Eastern Cape Business 2022-23

OVERVIEW
Education and training
Nelson Mandela University has a new Medical School.
SECTOR INSIGHT
A science centre has been
built at Cofimvaba.
Nelson Mandela University’s Missionvale Campus is now
registered to offer the MBChB (Bachelor of Medicine
and Bachelor of Surgery) qualification.
This brings to 10 the number of medical schools in South
Africa and is the province’s second, with Walter Sisulu University being
the other academic medical facility in the province. The registration by
the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) was a lengthy process,
covering contracts and agreements with various other bodies, the
curriculum, infrastructure, equipment and staff requirements.
Two new cerebral palsy centres have been established, at the Nelson
Mandela Academic Hospital and the Cecilia Makiwane Hospital.
A R50-million science centre, named after Albertina Nontsikelelo Sisulu,
has been built in Cofimvaba. The centre will enhance the teaching of maths,
science and technology and further widen career choices of students.
The national Accelerated School Infrastructure Delivery Initiative
(ASIDI) allocated 298 schools to the province and, as of February 2022,
168 schools (56%) had been completed.
St George’s Preparatory School, founded in 1936 and located
opposite the famous cricket ground in Gqeberha, has become the latest
addition to the private Curro group of schools. The acquisition doubles
Curro’s presence in the province, with the centrally-based preparatory
school joining Westbrook Curro, which is located in the Westbrook Estate
off the old Cape Road in the city’s western suburbs.
The Eastern Cape has eight Technical and Vocational Education
Training (TVET) colleges, most of which have more than one campus:
Buffalo City, Port Elizabeth, Lovedale, King Hintsa, Ingwe, King Sabata
Dalinyebo, Ikhala and Eastcape Midlands College. An amount of R569-
million will be spent on building four new TVET campuses to expand
ONLINE RESOURCES
Eastern Cape Department of Education: www.ecdoe.gov.za
Technology Innovation Agency: www.tia.org.za
the accessibility of these colleges.
These new facilities are two new
Ikhala TVET College campuses
(Sterkspruit and Maletswai), a
new Eastcape Midlands campus
in Graaff-Reinet and a new
Ingwe TVET college campus in
Ngqungqushe (Lusikisiki).
The National Department of
Higher Education and Training has
been investing heavily in student
accommodation in the province.
This programme has seen an
additional 2 000 beds added at
the Nelson Mandela University in
Gqeberha, 2 047 student beds at the
University of Fort Hare, 3 000 beds at
Walter Sisulu University and 1 000
beds at King Hintsa TVET College.
Rhodes University has a
strong reputation for research,
which has been enhanced by the
addition of the Biotechnology
Innovation Centre.
The University of Fort Hare is
leading three innovative studies
into biogas, including a project
investigating compressed
biogas for public transport. The
South African National Energy
Development Institute (SANEDI)
is working with Fort Hare on
biodigesters for households.
Walter Sisulu University (WSU)
and the University of South
Africa (Unisa) offer vocational
training (diplomas) and academic
programmes (degrees). ■
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