The University of Venda convened its Council Induction Workshop on 14 November 2025 at the Protea Fire and Ice Hotel in Menlyn, Pretoria, bringing together Council members for a day of strategic reflection and governance strengthening. The programme explored the closure of the 2021–2025 Strategic Plan, the launch of the 2026–2030 cycle, sector-wide governance reforms, higher education megatrends, and the evolution of UNIVEN’s governance ecosystem. The workshop marked a pivotal moment in UNIVEN’s governance journey.
Opening the session, the Interim Chair of Council, Mr Edwin Mabelebele, reflected on the national higher education landscape, highlighting persistent challenges in student funding, infrastructure, massification, and sustainability, while urging collaborative leadership and proactive planning.
Marking his final day as Interim Chair, he expressed gratitude for the support received and encouraged continuity of ethical leadership as the institution advances its strategic agenda.
Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Bernard Nthambeleni, outlined UNIVEN’s progress under the 2021–2025 Strategic Plan, noting strengthened governance, improved student success, expand-ing research capacity, and steady institutional performance despite financial pressures. He in-troduced the 2026–2030 Strategic Plan aligned with Vision 2040, which prioritises student-cen-tredness; research, innovation, and entrepreneurship; people, health, and environment; and internationalisation and partnerships. Prof Nthambeleni further unpacked the global trends reshaping higher education, from geopolitical instability and technological disruption to shift-ing labour markets and widening inequality, calling for agile, innovation-driven and future-ready universities.
Building on this strategic outlook, Director Strategy and Risk, Dr Mutshinyalo Ratombo, present-ed the proposed 2026–2030 Institutional Strategic Risk Register, emphasising outcome-based planning, regional economic relevance, and stronger industry partnerships. The register iden-tifies key risks, including governance gaps, programme misalignment, limited revenue diversifi-cation, and environmental vulnerabilities, positioning it as a dynamic governance tool for deci-sion-making.
The University Registrar, Dr Joel Baloyi, provided deep insight into governance maturity, refer-encing ISO 37000, ISO 37004 and ISO 37005 to illustrate how ethical leadership, clear delegation of authority, and continuous improvement underpin institutional resilience. His subsequent pre-sentation unpacked the Draft Review of the 2014 Reporting Regulations, detailing strengthened compliance expectations and new reporting instruments designed to reinforce transparency, sustainability, and public accountability across the sector.
Advancing the governance discourse, Mr Fhatuwani Ndou, Head of Governance, Ethics and Com-pliance, introduced the newly released King V Code, which takes effect in January 2026. He high-lighted its streamlined principles, strengthened sustainability and digital governance require-ments, and enhanced accountability mechanisms, including AI oversight, data governance, and a standardised Disclosure Framework endorsed by national regulatory bodies. These expecta-tions, he noted, must be embedded in UNIVEN’s 2026–2030 strategic trajectory.
The University Registrar, Dr Baloyi and Head of Committee Administration, Ms Martha Lewis, concluded the governance-focused presentations with an in-depth overview of UNIVEN’s deci-sion-making framework, clarifying the cooperative governance model and the statutory process-es guiding policy development, academic programme approval, and institutional accountability.
Closing the workshop, Mr Mabelebele thanked Council members and presenters for their con-tributions, affirming the importance of informed, ethical, and forward-looking governance as UNIVEN positions itself for excellence, relevance, and long-term sustainability.
The induction workshop reaffirmed UNIVEN’s commitment to robust governance, strategic fore-sight, and excellence in higher education. It served as a catalyst for strengthening collaboration between the Council and executive management, ensuring effective oversight and sustainable growth.
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