Mpumalanga Business 2017 edition

OVERVIEW
Education and training
Teaching is under way at the new University of Mpumalanga.
The Deputy President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, was inaugurated
in 2016 as the first Chancellor of the University of
Mpumalanga.
Existing facilities of the former College of Agriculture in
Mbombela have been re-purposed to suit the needs of the main campus
of the university, whose Principal and Vice-Chancellor is Professor
Thoko Mayekiso.
A further two satellite campuses have been created at Siyabuswa
(the former Ndebele College of Education) and at KaNyamazane, where
hospitality will be the focus.
In keeping with the history of the main site, a degree will be offered
in Bachelor of Agriculture in Agricultural Extension and Rural
Resource Development. The other two courses to be offered in
the first phase of the university’s development were a Diploma in
Hospitality Management and a Bachelor of Education in Foundation
Phase Teaching. More qualifications will be rolled out in phases: in 2015
ICT and App Development were offered, together with an agricultural
diploma in plant development.
National parliament has been told that in time mechanical and then
civil engineering will be offered. The Department of Higher Education
is in consultation with Sasol to provide chemical and electrical engineering
studies. The Department of Higher Education expects a total
1 500 students to enrol at the university in 2017.
Construction News reports that amounts of R1.3-billion (2015/16), R1-
billion (2016/17) and R1.1-billion (2017/18) have been allocated to fund
the third phase of new buildings and infrastructure at the university.
Priorities
The priorities of the Mpumalanga Department of Education are to
expand early childhood development programmes, to promote skills
development, especially through further education and training (TVET)
colleges, and to continue to invest in school infrastructure.
Expressions of interest have been called for from the private sector
concerning a plan to build 500 new schools in the province over a
six-year period. Investors are sought for financing, design, construction,
equipping, and maintenance and property management. The
provincial government is proposing a 10-year lease period in which
time investors would be paid back.
SECTOR INSIGHT
Mpumalanga has called for
investors for a plan to build
500 schools.
• Dial-a-tutor and radio
lessons are helping matric
pupils.
Many of the biggest investors
in the province support
education initiatives. These include
Sappi’s donation of several
classrooms to Khanyisile Primary
School near Barberton and programmes
for pupils and teachers
at Entabamhlophe Combined
School in Elandshoek near the
company’s mill at Ngodwana.
More than 800 000 pupils in
primary and secondary schools
are beneficiaries of the provincial
department of education’s school
nutrition programme and 1 604
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