WHO WE ARE
Finding solutions for Africa
Africa’s time is now – we are ready and willing to make our mark
ABOUT US
The University of Limpopo (UL), which was established with a college status in 1959, has transformed into one of Africa’s most innovative universities, offering highly competitive and industry-relevant qualifications.
Our Programme Qualification Mix (PQM) responds to the developmental needs of communities and epitomises academic excellence and innovativeness.
Popularly known as Turfloop, UL was the first institution in South Africa to establish a medical school since the advent of democracy. It eventually produced the country’s youngest medical doctor. The Institution also launched a cathode materials centre, South Africa’s first pilot plant in manganese beneficiation, a R30-million investment to tap into the country’s manganese ore reserves and energy storage. South Africa has 80% of the world’s high-grade manganese ore reserves. This resource has enormous potential for mineral beneficiation in the country.
It responds to the needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the Internet of Things (IoT). These are a few of many other programmes and centres at UL that respond actively to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN). The University of Limpopo not only produces highly competitive graduates but also unleashes entrepreneurs into the world’s challenging economic environment. Among the programmes that support student entrepreneurship, there are various centres of excellence, ranging from agro-food processing to ideation hubs.
The University has the conditions, facilities and talent that allow for the emergence of game-changing innovation.
These centres of excellence include, among other things, the Limpopo Agro-Food Technology Station, Enactus, Student Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion (STEP), Fashion Show, Technology Transfer Office, Intellectual Property, Materials Modelling, Languages Lab, Animal Production, Risk and Vulnerability Centre, Population Health Research Centre, the Greenhouse, and the Experimental Farm.
With access to the evergreen and spectacular splendour of Magoebaskloof and nestling in the foothills of the Hwiti (Wolkberg range) in Mankweng, the University is well positioned as a gateway to and from Africa. Geographically, it is strategically close to the best agricultural sites, mining plants, excellent infrastructure, and safe national roads, which our students use to get first-hand industry knowledge.
As the only institution in 2022 to have produced four sitting judge presidents, two sitting state presidents (in South Africa and Malawi), as well as various executives in both the public and private sectors, the University is by far one of the top producers of leaders in the country and beyond. Through its Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Public Administration and Management, and Master of Development programmes, our business school – Turfloop Graduate School of Leadership – has also trained a number of enterprising graduates. Our bold quest to find solutions to Africa’s challenges accelerates our concerted efforts to be more innovative and engaged as a world-class African university.
VISION, MISSION AND VALUES
VISION
To be a leading African University focused on the developmental needs of its communities and epitomising academic excellence and innovativeness.
MISSION
- We provide excellent and relevant academic programmes, research and community engagement initiatives that respond to the developmental needs of communities whilst producing well-rounded graduates who give back to their communities and are global citizens;
- We enhance access to higher education for under-prepared, socially and economically disadvantaged students in particular;
- We provide academic support services to all students of the University to ensure success in their studies;
- We provide planned opportunities for the development of all staff, particularly the academic staff in respect of their teaching, research and community engagement skills;
- We strive to strengthen and maintain partnerships and collaboration with the government and private sector, local authorities, international institutions and our alumni community; and
- We endeavour to diversify the University’s funding streams significantly, particularly the increase of third stream income, in order to support the launching of new teaching and learning, research and community engagement activities and sustain the existing ones.
VALUES
- Accountability
- Transparency
- Integrity
- Academic Freedom
- Excellence
- Professionalism
OUR STORY
The University of Limpopo was established in January 2005 as a result of the merger of the former University of the North and the Medical University of Southern Africa (MEDUNSA), now Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University
Our Programme Qualification Mix (PQM) responds to the developmental needs of communities and epitomises academic excellence and innovativeness.
Historically, the University of the North was established in 1959 under the apartheid regime’s higher education policy of separate ethnically-based institutions. MEDUNSA was established in 1976 to provide tertiary education in the fields of Medicine, Allied Health and Nursing Sciences and Dentistry.
The merger amalgamated the academic, governance and management structures and established four faculties, namely Health Sciences, Humanities, Management and Law, and Science and Agriculture, with an average student population of 22 000. These were located at two campuses, approximately 300 kilometres apart, one in Mankweng outside Polokwane and the other in Ga-Rankuwa north of Pretoria.
Following ten years of the merger, the institutions were separated. The decision underscored the government’s plans to increase the number of higher education institutions in the country and to expand the country’s capacity to train more doctors. As of January 2015, the University of Limpopo (UL) became a standalone institution, giving birth to South Africa’s first medical school since the dawn of democracy in 1994.
WHY CHOOSE US
A world-class
African university
The University of Limpopo (UL) takes pride in its rich diversity of students and high-quality qualifications that respond significantly to the environment in which corporates operate – an ever-changing, fast-paced, highly competitive and global world of work. When it comes to the degrees’ practical value, many alumni have seen immediate or long-term advancements in their careers. The University is fast becoming one of the leading entrepreneurial institutions, supporting students in pursuing entrepreneurship as a career path rather than an alternative. Students receive a full campus life experience, allowing them to succeed in other areas of interest, like sports and recreation, while also preparing them for the next steps in their chosen career paths. There are also opportunities to develop new interests and hobbies inside and outside your studies.
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Meet the dynamic team that is responsible for the day-to-day running of the affairs of our iconic institution of higher learning.
Prof NM Mokgalong
Prof Mokgalong is a strategic and results-oriented executive with a strong academic background, having risen through the ranks of academia from research assistantship to lectureship, deanship, and vice-chancellorship. He was appointed vice-chancellor of the University of Limpopo (formerly the University of the North) in 2003, making him the country’s longest-serving vice-chancellor.
In his 15+ years of experience – overseeing three core functions of teaching and learning, research, and community engagement – he has managed to reposition the University from a historically disadvantaged institution status to a fully comprehensive, research-intensive University aspiring to find solutions to African challenges while remaining globally competitive.
Mokgalong’s collaborative leadership style, proactive approach, and sharp aptitude to effectively convert complex operational concepts into real action plans enabled him to achieve record development in a variety of areas. Improving the University’s strategic focus to maintain financial stability and sustainability, as well as managing stakeholder relationships.
Also, one of his critical roles is enhancing governance and administration within the University. He administered the merger of the then University of the North with the Medical University of Southern Africa (MEDUNSA), which brought about an increased student population, new governance and management structures, and the establishment of four faculties. He also championed the first medical school in South Africa since the democratic dispensation.
He has always worked towards opening hallowed doors of learning for every student, including diligent students who mostly come from underprivileged backgrounds. As enrolment grew, he knew it would result in a need for infrastructure expansion—more classrooms, laboratories and residences. He swiftly responded to infrastructure imperatives by overseeing the building of world-class laboratories for physics, chemistry, and African languages, as well as a contemporary postgraduate student residence, disability centre, and health centre, among others things.
In his executive presence and as chairperson of various committees, such as senate, academic planning, executive committee, and standing rules, he administers multi-million rand projects, grants and partnerships.
On the research front, he has had many firsts when he cut his teeth as a researcher and scholar. One of the highlights was being the first student at the then-University of the North to receive the Abe Bailey Scholarship to tour selected academic/research institutions in the United Kingdom, Austria, France, and Italy. He was also awarded the British Council Scholarship to research at the International Institute of Parasitology of the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau and the Parasitic Worms section of the British Museum of Natural History, London – UK. Recognising his research knack, he was awarded the Senior W.O. NEITZ Phalarae Parasitologiae by the Parasitological Society of Southern Africa for the most outstanding thesis in Parasitology in Southern Africa.
He has published extensively in refereed journals, among other notable publications. He has supervised hundreds of students and presented at local and international conferences. He also served on various councils and strategic committees, including the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions; Universities South Africa (USAf); National Science and Technology Forum; Presidential Working Group; NRF – IRDP Advisory Committee; and Green Economy Technical Working Group, among others. He was also a director of Lepelle Investors Guild Ltd. and Goedverwacht Farmers Cooperation, and chaired several strategic committees.
Prof RN Madadzhe
Prof Madadzhe began his career as a teacher and deputy principal in the Vhembe District (Limpopo Province) after receiving his junior degree (Bachelor of Arts) and University Education Diploma from the then-University of the North (now University of Limpopo). After a successful teaching career, he returned to the University and worked at various levels, including as a lecturer while furthering his studies. Prof Madadzhe also holds an Honours degree in Tshivenda as well as a Master’s degree in Drama, both from UL, as well as a Masters in African Languages (cum laude) with a special focus on African Linguistics and a doctorate, both from the University of Stellenbosch.
Publications and Contributions
With over 38 years in academia, Prof Madadzhe has held three managerial positions within the University, including Acting Deputy Dean and Acting Dean of the then Faculty of Arts, and Director of School of Languages and Communication Studies, since his promotion to Associate Professor and Full Professor in Tshivenda in 1999 and 2006, respectively. Madadzhe has also published a number of South African Post-Secondary Education (SAPSE) accredited articles as well as 25 books that include prose, drama, poetry, dictionary and grammar manuals. He has also successfully supervised over 100 Master's and 20 Doctoral students (Literature, Linguistics and Translation). He is an external examiner in literature, linguistics, and translation at several universities in the country.
Having served as the Chairperson of the Tshivenda National Language Body (PanSALB), whose main task is to ensure that Tshivenda receives the recognition it deserves (in spoken and written form) as one of the 11 official languages of the country, he is esteemed for his contribution to the development of the language. He also contributes significantly around language in areas such as semantics, morphology, sociolinguistics, translation, syntax, drama and prose.
Prof TM Mothiba
Prof Tebogo Mothiba is a National Research Foundation – NRF C3 rated researcher from 2022. She rose through the academic ranks at the University of Limpopo from lecturer to senior lecturer between 2006 and 2014. She was promoted to professorship in 2014 and later became a Faculty Research Professor from December 2018 to June 2020. She was then named Acting Executive Dean of the Faculty from July 2020 to June 2021, and Executive Dean from July 2021 to present.
Her teaching and research career in higher education began in July 2006 at the University of Limpopo. She taught Nursing Services Management, Nursing Dynamics, and Research Methodology modules in the Department of Nursing Science from undergraduate to postgraduate levels. Her primary focus during her Bachelor of Curationis, Master of Nursing, and PhD studies was health care management.
Research and Publications
She took on a dual role at the University of Limpopo as a nurse educator in knowledge management in research and academic capacity building. As an academic for the last 16 years, she perceives knowledge management as a core area in:
- discovering knowledge on the quality of existing health systems with a focus on nurses and patients,
- building international partnerships for capacity building in knowledge management of self, students, and peers, and
- strategies of knowledge management in patients with Non-communicable (NCDs) and Communicable Diseases (CDs) (e.g.,diabetes and HIV/AIDS) in the communities of Limpopo Province.
Supervision
She has successfully supervised 25 master’s students and seven doctoral candidates, and she continues to actively supervise other students. This translates well to her desire to mentor women in academia, and she draws the majority of her PhD students from University lecturers. It also led to her co-authoring some of her 126 articles with master’s and doctoral graduates, as well as research team members. She has published nine book chapters to date.
Research Projects
Prof Mothiba is the founder of the Biennual Health Research Conference, which started in 2019 as a collaboration with the University of Venda Faculty of Health Sciences. From 2014 to 2020, she served as Deputy Project Leader for the VLIROUS Project 2, which was funded by the Flemish Inter-University Council and included peers from Antwerp University in Belgium. The goal of the project was to prevent and manage NCDs in rural communities. She worked as a Deputy Principal Investigator for a Swedish Forte and SAMRC collaborative project on Maternal Health Strengthening in Limpopo Province among other cutting-edge programmes.
Achievement Awards
In 2013, 2016, and 2019, she received five Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Awards in Research from the University of Limpopo. She was awarded the “Top Academic Achiever Award” by the University of Johannesburg in October 2014 for her doctoral degree, and she was admitted to the Golden Key Honour Society. The Key is based on the pillars of knowledge, capacity building, and international research partnerships.
Prof MA Bopape
Prof OS Sibanda
Professor Omphemetse S. Sibanda is an inaugurated Professor of Law with vast leadership and management experience in higher learning institutions (in different roles including Head of Department, Director of School, Executive Dean, and Faculty Research Professor). A former Extra-Ordinary Professor at the North-West University (NWU) in South Africa, Prof Sibanda holds Doctor of Laws degree from the same institution; an LLM degree from the Georgetown University Law Center (USA), where he was a visiting professor between 1998 and 1999, and became part of the leadership of an organisation called Foreign Lawyers at Georgetown (FLAG); BJURIS and LLB (Hons) degrees from Vista University (University of Johannesburg). He is also a member of the International Bar Association and other associations.
Professional Contributions
Prof Sibanda has made numerous contributions to public interest discourse, contributed to some key developments of national importance, and participated in key country-level assignments. For example, he was appointed by the Council on Higher Education as a member of the Standards Development Working Group that, in 2015, crafted the current National LLB Standard for the accreditation of all LLB programmes in the country. Another notable civic duty Prof Sibanda was involved in is the development of the South African Law Commission (Discussion Paper: Project 25 – Statutory Law Revision, 2010), after being appointed in 2008 by the Hon. Ms M.S Mabandla, the then Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, as part of the advisory committee assisting the South African Law Reform Commission. Further important civic engagements included offering lectures to trainee diplomatic cadet officials of the Republic of South Africa at the Foreign Service Institute (Pretoria) on the different issues of private and public international law and economic diplomacy.
Research, supervision and Publications
Prof Sibanda is a passionate and developed researcher who has presented papers at numerous national and international conferences. He has published more than 60 academic articles and chapters in books, more than 100 (20) articles and opinions in media publications on important national issues. He has been Advisory Board Member of the South African Journal of Judicial Education (SAJEJ) since 2017, a journal that is published under the auspices of the South African Judicial Education Institute based in the Office of the Chief Justice of South Africa. A book he co-authored titled Civil Procedure: A Practical Guide, is one of the foremost books used in the legal profession and by some law faculties in the country and researcher in procedural law.
Over and above responsibilities as the Executive Dean of Faculty of Management and Law, Prof Sibanda remains actively involved in the mentoring and supervision to completion of several postgraduate students, in particular doctoral and master’s students.
Prof HJ Siweya
Prof H.J Siweya holds a PhD from the University of Durban-Westville, an MSc from the University of South Africa, an MSc from the University of Sussex, a BSc Hons from the University the North, a BSc Paed from the University of the North, and a Certificate in Strategic Management and Implementation from the University of South Africa. He has served as an external examiner for the University of Kwazulu-Natal and the University of Venda. He is a member of a number of mathematics associations and is the current Vice-President of the African Mathematics Union (Southern Africa) and current President of the South African Mathematical Society.
Biography
He has worked at Ndengeza High School, University of the North (now University of Limpopo), Technikon Northern Gauteng (now Tswane University of Technology), and the University of Venda. His research on mathematical structures called spreads has been published in national and international journals. He has also published articles on mathematics education and psychology in mathematics. Prof. Siweya does research in Pointfree Topology and Mathematics Education.
Achievements
Prof. Siweya has been invited to present at several seminars on locales at national and international forums. He has also served as guest editor of several international mathematics journals.
Mr JK Moloto
Joseph Kgabo Moloto completed his high school level education at Pax College. He obtained his B Admin and B Admin (Hons) in industrial Pyschology at the University of the North (now University of Limpopo). He completed a two year Advanced Leadership Programme, offered jointly by Grownan and Wits, for CSIR managers and did the Executive Development Programme at Unisa School of Business Leadership (SBL). He completed Management Development Programme (Investor in People) offered by International Labour Organisation Centre in Italy (Turin) and London. He attended training programme in continuous improvement methodologies and Quality improvement in Tokyo, Japan.
Biography
Achievements
Joseph served on the boards of NHBRC and as the independent chairperson of the Remuneration Committee of Sedibeng Water Board. He is a registered member of the Institute of Directors and he is also registered as Chartered Human Resources Practitioner with the South African Board for Personnel Practice, a professional body for human resources practitioners.
Mr VM Kgomoeswana
Currently the Executive Director of Marketing and Communication at the University of Limpopo (UL), Victor Kgomoeswana is a demonstrated professional speaker on African business and economic affairs. He is providing an oversight of over 10 units within the department.
In 2014 and 2015, he plied his notable professional trade as a television and radio anchor and commentator, as well as the producer and presenter of a weekly Africa Business News on CNBC Africa. In the same vein, between 2014 until February 2017, he hosted a daily radio show called Power Hour on Power FM.
These, and many more broadcasting roles, adorned his media experience, which began in 1996 and spans print, radio, television, and interactive media.
More strategically, he has offered sound African business advisory and investment services to multinational corporations through his company – Africa is Open for Business – as a director since late 2013. The company, among others, organises conferences and trade missions on African business and economic issues, and advises multinationals on stakeholder relations and business expansion into the rest of the African continent.
In 2012, he joined PPC Ltd – a cement manufacturing company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange – as Business Development Executive. His responsibilities included identifying investment growth opportunities across the African continent and helping the company in establishing a presence in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). His significant experience in government relations and economic diplomacy came in helpful for this role. He represented the company at various conferences and trade missions in Ethiopia, Sudan, Cameroon, the DRC, Gabon, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Botswana, among other places, and coordinated its internal multidisciplinary teams during the initial stages of mergers and acquisitions transactions.
He later became the Chief Executive Officer of the enterprise’s development initiative, PPC Ntsika Fund, and served until January 2014. During his stint as CEO, he primarily focused on supply chain and procurement, as well as collaborating with finance departments to provide finance, mentorship, coaching, and other forms of support to black small and medium-sized businesses.
Prior to joining PPC, he was an Associate Director at Ernst & Young’s (EY) Africa Business Centre since October 2009, where he headed a team that created the firm’s database, today known as Africa Interactive and Growing Beyond Borders. This tool was a first in the industry for the Big Four globally. Following its launch in April 2010, his responsibilities evolved to include business development, supporting pursuit teams across EY practices in 30 African countries and globally, presenting to clients on African business opportunities, locating investment opportunities, and matching them to clients. He also represented the firm at key international conferences such as the World Economic Forum (Africa), Mining Indaba, the Africa Tax Conference, the Africa Mobility Conference, and the Africa Investment Conference (UK), as well as assisting clients in identifying investment opportunities – primarily multinational corporations based in South Africa, India, Europe, the United States, and China.
