University of Cape Town News

For information on South Africa's response to COVID-19 please visit the COVID-19 Corona Virus South African Resource Portal.

Highlights from 2021

As we look back on 2021, we celebrate some of the stories that were popular with readers of the UCT News website during the year.

Fertiliser from urine: winning master’s research underscores SDGs

Hlumelo Marepula’s winning research converts urea, commonly found in urine, into fertiliser – good news for sustainability and realising the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

07 Jan 2022 - 8 min read Reader's Choice 2021

Inequality in South Africa is a ‘ticking timebomb’

UCT’s African Centre of Excellence for Inequality Research and the Embassy of France in South Africa hosted a dialogue on historical inequalities and economic transformation.

07 Jan 2022 - 8 min read Reader's Choice 2021

UCT selects first Uyinene Mrwetyana Scholarship recipient

Luhlanganiso Majebe was the first recipient of UCT’s Uyinene Mrwetyana Scholarship, established by the Faculty of Humanities in partnership with the Development and Alumni Department.

06 Jan 2022 - 4 min read Reader's Choice 2021

‘No intention of losing my cattle’ – graduand on hard times in a foreign country

Alone and cut off from his home in Namibia, EBE graduate Shade Muluti grappled with the effects of COVID-19 on his studies and family circle.

06 Jan 2022 - 7 min read Reader's Choice 2021

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Newsbyte ‘UCT Open Textbook Journeys’ provides access to locally relevant learning materials

Lecturers at UCT are adopting innovative pedagogical and content production approaches to provide students with more accessible and locally relevant learning materials.

18 Jan 2022 - 2 min read

News UCT honours student leaders

The 2020 and 2021 Student Leadership Awards recognised the outstanding contributions made by student leaders and organisations in an online ceremony.

06 Jan 2022 - 6 min read

News SALDRU releases preliminary COVID-19 Vaccine Survey results

The COVID-19 Vaccine Survey, an initiative of the Southern Africa Labour Development Research Unit at UCT, has revealed several interesting findings.

21 Dec 2021 - 6 min read

News Using the power of language to open a window on economics

Translating over 1 000 economic terms into South Africa’s 11 official languages is at the heart of the EcoDoc app, recently launched within UCT’s School of Economics.

21 Dec 2021 - 5 min read

News Three winners of new socially responsive course grants

Associate Professor Lis Lange has named the first three recipients of UCT’s newly introduced socially responsive engaged teaching and learning course development grants.

20 Dec 2021 - 6 min read

Foot-powered washing machine wins international design challenge Electrical engineering master’s student Kai Goodall is a born innovator whose refinement of the hand-cranked washing machine, Divya, has won him an international innovation prize. 20 Dec 2021

War of words: Salazar’s work on ISIS rhetoric wins UCT Book Award Philippe-Joseph Salazar, Distinguished Professor of Rhetoric, has won the 2021 UCT Book Award for his work, Words are Weapons: Inside ISIS’s Rhetoric of Terror. 20 Dec 2021

Lightboard makes teaching effective during pandemic To enhance teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, UCT’s Associate Professor Jimmy Winfield built a lightboard, which he used during online education for his students. 17 Dec 2021

Celebrating UCT’s EBE, Science, Health Sciences and Law graduates It was a gra(n)d affair as the University of Cape Town (UCT) celebrated graduates from the faculties of Engineering & the Built Environment, Science, Health Sciences and Law on 14 December 2021. 17 Dec 2021

Celebrating UCT’s Commerce and Humanities graduates The air was electrifying, and joy abounded, as the University of Cape Town (UCT) celebrated the 2021 summer graduation ceremonies. 17 Dec 2021

Public–private collaboration crucial to Africa’s development UCT’s annual Research Function, held virtually in November 2021, provided a platform for crucial conversations around strategic partnerships. 15 Dec 2021

Handcrafted mosaic bench graces haven at Hanover Park clinic site The Perinatal Mental Health Project at the Hanover Park Community Health Centre took time out to celebrate the achievements of 2021 – and a special gift. 15 Dec 2021

On thin ice: Open Data and interdisciplinary collaboration A shared, inter-disciplinary research space is enabling cross-faculty UCT research on the nature of first-year Antarctic sea ice. 15 Dec 2021

‘Challenges are the seeds that sprout beautiful opportunities’ On 14 December, Ludwe Qosho will graduate with his master’s degree in city and regional planning from UCT’s Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment. 14 Dec 2021

UCT Community of Hope Vaccination Centre

The University of Cape Town in partnership with the Western Cape Government (WCG) have reinforced our commitment to bringing hope to the residents of the Mother City with the launch of the world‑class Community of Hope Vaccination Centre that opened its doors on Monday, 30 August 2021.
The site is located on Main Road in Mowbray – in the Forest Hill Residence – and access is from Broad Street. The site is open every Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 15:00 and on Saturday from 09:00 to 13:00. Please allow time for attending to COVID-19 protocols and arrive as early as possible at the vaccination centre.

Previous features

Feature UCT Annual Awards 2021

The virtual event took place at 18:00 on Monday, 6 December 2020.

06 Dec 2021

Year in Review 2020

12 Nov 2021

Feature Retirees Recognition

This year we have the privilege of honouring nearly 90 retirees from across the university, including academic and professional, administrative support and service (PASS) staff.

11 Nov 2021

Feature College of Fellows

This year, nine new fellows have been recognised for original, distinguished academic work that merits special recognition.

03 Nov 2021

CMD Annual Review 2020

In 2020 the onset of COVID-19 provided a dramatic backdrop for the work of the Communication and Marketing Department (CMD).

30 Sep 2021

Feature UCT’s response to COVID-19

UCT is taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously, and this page will feature the latest news and updates for the UCT community.

05 Feb 2020

Listen to the news

The stories in this selection include an audio recording for your listening convenience.

Heritage Month: UCT cleansing ceremonies a powerful transformation narrative

Khoi and San land cleansing ceremonies were held at three locales on UCT’s Rondebosch campuses, part of the university’s Heritage Month activities.

29 Sep 2021 - 10 min read

Bristol University ‘illustrious professor’ honour for VC Phakeng

Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng will have the honour of becoming the University of Bristol’s first Bristol Illustrious Visiting Professor.

27 Sep 2021 - 4 min read

Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra’s concert of gratitude for healthcare workers

In honour of healthcare workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra performed the Concert of Gratitude.

16 Sep 2021 - 4 min read

UCT scientists celebrated as superheroes who save the world

Fun-for-kids initiative SupersScientists helps children see researchers and scientists as the heroes they are. UCT academics are among the superheroes children learn about in class.

13 Sep 2021 - 8 min read