | Based on HEMIS data. Completed FTEs divided by enrolled FTEs on a module level | 84,7% |
| Contact undergraduate, graduation duration factor | 1,2 | Based on HEMIS data. The time (in years) it takes a student to graduate divided by the minimum time to complete the qualification | 1,08 |
Other teaching and learning activities in 2022
(For more details about these, click here.)
- We remained committed to ensuring equivalent resources and comparable high-quality teaching and learning across our campuses. In aligned programmes and modules, we have noted an increase in team-teaching and increased use of virtual technologies across campuses.
- A total of 38 programmes were evaluated internally and six were evaluated externally. These evaluations are key to ensuring we offer high-quality programmes.
- In preparation for the Council on Higher Education’s Institutional Audit during 2022, we brought management, academics, support staff and students together for a workshop on transformation and student success.
- We continued redesigning modules and study material to migrate to the online /hybrid environment.
- The centralised system for WIL and service learning (WISL) was implemented for education, nursing, pharmacy, biokinetics, social work and dietetics.
Our output: graduates
Owing to the continuing drop in distance enrolments, the number of graduates was lower than planned. The reason was that the phasing out of certain distance qualifications in education has taken place faster than anticipated and it is taking longer than expected for our new distance offering to be approved.
How much value we created, compared to previous years:
| Graduates | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| Overall | 15 350 | 14 961 | 15 454 | 14 484 | 13 735 |
| Contact | 10 650 | 11 191 | 11 697 | 11 191 | 10 323 |
| Distance | 4 700 | 3 770 | 3 757 | 3 293 | 3 412 |
How much value we created, compared to our targets:
| Output | Target | Definition | Actual |
| Graduates | 14 918 | Based on HEMIS data; number of graduates in the reporting year | 13 735 |
Challenges in teaching and learning
Learning and teaching challenges included further decolonising the curriculum, Africanising appropriate sections of our offerings and promoting multilingualism.
We also had to ensure that all our offerings incorporate well-designed and accessible ICTs – a lesson learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic – and that we develop appropriate learning analytics for decisions on student access and success.
Future outlook
The adapted Language Policy will be implemented in 2023. Faculties will draft and submit their language plans to align with the revised policy.
The advent of artificially intelligent large language models (such as Chat GPT) requires us to focus on authentic assessment and evidence of skills development rather than content synthesis. This also affects curriculum design.
We are looking forward to adopting a teaching and learning model that will allow variations in modalities and offer options from low to high tech, remote to on-campus, synchronous to asynchronous, independent and guided.
Our researchers and inventors increase our intellectual capital by finding affordable and workable solutions to real-life problems. This creates value for us and our stakeholders.
Research output
The number of NRF-rated researchers at the NWU has risen from 232 in 2018 to 298 in 2022. NRF ratings are a key indicator of the calibre of a university’s researchers.
The following table shows the numbers of researchers in the different rating categories .
| NRF | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| A | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| B | 25 | 27 | 26 | 32 | 36 |
| C | 150 | 161 | 181 | 188 | 196 |
| P | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Y | 54 | 58 | 55 | 58 | 63 |
| Total | 232 | 248 | 263 | 280 | 298 |
A – Leading international scholars
B – Internationally recognised researchers
C – Established researchers
P – Young researchers (normally under 35)
Y – Young researchers (40 years or younger)
Publications
How much value we created, compared to previous years:
| Research | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| Publications per academic staff member | 0,94 | 0,98 | 0,93 | 0,99 |
| Weighted research output | 2 708,941 | 3 058,0223 | 2 811,1914 | 2 958,062 |
| * | Please note that there is a two-year lag regarding the research output. |
Increase our global standing and visibility
Our international partners include many prestigious institutions such as the Corporación Universidad de la Costa in Colombia, the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom and the University of Hong Kong in Asia. Together, we offer joint degrees, do collaborative research and undertake international student exchange and recruitment.
We are an active partner in research collaborations within the Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) bloc, and have knowledge and skills-sharing agreements with several BRICS universities.
The NWU also belongs to strategic inter-institutional collaborations such as the Southern African-Nordic Centre (SANORD) and the Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA).
Create value through innovation and technology
Through several international collaborative initiatives, we are developing healthcare innovations and technologies and building our capacity in fields such as vaccine development.
Together with leading African scientists and institutions and researchers from Germany and Slovenia, NWU researchers are working on vaccine development and pandemic response in public health systems on the continent. The vehicle for this is the Sisulu Foundation for African and Pandemic Disease Response, which the NWU and Walter Sisulu Foundation established.
In digital health, we are part of a collaboration, the Grace Onyango Foundation for Digital Health in Africa, that aims to deploy industry 4.0 solutions in public health systems across the continent. The NWU founded the Foundation in collaboration with two other South African universities, Walter Sisulu University and Safako Makgatho University, and three in Kenya, the Great Lakes University of Kisumu, Jomo Kenyatta University and Masena University.
Challenges with research output
Funding constraints are a major challenge and, although we have not yet seen a negative impact on research output, (except for conference proceedings), we are closely monitoring output trends.
A challenge we need to address urgently, though, is how to turn research findings into marketable products and services. This requires researchers to find and invest further time in innovation activities, which means we need to find ways to expand our research incentives.
On the positive side, the NWU has a good track record in finding new sources of funding and our sophisticated research infrastructure is attractive to researchers and funders alike.
Future outlook
Our top priority is to enlarge our pool of productive researchers in all disciplines.
Our strategy for doing so has two elements. The first is to continue providing research support such as research leave, relief from teaching and integration of research into teaching and learning activities. The second is to encourage those not yet participating actively in research and innovation activities to do so. In consultation with these academics, the faculties have set research output targets that require them to contribute.
Good governance and management are integral to the creation of value. Our compass that guides us as we move forward comprises out governance structures and approach to ethics, as well as our strategy, values, success model and APP.
These are part of our intellectual capital, together with the systems, processes, procedures, and policies that support governance and management.
For more information about how our management activities increase our intellectual capital, refer to the report of the vice-chancellor and for information about governance, turn to the section on governance supporting and protecting value.
In 2022 we continued positioning the NWU as an institution of superior academic excellence with a commitment to social justice. In the process, we also discovered new pathways to success.
We welcomed new leadership, conducted novel research and shared this new knowledge to benefit all. We renewed old relationships and forged new ones on the national and international stage and sent a new generation of graduates into the world to make a difference.
At home, we took new strides into the digital realm and, in our surroundings, renewed our commitment to the communities we serve through our expertise.
Watch this video to see how we used our various capitals as inputs and, through our activities, convert them to outputs and outcomes, creating value for the NWU and all our stakeholders.
ICTs and digital resources underpin the NWU’s core business and support services, and are relevant to our intellectual capital and manufactured capital.
Intellectual capital includes software programs, IT support services and the e-learning system eFundi, while manufactured capital is physical ICT infrastructure such as networks and hardware.
The Information Technology (IT) department is primarily responsible for the NWU’s technological capabilities and portfolios of products, projects and services.
Our primary learning platform, eFundi, is one of the most widely used of these services, as shown in the image below.
Student usage of eFundi has grown exponentially since 2018, with daily use more than doubling between 2018 and 2020. The high usage levels were sustained in 2021, amid the Covid‑19 pandemic. In 2022, the peak usage grew but, on average, usage is more or less the same as in 2021.
We have seen more than 18 000 students using eFundi simultaneously with 15 000 logins per hour.
We anticipate strong continued growth in IT products and IT services as the NWU moves deeper into the digital era.
COUNCIL STATEMENT
ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Council affirms, as the final decision-making body of the university, that it is endowed with the responsibility and accountability for the effectiveness and efficiency of information technology processes, including the IT governance framework, alignment with NWU objectives, significant IT investment, risk management, assets, policies and strategies, and compliance with statutory requirements. Council is continually apprised of developments, by means of management and audit reports to the Technology and Information Governance Committee and received sufficient assurance over the past year from all relevant assurance providers.
Statement approval obtained from the NWU Council on 22 June 2023.
Our human capital
Staff and students are the two major stakeholder groups that comprise the university’s human capital, and we create value for them through our activities, outputs and outcomes.
Our staff use the infrastructure and support we provide for research, teaching and community engagement, increasing the value of our intellectual and social and relationship capital. Students use high-quality study and residence facilities (manufactured capital) and the various forms of support to succeed academically and in other areas of student life.
This creates value for the university and strengthens our other capitals.
Students increase our financial capital when they pay tuition fees and, when they graduate, increase our social and relationship capital by contributing to society.
Our human capital activities mainly affect our staff and students; their families are also indirectly affected.
Almost all material matters affect our staff and students. (Click here to see what the icons used in this section represent.)
Almost all of our main risks have a bearing on our staff and students. These include uncertainties in the higher education sector, the pressure for organisational change and risk related to academic, compliance, student life, IT and operational matters.
Caring for our students
The NWU cares about the all-round development of students, so that when they graduate, they have the technical, professional and life skills to adapt to the future world of work and contribute as responsible global citizens. Part of this holistic approach is to have opportunities to participate in social, cultural, arts and sport activities, and to have access to good psycho-social and wellbeing services.
More information on how we care for our students is available in the vice-chancellor’s report.
– Academic support
Faculties assist students to prepare for assessments and provide appropriate guidance prior to sit-down assessments.
The NWU also assists prospective students to gain access to the university and, once enrolled, to succeed in their studies.
More information can be found in the sections on our value chain and on our intellectual capital.
– Career-related support
Student Counselling and Development (SCD) continued with their support services and programmes, using an online service booking system that is accessible to all students on eFundi. SCD also piloted and introduced peer discussion and support groups.
In 2022, support services reported an increase in the incidence of depression, high anxiety levels and suicide ideation in students, especially after the return to full contact and sit-down assessments.
Caring for our staff
– Building staff capacity
In 2022, about 53% of our training spend was used for in-house training, mainly in various skills development programmes. Training was available for all, from coaching for the directors of schools and support services, to skills programmes for executive personal assistants.
Junior lecturers benefited from structured mentorship programmes and we hosted 211 interns from the Presidential Youth Stimulus (PYES) Programme.
In addition, we spent over R27,3 million on study discount benefits for 942 staff members and their dependants to study at the NWU and Unisa.
– Empowering our researchers
We run internal capacity-building workshops for researchers at all levels and also leverage external development opportunities on research ethics and integrity, article and grant writing, postgraduate supervision and preparing for NRF rating applications, among others.
The training costs exceeded R2,5 million and were paid for through the Informal Research Development project grant and the Enhancement of Researcher Profile project grant under the Universities Capacity Development Grant (UCDG).
In addition, R1,376 million was made available for the master’s and doctoral studies of 42 staff members from our own University Capacity Development Programme. A further R1,5 million was spent through the NWU Staff Discount Scheme to assist 28 NWU staff with their master’s and doctoral studies.
We create an inclusive environment where students can access academic support, career advice, wellness support services and skills development.
Students’ overall physical and psychosocial well-being is looked after by our campus healthcare centres, together with counselling and social welfare services. Social welfare projects for students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds include the Meal-a-Day programme.
The needs of students with disabilities are addressed through the campus disability rights units.
Registered psychologists provide services that promote students’ psychological well-being and Thuso (Help) identifies and supports at-risk students.
Students also have opportunities to participate in arts, sport and student media platforms, further strengthening our student value proposition.
Dropout rates
The first-time entrant dropout rate increased from 8,96% in 2021 to 9,79% in 2022. The student-to-staff ratio also increased, from 28,41 to 28,45 in 2022.
How much value we created, compared to previous years:
| Dropout rate | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
| First-time entrant dropout rate for contact degrees | 10,48% | 8,96% | 9,79% |
How much value we created, compared to our target:
| Target | Definition | Actual | |
| Academic staff full-time equivalent ratio: students | 26,1 | Based on HEMIS data and refers to the enrolled student full-time equivalent divided by the permanent instruction/ research professionals full-time equivalent. | 28,45 |
| First-time entrant dropout rate for contact degrees | Below 13% | First-time entering students in contact degree qualifications who register in the reporting year but do not return in the next year. | 9,79% |
Develop and retain excellent staff and create an equitable staff and student profile
Our employees matter
An outsourced service provider, CareWays, provides a comprehensive employee wellness assistance programme for NWU employees and their immediate family members. Counselling professionals are available 24 hours a day to assist with personal, family, work-related, legal and financial problems, at no cost to staff.
Staff have access to health services through the Campus Health Care Centres, as well as an HIV and Aids programme and a toll-free number that operates 24 hours a day. The campus offices for people living with disabilities provide support for staff in line with our Disability Policy.
Campus Protection Services and the Occupational Health and Safety Department contribute to a safe and secure working environment.
Staff profile
Our employment equity plan runs from January 2021 to December 2023 and guides us in creating an equitable staff profile. Reduced funding levels and the freezing of vacancies to address Covid-19 challenges hampered efforts to reach the employment equity targets.
How much value we created, compared to previous years:
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
| African (%) | 38,3% | 39,7% | 41,74% |
| Coloured (%) | 6,6% | 6,9% | 7,39% |
| Indian (%) | 1,6% | 1,6% | 1,62% |
| White (%) | 53,4% | 51,7% | 49,25% |
How much value we created, compared to our equity targets:
| 2022 target | Actual | |
| African (%) | 41,04% | 41,74% |
| Coloured (%) | 7,19% | 7,39% |
| Indian (%) | 1,95% | 1,62% |
| White (%) | 48,71% | 49,25% |
| Foreign Nationals | 1,12% | 4,74% |
COUNCIL STATEMENT
ON CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
The university is committed to principles of collective bargaining, progressive discipline, restorative justice and alternative dispute resolution as far as possible, in order to address conflict situations.
During 2022, the NWU successfully dealt at the lowest level, with potential conflicts that could possibly harm the institution’s reputation. Steps taken include, among others, entering into organisational agreements with unions that meet the minimum threshold to be accorded these rights, participating in the Management Employee Consultative Forums, and establishing the University Consultative Forum, which is an interim structure replacing the UBF after the de-recognition of SAPTU. There are also internal disciplinary procedures, grievance procedures and mediation processes that are aimed resolving any potential conflicts that may arise.
The main focus is always to act in the best interest of the institution, while creating a “win-win situation” for all, as far as possible.
Statement approval obtained from the NWU Council on 22 June 2023.
COUNCIL STATEMENT
ON WORKER AND STUDENT PARTICIPATION
The Recognition Agreement between the NWU and SAPTU was revoked after SAPTU’s membership fell below the 30% mandatory threshold. An Organisational Agreement was then signed with SAPTU. Currently, no union has recognition within the NWU and all three unions that are active at the NWU, namely SAPTU, NEHAWU and Solidarity, only enjoy Organisational Rights. The de-recognition of SAPTU has also resulted in the suspension of the functioning of the UBF and the UBF-COLA. All the matters that were dealt with under the UBF are now dealt with by the University Consultative Forum and the activities of the UBF-COLA are dealt with by the University Management Committee responsible for COLA. Both these interim structures were approved by the UMC. The UBF and UBF-COLA will be resuscitated when the requisite 30% threshold is met, and a Recognition Agreement is signed.
An Organisational Agreement between the NWU and NEHAWU regulates the relationship between the parties in terms of the Labour Relations Act. We have ongoing management and trade union consultative forum meetings.
An organisational agreement was entered into between Solidarity and NWU after they attained a 11% membership which is slightly above the mandatory 10% which is required for recognition of organisational rights.
Statement approval obtained from the NWU Council on 22 June 2023.
Govern, lead and manage; information
and communication technology; and financial sustainability
Supporting and protecting our human capital is part of the responsibilities of the Council and its Remuneration Committee, People and Culture and Employment Equity Committee and Student Life Oversight Committee.
For fair and just people management, we have policies on conflict of interest, governance oversight and management control, human rights, remuneration, performance management, staff learning and development, employment equity and disabilities.
Our ICT systems are well maintained across all three campuses and all staff and students have the necessary hardware, software and help desk support. This enables equitable access to IT resources and services.
Financial sustainability receives constant attention as this is in the interests of our current staff and students, as well as future generations. More information about how we do this is available in the section on our financial capital.
Our social and relationship capital
Our success in creating value depends on the relationships we have with individuals, groups and communities beyond the NWU, locally, nationally and internationally.
We aspire to intentional relationships that enable effective, two-way engagement and contribute to more sustainable, just and healthy communities.
When our stakeholder relationships are sound, stakeholders are more likely to approve broadly of what we do, which increases the value of our social and relationship capital.
These stakeholders include the parents of current and prospective students, communities around our campuses, donors, alumni, employers, business and industry, professional bodies and the DHET.
Our stakeholder relationships directly or indirectly influence all our goals as we strive to benefit society through knowledge.
Our communication, marketing and stakeholder engagement activities are instrumental in increasing the value of our social and relationship capital.
Students’ parents may become concerned about issues such as state funding, tuition fees and campus safety, and consider options other than the NWU.
Communities may see NWU volunteerism and service as insufficient and withdraw their support for WIL or service-learning.
Risks related to academic matters, regulatory compliance and commercialisation of intellectual property also affect our external stakeholders.
Creating value together
According to an analysis we conducted in 2022, there is room for more integration between community engagement, teaching and learning and research, and for more emphasis on engaged scholarship.
Outreach/sharing of expertise
Engaged teaching and learning
Engaged research
Combination of all three (engaged scholarship)
Combination of research and teaching and learning
Combination of reasearch and outreach/sharing of expertise
Combination of teaching and learning and outreach/sharing of expertise
We are constantly updating our database of legitimate, trusted partners for service learning (SL) placements.
In addition, we continue to update our list of local non-governmental organisations (NGOs), public benefit organisations (PBOs) and religious organisations that could assist with student placements.
Student outreach can promote planning, negotiation and collaboration skills, and staff are encouraged to include SL assignments into the curriculum where possible.
We have improved our ability to track student placements for WIL and SL by using an integrated reporting system called the Work Integrated Service Learning (WISL) database.
Many of our faculties are increasing their focus on SL, which benefits our students and communities by contributing human resources, knowledge and` support in local contexts. More information about this is available in the full report that was submitted to the DHET.
Engaged research is research with, in and about communities. It contributes to community empowerment and quality of life, while increasing our social and relationship capital.
Some examples of engaged research from 2022 entailed providing information about loadshedding, alternative heat sources and water quality management.
These activities often combined engaged research or outreach with teaching and learning. Some examples are the project on antibiotic utilisation in public healthcare systems in Limpopo Province, air-quality improvement in low-income households in Sasolburg and occupational hygiene and health research on pesticide exposure in the Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme.
Impact study on local communities continued
In 2022, the Sustainability and Community Impact Unit of the NWU again conducted research on the needs, assets and well-being of local communities, with a strong emphasis on creating an aligned database and reporting system and a unified approach for community engagement at the NWU.
We also analysed our activities and projects against the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and used SMART principles and a SWOT analysis to analyse faculty community engagement plans.
An independent evaluation done by Clarivate InCites, tracked the scientific articles that refer to our contribution towards attaining the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The most-cited papers from the NWU through to December 2022 were on SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities), SDG 13 (climate action), SDG 14 (life below water) and SDG 15 (life on land).
We encourage our staff and students to contribute to society through volunteering. Many of our student outreach projects assist with necessities such as food, clothing, and housing. This included providing food for first-year students who had not yet received their NSFAS bursaries.
In 2022, our students and support staff undertook a total of 124 community engagement activities. Here are a few examples:
Challenges and future outlook
Poverty, inequality and unemployment have worsened in many of the communities around our campuses as a result of load shedding and the pandemic.
We can amplify our contribution to poverty alleviation and community capacity building through technology development and online education. Since not all external partners have connectivity, the NWU continues to explore ways to bridge the digital divide, such as by donating its redundant computers to deserving community partners.
In sharing our expertise to contribute to the SDGs and the African Agenda 2063, we are focusing on environmental responsibility and digital literacy.
Our natural capital
The necessity to safeguard natural resources such as water, soil and clean air have been brought home by climate change impact and the pandemic.
The NWU needs a healthy water supply to function and uses land and other resources to construct buildings and strengthen our manufactured capital. However, the value of our natural capital decreases when we build on land and use natural resources and create waste during the construction process.
All our stakeholders need natural capital to exist and flourish.
Without natural resources as inputs, we will not be able to realise any of our goals or implement our enablers.
Particularly relevant here is the material matter “to promote sustainability” (part of goal three in our APP).
Risks include those related to academic and operational matters, student life, compliance (for instance with environmental regulations) and IT (infrastructure needs an energy source).
Reducing the environmental footprint of our activities entails using natural resources responsibly, decreasing our energy use and complying with environmental regulations. This commitment as included in our sustainability strategy and policy, which we shared with stakeholders and finalised. We have appointed a specialist in environmental management to assist with implementation.
26 675 222,72 kWh
NWU’s total energy use for 2022
243 898 litres
Diesel used to keep our generators running
138 904 litres
estimated total water usage
The environment is an important element of sustainability and is the focus of this section.
(For information about general sustainability at the NWU, see the Council statement on sustainability.)
Environmental audit
Since conducting an institution-wide environmental audit eight years ago, we have been systematically correcting the non-compliance issues found. Now that an environmental specialist has joined the NWU, we expect that compliance‑related work will gain momentum in 2023.
This does not relieve other role players tasked with finalising outstanding compliance issues. Where applicable, responsibility for achieving these targets is being included in task agreements.
We conduct various annual green campus awareness initiatives to save energy and water and raise awareness of environmental sustainability. In 2023, we plan to implement a training programme on these issues for students.
Our faculties offered students many opportunities to participate in engaged scholarship on the environment:
Challenges and future outlook
In addressing our limited operational expertise in environmental remediation and sustainability, we finalised our draft strategy and policy on environmental responsibility.
Owing to the increased frequency of loadshedding, students and staff on our campuses need to be sensitised to contribute to responsible electricity consumption. We are resuming the Flip-the-Switch campaign to highlight energy consumption.
We have been placing more bins on our campuses to separate waste, but given municipal constraints, we can’t guarantee that it does not end up as mixed waste on municipal dumps. This is a challenge.
The NWU’s director of Sustainability and Community Impact is the current chair of the localising subcommittee of the Higher Education Sustainability Community of Practice (HESCoP), which does advocacy and raises sustainability awareness at South African universities.
We continued phasing out paper-based programmes in distance delivery and are also phasing out textbooks.
Our financial capital
We use financial capital to provide services and maintain and improve our infrastructure to create value for the NWU and our stakeholders. The sources of our financial capital are state funding, debt and revenue generated through our operations and investments.
Financial health and stability are prerequisites for achieving our strategic objectives. As set out in our three-year rolling budget, we focus on managing our income and spending.
When the NWU’s financial capital is strong, all our stakeholders’ benefit. Financial stability means we can keep our tuition fees affordable, remunerate staff fairly and reassure donors and the DHET that we spend their donations and funding wisely.
The main focus is Enabler 4 (financial stability), but all our goals and other enablers are implicated as we need money to achieve and implement them.
The main risks are uncertainties in the higher education sector and pressures for sectoral change. Examples are fee regulation and greater dependence on state funding because of free education.
The other top risks in our risk register are also implicated as the activities linked to them cost money. For more information on risks, click here.
We plan effectively and distribute our resources to support our core business strategies, securing the NWU’s long-term financial sustainability. For the medium term, we have compiled a detailed three-year rolling budget for 2022-2024. This budget uses approved principles and realistic income forecasts, ensuring our expenses are affordable.
Since the Covid pandemic, we have been updating our Financial Impact Model and mitigation plan whenever more information becomes available. The key focus is cash flow management and financial impact forecasting.
We take all the latest relevant information into account when calculating the key sources of income. The NWU’s 2021 budgeted cash-flow expense ratios were used to calculate the high-level expense budget and the DHET’s financial health indicators.
The cash-flow expense ratios used were:
- staff cost as a percentage of income
- operating cost as a percentage of income
- capital cost as a percentage of income
Financing our strategic initiatives
The NWU’s strategic fund is used to invest in specific strategic projects, align all activities with our strategy and success model, and allocate resources accordingly.
Read more about these strategic projects in the section on our strategy.
The university management committee approved the allocation of strategic funds.
Strategic funds allocated per goal/enabler
| APP link | Rand value of allocation R’000 |
% of allocation |
| Goal 1 (Teaching and learning) |
14 345 | 29,1% |
| Goal 2 (Research) |
22 779 | 46,2% |
| Goal 5 (Equitable staff profile) |
1 800 | 3,7% |
| Goal 6 (Digital business strategy) |
2 625 | 5,3% |
| Enabler 4 (Financial sustainability) |
7 752 | 15,7% |
| Grand total | 49 301 | 100% |
In the near future: opportunities and challenges
Our future sustainability depends on both internal and external factors.
Internal steps entail taking advantage of opportunities and planning as best we can. We see certain opportunities in our digital business strategy and blended-learning model, which could enable us to improve our utilisation of resources.
In terms of planning for our future sustainability, our compass is our mitigation plan. As part of this plan, we have drawn from our Financial Impact Model and included various risk factors into our 2022-2025 rolling budget. These factors include the possible impact of a lower block grant subsidy and earmarked funding from government, as well as the fee increases that the DHET has proposed, which are below the Higher Education Price Index (HEPI).
Despite these efforts, there is a limit to what universities can achieve on their own – what we need is a sustainable national funding model. The NSFAS model is not sustainable, in our view, because of the sheer numbers of NSFAS-qualifying students.
Future outlook: how to maintain financial sustainability
Internally, we will continue diversifying and optimising our income streams, improving operating cost efficiency and effectiveness, optimising the use of infrastructure, and managing our mitigation plan and cash with great care.
At the same time, we are closely monitoring developments around the funding of higher education. If the financial position of these institutions is jeopardised, some institutions may lose their competitive edge in the market and with it, the ability to contribute to the knowledge economy.
We are contributing to the modelling of the future funding design and reiterate our commitment to working with the DHET to ensure a well-functioning and sustainable NWU and higher education sector.
Financial overview
This is the report of the chairperson of the Finance Committee of Council and the Executive Director: Finance and Facilities.
It presents a summary of our financial results for 2022 and provides information about the budgeting and budgetary control processes.
Please click here for the full financial overview and here for a summary of how we added value to the economy and reached our financial goals.
COUNCIL STATEMENT
ON BORROWINGS
The NWU did not enter into any new long-term borrowing agreements in 2022.
Statement approval obtained from the NWU Council on 22 June 2023
Our manufactured capital
The physical infrastructure that supports our core business and support services is our manufactured capital. It consists of lecture halls, laboratories and other buildings, teaching technology, research equipment, IT systems and infrastructure for teaching, research and community engagement.
When we put our facilities and infrastructure to work, we increase our intellectual, human and social and relationship capital and support the execution of our strategy.
The main beneficiaries are our staff and students. We also use our building and maintenance projects to create business opportunities and jobs for people outside the university community.
Our communities around our campuses benefit from our facilities. Schools and professional athletes use our sports facilities, and members of the surrounding community use the animal health facilities at our Mahikeng Campus. Our donors and the DHET, who fund many of our projects, have stakes in our manufactured capital.
(Click here to see what the icons used in this section stands for.)
The main risks are uncertainties in the higher education sector (state funding and new ways of working post- Covid-19), accelerating demand for organisational change (equity of resources), risks related to academic matters, compliance (such as with building regulations), IT and operational risks.
Safety on and around our campuses
For the first time, we prepared a formal off-campus safety and security proposal. The University Management Committee approved this towards the end of 2022, for implementation in 2023.
The vice-chancellor and the mayors of Mahikeng and Vanderbijlpark have signed memoranda of understanding on the proposal, which includes identifying safe “purple” routes where security officers will be deployed.
NWU Procurement has been in discussions with emergency/panic app service providers and is considering possible solutions.
Infrastructure development
We spent R321 million for capital works, macro maintenance and minor works across the university in 2022. This funding was from the DHET and our own funds.
The following table provides a spending breakdown:
| Potchefstroom Campus | Mahikeng Campus | Vanderbijlpark Campus |
Projects across campuses | Total | ||
| DHET | Student housing 2016-2017 |
– | 99 317 672 | – | – | 99 317 672 |
| Student housing 2017-2018 |
– | 36 356 461 | – | – | 36 356 461 | |
| Capital works | Funding 2018-2021 |
8 071 605 | 12 464 330 | 44 817 744 | 9 427 173 | 74 780 852 |
| New | 45 008 911 | 12 618 780 | 15 438 167 | 4 984 604 | 78 050 462 | |
| Upgrade | 2 714 538 | 1 957 574 | – | 7 216 685 | 11 888 797 | |
| Macro maintenance | 5 731 852 | 2 454 859 | 466 389 | 11 194 553 | 19 847 652 | |
| Minor works | 579 487 | 293 753 | 2 200 | – | 875 440 | |
| Total | 62 106 393 | 165 463 428 | 60 724 501 | 32 823 014 | 321 117 336 | |
DHET grant funding
The total amount spent in 2022 from DHET grant funding from various funding cycles amounted to R210 454 985, of which R135 647 133 was spent on student housing. We strengthen our student value proposition and our human capital when students have safe, secure and comfortable housing.
Accommodation for our students
In 2022, student housing on and near the three campuses had the capacity to accommodate 11 859 students. There were 41 university-owned residences and four leased accommodation facilities operating as formal residences.
Six additional residences were completed on the Mahikeng Campus through a joint initiative by the NWU, the Development Bank of Southern Africa and the DHET. These new residences, which can accommodate 1 728 students, are ready for the 2023 intake.
We ensure that residence fees are appropriate and affordable, and that all residences comply with the national policy on minimum norms and standards for public universities in South Africa.
Complying with norms and standards
The NWU is participating the DHET’s review of standards for student housing.
In the meantime, we ensure that all new student residences meet the existing minimum norms and standards for student accommodation. The same applies when residences are upgraded.
We have made good progress with the accreditation of all suppliers of private student accommodation. The NWU’s accreditation department accredited 22 810 beds at 1 472 facilities in 2022.
Construction and refurbishment
External factors such as load-shedding, global supply chain problems, weather conditions and construction stoppages due to local participation issues affected the progress of infrastructure projects in 2022. Nevertheless, we made progress with the infrastructure implementation plan that was impacted by Covid-19 during 2020 and 2021.
Large capital projects completed during 2022
At the Mahikeng Campus, in addition to the new 1 728-bed housing complex, we completed the new building for Psychosocial Health.
On the Potchefstroom Campus, the refurbishment of Building K21 was completed and Biokinetics now operates in an academic setting.
On the Vaal Triangle Campus, students will start the 2023 academic year in the newly constructed lecture room complex.
Click here to read more about our macro maintenance and smaller projects completed during 2022 or carried over to 2023.
COUNCIL STATEMENT
ON ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE
All additional investments in infrastructure at the NWU during 2022 were duly authorised.
Statement approval obtained from the NWU Council on 22 June 2023.
Plans for the future
Further renewal of the buildings and infrastructure on the three campuses is planned for the coming year.
We will continue to convert lecture venues into HyFlex learning environments.
At the Vanderbijlpark Campus, we are on track to commence with the conversion of the old administration building into a new multi-purpose hall. A pilot project for energy efficiency has also been planned.
New student life facilities will be constructed in phases to ensure a consistent student experience across the NWU.
New laboratory spaces for the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences will be completed in phases to ensure it has the required spaces to grow its academic programmes.
Other plans are to finalise sustainable water provision for the campus and to start constructing additional lecture venues to support the new HyFlex way of teaching and learning.
At the Potchefstroom Campus, additional computer laboratories are being provided for undergraduate programmes in the School of Computer Science and Information Systems and in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science.
IT infrastructure and developments
In 2022, we strengthened the NWU’s intellectual and human capital through the application of technology:
Almost all services, including students’ PC lab applications, could be accessed from anywhere.
Heightened attention was paid to security. We performed a thorough security landscape exercise in preparation for a coordinated cyber security programme modelled on the best practice framework of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Many major teaching and learning and support projects were initiated or completed:
- The Work Integrated and Service-Learning system is in full production.
- We recorded uptime of more than 99,5% for most of our critical systems. eFundi was available 99,92% of the time.
- The Digital Workplace Project (DWP) kicked off with the replacement of the old Groupwise email system and the introduction of digital telephony.
- 403 laboratory PCs were replaced.
- The new eAssessment platform and the cloud smart strategy was implemented.
- We used the United States National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) framework to improve our cyber processes. No major cyber incidents were reported.
Project and portfolio management (PPM) gained momentum and an IT PPM lead was appointed. As a result, we will implement new processes in 2023.
IT resolved 45 137 incidents and dealt with more than 100 000 incoming and outgoing calls.
Staff and students continued to receive uncapped, unshaped internet services at a speed unmatched by most universities in South Africa.
Future outlook
After years of applying good principles in planning and design, and weathering the pandemic experience, IT at the NWU is in good shape.
Our IT systems are extremely stable: the uptime of most of our critical systems is well above 99% and mostly above 99,5%. It will be much easier to focus on digital business transformation and to participate to the full in the 4IR.