The University of Venda (UNIVEN) hosted a distinguished delegation from Gwanda State University (GSU) in Zimbabwe, led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Doreen Zandile Moyo, for a transformative institutional visit from 5 to 7 May 2025 at the UNIVEN Research Conference Centre. This high-level engagement marks a pivotal step towards strengthening academic and developmental ties between South Africa and Zimbabwe. Under the theme “Strengthening Ties for a Sustainable Future,” the visit was set to ignite a series of collaborative initiatives designed to address shared regional challenges through innovative, research-driven solutions.
Attendees (University of Venda and Gwanda State University staff)
Central to this partnership are key areas including entrepreneurship, industrial park development, agriculture, environmental sustainability, wildlife management, and community engagement. Both universities are committed to leveraging their collective strengths to drive economic growth, enhance academic exchange, and contribute to sustainable development across the region.
Prof Bernard Nthambeleni, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Venda
Prof Bernard Nthambeleni, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Venda, ex-pressed enthusiasm about the continued collaboration with the visiting delegation, which stems from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed a year earlier in August 2024. He stressed the need to translate agreements into tangible outcomes that benefit both in-stitutions and their communities. He praised the leadership involved and highlighted a stra-tegic shift in the university’s international partnerships, focusing more on cooperation with African nations rather than relying solely on traditional partnerships with Europe and North America. He emphasised the importance of African universities addressing local challenges through engaged research and community-driven initiatives.
Prof Nthambeleni outlined the University of Venda’s vision of producing graduates who are both relevant and globally competitive. He noted the university’s emphasis on student-cen-tred education, postgraduate growth, entrepreneurship, and academic programmes aligned with industry needs. He also highlighted several centres of excellence tackling critical areas like renewable energy, HIV/AIDS, and human rights. Concluding his address, he expressed pride in the university’s regional ranking and reaffirmed his commitment to deepening part-nerships, encouraging the visiting delegation to explore collaborative opportunities fully.
Prof Zandile Moyo, Vice-Chancellor of Gwanda State University (GSU)
The Vice-Chancellor of Gwanda State University (GSU), Prof Zandile Moyo, expressed her grat-itude for the warm reception from the University of Venda, highlighting the importance of the relationship between the two institutions. She stressed that the Memorandum of Understand-ing (MoU) signed between Gwanda State University and the University of Venda on 05 August 2024, marked the beginning of a cooperative partnership aimed at academic collaboration, particularly in the areas of renewable development and international cooperation.
Prof Moyo provided a background on Gwanda State University, which was established in 2016. The university operates with a focus on specialised fields such as mining, engineering, agriculture, and animal sciences, aligning with the economic priorities of Zimbabwe. She emphasised that the university’s mission revolves around delivering high-quality education, fostering research and innovation, and contributing to industrialisation and value addition. She also highlighted the university’s commitment to entrepreneurship and its strategic goals for 2030.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Moyo again discussed the university’s focus on leadership, gov-ernance, infrastructure, teaching, learning, and community engagement. She stressed the importance of self-reliance, mentioning that Gwanda State University aims to collaborate with industry to generate funding and provide real-world solutions through research. She emphasised alignment with national development strategies and the importance of collabo-ration between universities and industries, especially in the fields of science, technology, and industrialisation.
Additionally, Prof Moyo highlighted the role of students in shaping the university’s future, in-troducing the Student Executive Council President as an important leader who would engage with his counterparts at the University of Gwanda. She expressed optimism as she concluded her remarks that the partnership between the two universities would lead to impactful collab-oration, benefiting both institutions and their respective nations.
Dr Mlungiseleli Ganto, Commercialisation Specialist from the Office of Technology Transfer
Dr Mlungiseleli Ganto, Commercialisation Specialist from the Office of Technology Transfer, provided an overview of the expanded mandate of the Directorate of Community Engage-ment, Entrepreneurship, Inclusive Innovation and Commercialisation (CEEIIC), which now encompasses entrepreneurship and technology transfer in alignment with the university’s vision of becoming an entrepreneurial institution. The Directorate comprises key units such as the Community Engagement, Economic Activation Office (EAO), Entrepreneurship Student Ambassadors Programme (ESAP), UNIVEN Centre for Entrepreneurship and Rapid Incuba-tion, as well as the Office of Technology Transfer (OTT), collectively supporting curriculum transformation, capacity building, and the development of entrepreneurial skills. Dr Ganto highlighted impactful initiatives like Skills for the Future, promoting digital literacy and mental wellness in rural areas, as well as environmental projects that blend indigenous knowledge with conservation. He also noted the Directorate’s support for student entrepreneurship through training, competitions, and mentorship, while underscoring the Office of Technology Transfer’s role in managing intellectual property, securing industry partnerships, and scaling innovations in food science.
Prof Lutendo Murulana, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agriculture
Prof Lutendo Murulana, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Agricul-ture, provided an in-depth overview of the faculty, outlining its structure of 15 departments grouped into three clusters: Agriculture, Natural and Mathematical Sciences, and Engineering and the Built Environment. He emphasised the role of the Science Foundation Programme in preparing students who do not meet standard entry requirements for academic success. Highlighting the faculty’s strong research capabilities, he noted key institutions such as the DSTI-NRF-SARChI Chair in Biodiversity, the Centre of Excellence in Renewable Energy, and the semi-autonomous Institute for Rural Development, whose postgraduates are integrated into the faculty. Prof Murulana also celebrated the faculty’s academic strength, including its growing number of NRF-rated researchers, and reaffirmed its dedication to impactful re-search, innovation, and collaboration with academic and industry partners.
Prof Takalani Mashau, Deputy Dean, Research and Postgraduate Studies
Prof Takalani Mashau presented an overview of the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education, formed through the consolidation of eight schools into four faculties. He outlined its leadership, academic departments, and a broad range of programmes from un-dergraduate to doctoral levels in fields such as education, social work, media studies, and indigenous knowledge systems. Emphasising alignment with the university’s vision, he high-lighted the faculty’s focus on research across all study levels, staff publication expectations, and support for over 700 postgraduate students through initiatives like research webinars, practical placements, and strategies to enhance academic and research performance.
Grace GE, Co-Director of the Green Technology Confucius Institute (GTCI) at the University of Venda
Prof Grace GE, Co-Director of the Green Technology Confucius Institute (GTCI) at the Uni-versity of Venda, described the Confucius Institute as a global non-profit promoting Chinese language and culture. She highlighted that GTCI, launched in December 2023 in partnership with Hubei University of Technology, is the only CI in rural northern South Africa and the first worldwide with a green technology focus. It offers Chinese language classes, collabo-rates with local schools, and plans to launch a Future Leaders Academy and academic pro-grammes with study and internship opportunities in China.
Prof Armstrong Kadyamatimba of the University of Venda’s Faculty of Management , Commerce and Law
Prof Armstrong Kadyamatimba of the University of Venda’s Faculty of Management , Com-merce and Law highlighted the faculty’s focus on innovation, academic excellence, and grad-uate employability. He detailed its 11 departments, a bridging programme for underquali-fied students, and efforts in staff development and research aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. The faculty secures funding through partnerships and plans to launch a business school by 2025, emphasising the value of local and global collaboration.
Prof Zandile Moyo, Vice-Chancellor of Gwanda State University (GSU), and Prof Bernard Nthambeleni, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Venda
In their closing remarks, Prof Zandile Moyo (GSU) and Prof Bernard Nthambeleni (UNIVEN) expressed gratitude for the collaborative engagement. Prof Moyo highlighted the impor-tance of unity, student leadership, and adopting best practices in research, staff welfare, and infrastructure. Prof Nthambeleni emphasised translating dialogue into action and champion-ing African-led solutions. Both reaffirmed their commitment to sustained partnerships and impactful initiatives.
Following the main engagement session, the delegation participated in a guided tour of UNI-VEN’s Herb Garden, which features a range of medicinal plants used in research and com-munity health initiatives. This was followed by a site visit highlighting key infrastructure and academic facilities, including state-of-the-art research laboratories, modern teaching and learning spaces, the Faculty of Health Sciences building, the Green Technology Confucius Institute, and F5 residence. The visit provided the GSU delegation with a comprehensive overview of UNIVEN’s academic landscape, technological capabilities, and dedication to in-novation and sustainable development.
To conclude the day and foster deeper institutional ties in a more informal setting, UNI-VEN hosted a networking dinner in honour of the GSU delegation at the Kalahari Water-front.
Issued by:
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Tel: 082 868 2218 / 082 868 1811
