UCT autumn graduation: Celebrating over 6000 graduands

Dear colleagues and students

The University of Cape Town (UCT) will hold its autumn graduation ceremonies from Saturday, 28 March to Thursday, 2 April 2026. Across five days, we will confer degrees on approximately 6 185 graduands from all faculties, including those completing doctoral studies.

This is a defining moment in the university calendar. It is a time to recognise academic accomplishment, honour sustained effort and celebrate the collective support of families, friends and the broader UCT community.

For each graduand, this milestone reflects years of sustained dedication, intellectual growth and personal sacrifice. For many, the journey has required balancing study with work, family responsibilities and financial pressures. For others, it has meant pushing the boundaries of knowledge through research and innovation. Our PhD graduates, in particular, join a global community of scholars whose work advances understanding and contributes to addressing complex social, scientific and economic challenges. Each degree conferred affirms UCT’s commitment to rigorous inquiry and public purpose.

• See the full schedule of autumn 2026 graduation ceremonies.

Graduation is also a collective achievement. Families, guardians and friends have provided encouragement and material support. Staff members have guided, supported and enabled our students at every stage of their journey. The ceremonies in the Sarah Baartman Hall will recognise not only individual accomplishment, but also the shared effort that sustains a university community.

For those unable to attend in person, all ceremonies will be live-streamed on the UCT graduation feature page, as well as the Facebook and X social media platforms, with recordings available on the UCT YouTube channel.

During this autumn graduation, UCT will confer honorary degrees on two eminent South Africans, Dr Imtiaz Ismail Sooliman and Mr Cornelius George Werner. These honours recognise distinguished service and contributions that have had a profound impact on society.

• Read the full VC Desk: Honorary doctorates for two outstanding individuals.

For our graduands, this ceremony marks both an ending and a beginning. Graduation invites reflection on what has been learned, what has been overcome and what must now be pursued with courage and clarity. The knowledge and skills gained at UCT are not ends in themselves. They are tools for shaping a more just, creative and sustainable society.

As you move forward, I encourage you to act with intellectual honesty, professional integrity and social awareness. The world you enter is complex and often uncertain. It requires critical thinkers who can work across differences, engage evidence with care, and respond to challenges with imagination and resolve. Carry with you the discipline of rigorous inquiry and the responsibility that accompanies expertise.

Your relationship with UCT does not conclude at graduation. You join a global alumni community whose contributions strengthen the university’s teaching, research and public engagement. I encourage you to remain connected through alumni networks, Convocation and continued collaboration. Your ongoing involvement supports future generations of students and sustains the values that define our institution.

To our committed colleagues, I extend my sincere appreciation. Your dedication to teaching, research, supervision and student support underpins every degree conferred. Your work shapes minds, builds confidence and fosters excellence.

To families and friends, thank you for the sacrifices made and the encouragement offered. This achievement belongs to you as well.

To the Class of 2026, congratulations. May you step forward with confidence, humility, purpose and a spirit of ubuntu – recognising that your achievements are connected to the people and communities around you. May your education serve not only your own aspirations, but also the broader public good. We look forward to celebrating with you and to witnessing the contributions you will make in the years ahead.

Sincerely

Professor Mosa Moshabela
Vice-Chancellor

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements