INCENTIVISING FOR ACHIEVEMENT

Performance incentives that are attractive and sustainable, and applied fairly and consistently, are part of our strategy to encourage high performance and productivity.

We use integrated performance management to recognise superior organisational, team and individual performance.

Our remuneration strategy is aligned with the overall NWU strategy, business drivers and values, ensuring a good skills and culture fit.

We do annual benchmarking to ensure the continued competitiveness of remuneration. Market-related remuneration is essential for recruiting and retaining the best staff.

Our remuneration mix has variable and fixed elements and includes monetary and non-monetary rewards. Variable pay includes performance bonuses and various value-adding allowances, and is based on the results of individual remuneration reviews.

Employees belong to the group life scheme where they have the opportunity to flex their benefits between one time and five times of their pensionable earnings, over and above the pension benefit.

The Remuneration Committee, which is responsible for oversight of remuneration at the NWU, has been looking closely at the income differentials between the higher and lower salary bands. It considers how these differentials affect fair and responsible remuneration, and how they influence the perceptions of employees and other stakeholders of the NWU as a value‑adding institution.

Closing the income differentials and addressing the enhancement of academic staff salaries are important objectives. The salary increases agreed on for 2024 supported this by building on the differentiated increases introduced from 2019 onwards for academic staff and employees on the lower income bands.

Council oversees and approves the appointment of the vice-chancellor, deputy vice-chancellors, the registrar, executive directors and deputy vice-chancellors for assignable functions and campus operations. These appointments are made in line with the NWU Statute and the Council's Rules.

Name	Title	Income	Benefits	Income other	Grand total
		(R)	(R)	(R)	(R)
Prof RJ Balfour *	Deputy vice-chancellor: Teaching and Learning	2 146 458,67	222 223,94	821 884,37	3 190 566,98
Prof DM Balia	Potchefstroom Campus: Deputy vice-chancellor	2 745 210,26	250 915,89	439 862,73	3 435 988,88
Prof SC Chalufu	Executive director: Student Life	2 259 333,94	206 737,01	407 567,76	2 873 638,71
Ms E de Beer	Executive director: Finance and Facilities	3 094 734,72	306 213,10	350 022,55	3 750 970,37
Prof LA du Plessis	Vaal Triangle Campus: Deputy vice-chancellor	2 877 128,01	337 063,56	1 067 036,35	4 281 227,92
Mr NC Manoko	Executive director: Corporate Relations and Marketing	2 453 595,35	223 081,61	289 804,27	2 966 481,23
Prof JM Mphahlele	Deputy vice-chancellor: Research and Innovation	2 761 354,09	277 762,39	290 869,88	3 329 986,36
Prof V Singh **	Executive director: People and Culture	2731 388,33	276 530,63	1 131 293,90	4 139 212,86
Prof S Swanepoel	Mahikeng Campus: Deputy vice-chancellor	2 408 241,36	379 776,83	481 337,71	3 269 355,90
Prof MB Tyobeka	Vice-chancellor	4 168 506,59	383 524,33	567 368,68	5 119 399,60
Prof MM Verhoef	NWU registrar	2 880 856,35	519 332,65	316 783,79	3 716 972,79
Grand total		30 526 807,67	3 383 161,94	6 163 831,99	40 073 801,60

*Resigned on 30 September 2024

**Retired on 31 December 2024

External members of Council and Council committees receive an honorarium for their time and effort. The honorarium, paid in August and December, is linked to our annual cost of living adjustment process and approved by Council's Exco.

Honoraria payments (gross remuneration to Council members) in 2024

Name	R value		Name	R value
Mr MSJ Thabethe	110 256		Mr N Omar	44 869
Mr CS Mabe	71 369		Ms RA Kenosi	241 737
Adv PG Seleka	24 474		Mr TV Mokgatlha	77 483
Ms SEP Ramantswana	36 711		Mr JJ Bezuidenhout	12 237
Ms PS Moleke	100 006		Prof JJ Janse van Rensburg	12 237
Mr S de Bruyn	69 325		Ms M van Zyl	42 798
Mr CO van der Rheede	28 553		Mr XV Hadebe	18 342
Mr AM Sorgdrager	411 751		Ms E Stander	18 342
Adv M Kruger	69 343		Mr L Seliane	24 456
Prof AL Combrink	61 185		Mr S Mohapi	34 724
Mr TP Venter	53 027		Ms M Chenia	23 476
Pastor PM Tlhabanyane	281 592		Adv Ilya Mwanawina	12 228
Ms S Britz	175 538		Prof H Pienaar	18 342
Ms PP Thebe	65 264		Mr A Cachalia	28 535
Grand total				2 168 200

A priority for the past four years has been to create an inclusive, enabling and welcoming environment.

Establishing a culture based on the NWU values is an important part of this.

In 2024, we conducted several interventions to reinforce the NWU's values and culture. These included teambuilding sessions in faculties and divisions, inclusivity and cultural transformation training through the Leadership Academy, identifying values champions who model and promote the NWU Way, and establishing a structured feedback culture on performance management.

• We conducted the 2024 Culture Survey to gauge staff and student perceptions of the NWU culture and evaluate progress since 2020. The results showed strong participation in culture‑building initiatives;
• The survey results showed appreciation for diversity, inclusion and autonomy within the university; and recognition of leadership, development opportunities and authenticity.

Through the NWU Organisational Citizenship Recognition Awards, we celebrated staff and students who live and demonstrate the NWU values.