Strengthening student success in higher education
- Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University
Institutions of higher learning gather at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ to discuss data-informed practices and collaborating for greater student success.
The Analytics and Institutional Research Unit (AIRU) hosted its fourth annual Siyaphumelela Regional Network Meeting on 25 - 26 May 2026. As part of the , the University of the Witwatersrand continues to convene Regional Network Meetings that bring together institutions across Gauteng.
As part of its role as Regional Network Convenor, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ provides a platform for institutions to share their approaches, insights, experiences, and emerging practices related to strengthening student success in higher education.
The meeting was attended by 25 delegates from four universities, namely the University of Johannesburg, North-West University, the University of Venda, and the Vaal University of Technology. In attendance were the Siyaphumelela institutional leads, including Prof. Muntuwenkosi Chili, Executive Director of the Centre for Academic Development at the Vaal University of Technology; Raasie Louw, Manager of Teaching, Learning and Technology at North-West University; Prof. Lindiwe Mulaudzi, Director of the Centre for Higher Education Teaching and Learning at the University of Venda; and Dr Graham Dampier, Senior Manager for Academic Development and Support at the University of Johannesburg. The purpose of the meeting was to strengthen collaboration and sector-wide learning on student success, with a particular focus on data-informed practices, innovation, and monitoring and evaluation.
Facilitated by Dr Celine Meyers, Team Lead (AIRU) and Principal Researcher, the first day commenced with a keynote address by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: People Development and Culture, Prof Garth Stevens. His address highlighted the importance of people and institutional culture in driving meaningful change through data-informed practices. He further emphasised that behind every data point is a student, together with the family and broader support structures that have entrusted the institution with that student’s educational journey. Institutional leads also shared best practices, innovations, and challenges related to the use of data to support student success initiatives within their institutions.
Facilitated by the Senior Director: Academic Affairs, Prof. Nicole De Wet-Billings, together with Thabang Kaneli, the second day focused on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). Dr Braimoh Bello from the Centre for Statistical Analysis and Research (CESAR) conducted a workshop introducing participants to the fundamentals of M&E within the context of student success initiatives. The session also demonstrated Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½’ continued leadership within the Regional Network through its efforts to strengthen Monitoring and Evaluation capacity and support collaborative learning across institutions in Gauteng.
Kaneli closed the meeting by thanking delegates for their active engagement and contributions throughout the two-day programme. She also expressed appreciation to Ashton Murray from Saide for the organisation’s continued support of the Siyaphumelela Initiative and its commitment to strengthening student success across the higher education sector.
Regional meetings have evolved over the past few years:
- 2022: Initial convening hosted by Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½
- 2023: Co-hosted by Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ and the University of Mpumalanga
- 2025: Co-hosted by Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ and Vaal University of Technology
- 2026: Hosted again by Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½