University of Limpopo

In the past year, the University Council has remained committed to upholding the principles of transparency, accountability, and effective decision-making. Our governance structures have played a key role in guiding the institution through challenges and capitalising on opportunities for growth and development.Our focus on financial sustainability, transformation, innovation, technological development and infrastructure has positioned our University for continued success and impact.Strategic investments, optimised budgeting and prudent management of our resources led us to being recognised as one of the top ten richest Universities in South Africa in 2023. This feat was achieved by balancing multiple goals:● keeping tuition and residence costs reasonable for students● efficient allocation of funds to the academic project, administration, facilities and technology to provide a superior academic experience and● ensuring the university's financial health and sustainability for future generations of students. 

Council ensured that the University of Limpopo had a five-year Strategic Plan and Annual Performance Plan as required in the regulations for reporting and KING IV Principle 4: The governing body should appreciate that the organisation’s core purpose, its risks and opportunities, strategy, business model, performance and sustainable development are all inseparable elements of the value creation process.In 2021, The University conducted virtual strategic planning and risk management workshops for Council (20 August) and the Senior Management Team (9 & 21 September) in order to:• review progress against the Annual Performance Plan for 2021;• review the strategy to ensure that it is relevant, well focused and delivers real value to stakeholders;• involve the entire senior management team in the process of strategic planning by obtaining their inputs and views; and• prepare for the Strategic Plan 2022-2026, Annual Performance Plan 2022 and the Strategic Risk Register 2022.As per the the reporting regulations as published in the Gazette of 9 June 2014 under Government Notice No. R.464 (the reporting regulations), the Council approved the submission of the Strategic Plan 2022-2026 and the Annual Performance Plan 2022 to the DHET.

In 2019, Council undertook to address the under-representation of women in senior positions at UL and improve the workplace profile by approving the revised strategy for the development and advancement/progression of women at the University of Limpopo. The following time bound strategies to promote and sustain female management and leadership talent pipeline were adopted. Monitoring of the activities related to the implementation of these strategies will be conducted on a quarterly basis with the review and evaluation of their effectiveness to be undertaken in December 2020.

The University of Limpopo has a developmental role to play in both the Limpopo region and South Africa. To this end, Convocation contributes to the advancement of the vision and mission of the University. It pursues its statutory responsibilities and objectives as an official forum through which members contribute to the affairs of the University.The functions of the Convocation are to: To foster a lasting relationship between the University and its former students and academic employees;• To support the strategic objectives of the University;• To act as ambassadors for the University in order to attract prospective students and funders to the University;• To contribute towards the growth and development of the University through donations, gifts or acts of service;• Assist the University through their skills, experience and expertise on any matter relating to the University, including matters which may be referred to it by the Council;

In the 2017 academic year, management continued to embed risk management intothe operations of the University. To this end, management continued to manage the risks foreseen to disrupt the realisation of the University’s strategic goals and threaten its sustainability. The Risk Management Committee is chaired by the Vice Chancellor and Principal, and its duties are to oversee the planning, budgeting and implementation of risk mitigation strategies for the University. In addition, this committee updates the risk register as new and emerging risks are identified and reported. The risk register is also reviewed and updated annually during preparation of the Annual Performance Plan to ensure that risks that could hamper the University in achieving its strategic goals are mitigated. Furthermore, the risk register, once reviewed and considered by the Risk Management Committeeand the Executive Management Committee, is submitted to Council’s Audit Committee.Most of the risks in the register were successfully mitigated in 2017 and did not materialise. A summary of the 2017 Risk Register and the University’s mitigation plans to those risks is provided below.

Today the University is a hive of activity providing access to higher education in a rural context to young, vibrant, aspirant future leaders of this country. The University has four faculties i.e. Health Sciences, Science & Agriculture, Management & Law and Humanities. There are approximately 137 accredited qualifications on offer. The University prides itself on the diversity of its Programmeand Qualification Mix (PQM) and the fact that it only offers programmes that have been accredited by the Council for Higher Education (CHE) and other relevant professional accreditation bodies.

The 2011 Annual Report contains a comprehensive account of the unbundling process of the two as gazetted by the Minister of Higher Education and Training in accordance with the Higher Education Act, 1997 (Act 101 of 1997). However, the unbundling process is an on-going exercise and the University is still working on the details regarding the practicalities involved therein. The University is further proud that de-merging has come with a milestone achievement through the establishment of a Medical Platform in Polokwane. Hence, the beginning of 2012 identified three outstanding critical processes towards the establishment of the Medical School with respect to the:•     Formal approval by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET)in line with the institution’s Programmes and Qualifications Mix (PQM).•     Accreditation of the site of delivery by the HEQC.•     Accreditation of the proposed curriculum by the Health Professions Council ofSouth Africa (HPCSA). 

There are some who suggest that the geographical position of the University of Limpopo, ‘in the middle of nowhere’, is an impediment to excellence. I disagree with this sentiment. The importance of academic best practice in our particular ‘middle ofnowhere’ cannot be over-estimated. We sit in the middle of rural Africa with the tools and the determination to make a significant contribution to the challenges with which our transforming continent is faced. 

TH YAR UDR review has had its share of controversy and triumphs. The latter faroutweigh the former, and this report will concentrate on the positive developmentsand successes with which 2010 was liberally studded. However, it is importantthat all the university’s constituencies are apprised of the facts surrounding recentactivities relating to the merger of our two previous universities – the University ofthe North and the Medical University of Southern Africa – to form the currentUniversity of Limpopo. This merger occurred six years ago, on 1 January 2005,and since that date an enormous amount of work on both campuses has been doneto harmonise the two previously independent institutions and to create a common institutional culture and purpose. Nevertheless, late in 2010, the minister of Higher education and Training unexpectedly announced in the media that he would appoint a task team to examine the state of the merger with a view to recommending whether it shouldremain in place or be reversed. This was a surprise to the University Council and toour executive Committee. Our Council immediately contacted the ministry, requesting that Council be consulted on the matter. A delegation from theUniversity of Limpopo travelled to Cape Town for precisely such a consultation,where the minister apologised for the lapse in protocol. It was then agreed thata task team comprising two senior academics from universities in Cape Townand KwaZulu-atal be appointed to examine the situation and make recommendations by early 2011.

We began the year in serious financial difficulties. The 2007 calendar year had left us with an operating deficit of R136-million, and the assessors’ report called theuniversity ‘technically insolvent’. Liabilities had exceeded assets by a massive R537-million. The year under review was dominated by our efforts to reverse this undesirable situation. Working with the IOP implementation team, we concentrated our efforts in four areas. The first was to review and where necessary modify our academic structures and programmes, using financial viability as a fundamental criterion.The second was to improve the university’s management information systems. The third was to re-engineer business processes and clean up all databases. The fourth was to review the administrative support function and where necessary modify staff numbers and services provided.