From Vulnerability to Vigilance: UNIVEN Charts a Resilient Path through the 2026– 2030 Strategic Risk Assessment Workshop

The 2026–2030 Strategic Risk Assessment Workshop, held on 10–11 November 2025 at Irene Country Lodge in Centurion, Pretoria, marked a defining milestone in the University of Venda (UNIVEN)’s pursuit of resilience, accountability, and excellence. This two-day engagement brought together senior leadership, strategic planners, auditors, and operational experts to collectively identify and assess institutional risks that could affect the achievement of the University’s strategic objectives over the next five years.

Guided by Programme Director Mrs Beauty Mutheiwana, Director Supply Chain Management and Expenditure, the workshop opened with a high-level overview of UNIVEN’s new Strategic Plan and key audit outcomes, setting the tone for informed and collaborative discussions. Through dynamic breakaway sessions, participants explored root causes of institutional risks, evaluated existing controls, and formulated practical mitigation strategies.

The Strategic Risk Assessment Workshop featured four commissions, each tasked with identify-ing and presenting strategic risks for the 2026–2030 period. These commissions were creatively named after iconic African wildlife, symbolising strength and strategic insight. Commission 1 (The Rhinos) was chaired by Prof Sebi Lekalakala-Mokgele, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning. Commission, 2 (The Elephants) was led by Prof Fulufhelo Netswera, Deputy Vice-Chan-cellor: Research and Postgraduate Studies. Commission 3 (The Lions) was chaired by Mr Botwe Kraziya, Chief Operating Officer, while Commission 4 (The Buffalos) was headed by Dr Joel Baloyi, University Registrar. Each chairperson guided their team in identifying institutional risks, ensur-ing a comprehensive and collaborative approach to strategic planning.

In his opening remarks, Chief Operating Officer, Mr Botwe Kraziya, welcomed delegates on be-half of the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Bernard Nthambeleni, urging active participation throughout the workshop. Mr Kraziya emphasised that effective risk management is not merely a compliance exercise but a cornerstone of strategic success.

His presentation reinforced that aligning institutional risks with the 2026–2030 Strategic Plan ensures that key outcomes are achieved within acceptable risk parameters. Under the theme “From Vulnerability to Vigilance,” the workshop underscored the importance of adaptability, shared accountability, and forward-looking risk governance in navigating an evolving higher ed-ucation landscape.

Dr Mutshinyalo Ratombo, Director of Strategy and Risk, unpacked the University’s new Strategic Plan, the first phase of UNIVEN’s Vision 2040 Long-Term Strategy. Approved by Council on 12 September 2025, the plan aligns with the final stretch of the United Nations Sustainable De-velopment Goals (SDGs) and positions UNIVEN as “A University for Relevance, Excellence, and Impact.” Anchored in four strategic thrusts: Student-Centredness, Research, Innovation and En-trepreneurship, People, Health and Environment, and Internationalisation and Partnerships, the plan aims to strengthen competitiveness, sustainability, and innovation.

Dr Ratombo further outlined key planning instruments, including the Institutional Risk Register and Annual Performance Plan (APP), both of which will guide institutional performance and ac-countability over the five-year cycle.

Adding a critical dimension to the discussions, Director of Internal Audit, Ms Diana Makwarela, delivered a presentation titled “Audit Insights Informing Strategic Risk Identification: Enhancing Risk Management through Comprehensive Audit Analysis.” She revealed how audit outcomes from 2021 to 2024, consolidated through a 2025 follow-up audit, inform governance maturity and strategic resilience. While UNIVEN achieved unqualified audit opinions for four consecutive years, Ms Makwarela highlighted areas requiring continuous improvement, such as governance stability, data integrity, and timely implementation of audit recommendations. She also drew connections between UNIVEN’s risk landscape and continental trends reflected in the 2026 Af-rica Risk in Focus Report, including cybersecurity, financial sustainability, and digital transforma-tion pressures.

Further deepening the conversation, the Risk Officer, Mr Tinyiko Sibiya, emphasised that risk identification is the foundation of effective assessment and management. His presentation out-lined a structured scoring framework to quantify the likelihood and impact of potential events, illustrating how risks can either hinder or enhance performance outcomes. He emphasised that collective vigilance, informed by data, planning, and accountability, is crucial to establishing a culture of proactive risk management across all institutional levels.

On the final day, commissions presented their findings to the plenary, culminating in a priori-tised institutional risk register led by Dr Ratombo. These insights will directly inform UNIVEN’s Risk Management Framework, ensuring strategic foresight and governance integration across all operations.

Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Bernard Nthambeleni, closed the Strategic Risk Workshop by commending participants for their active engagement in a crucial exercise that strengthens UNI-VEN’s transformation into a learning institution. He emphasised that effective risk management is inseparable from achieving the 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, reminding staff that success requires collective ownership of identified risks and proactive mitigation. Prof Nthambeleni urged that risk identification must be a bottom-up process, driven by those directly involved in operations, to ensure accountability and alignment with institutional goals. He further highlighted the impor-tance of addressing audit findings and ensuring that risk champions provide timely feedback to sustain a culture of transparency and responsiveness.

Reflecting on the University’s progress, Prof Nthambeleni underscored that UNIVEN has made significant investments in staff and systems, which must now translate into stronger performance and governance. He praised the internal facilitation of the workshop, noting that the quality of discussions matched that of external consultants. He confirmed that a consolidated risk report will be submitted to the Audit and Risk Committee and other governance structures for approval before year-end. Prof Nthambeleni also called for coordinated institutional input on the new DHET reporting framework by 21 November 2025, urging staff and Senate members to contrib-ute to this critical process. In closing, he expressed gratitude to the organisers, presenters, and participants for their commitment to advancing UNIVEN’s strategic resilience and institutional excellence.

The 2026–2030 Strategic Risk Assessment Workshop reaffirmed UNIVEN’s commitment to trans-forming vulnerability into vigilance, building a future-ready institution grounded in strategic fore-sight, sustainable growth, and unwavering accountability.

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University of Venda
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