UNIVEN Charts Its Future in 2026–2030 Strategic Planning Session

The University of Venda (UNIVEN) recently took a decisive step in shaping its future when it hosted a two-day strategic planning session on 18–19 September 2025 at Park Hotel, Mokopane. The session finalised the 2026–2030 Institutional Strategic Plan and the 2026 Annual Performance Plan, while refining divisional operational plans to ensure the University is ready to implement its vision in the 2026 academic year.

Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Bernard Nthambeleni, officially opened the session by outlining its purpose, emphasising alignment with UNIVEN’s mission of societal relevance, academic excel-lence, and research impact. He highlighted the importance of strategies such as innovative teach-ing and learning, entrepreneurship, research, digital transformation, and financial sustainability. Prof Nthambeleni confirmed the unanimous Council approval of the 2026–2030 Strategic Plan and 2026 APP, encouraged senior managers to engage their respective teams with the approved documents, and called for collaboration, creativity, and commitment as UNIVEN advances toward Vision 2040.
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Prof Nthambeleni’s presentation on the 2026–2030 Strategic Plan outlined the roadmap toward Vision 2040, anchored in four strategic thrusts: student-centeredness; research, innovation, and entrepreneurship; people, health, and environment; and internationalisation and partnerships. Ten key outcomes focus on employability, digital transformation, research excellence, financial sustain-ability, inclusivity, well-being, environmental stewardship, and global standing. Informed by a SWOT analysis, the strategy leverages UNIVEN’s strengths, such as Indigenous Knowledge Systems and its location in the UNESCO designated Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, while addressing weaknesses like low postgraduate recruitment and siloed research. The plan calls for diversification and an entrepreneurial culture to mitigate threats like financial constraints and technological disruption.
His second presentation on the 2026 APP explained how the Strategic Plan will be translated into measurable annual objectives, with ministerially approved targets aligned to DHET requirements and council-controlled targets advancing transformation. Key priorities include improving through-put and graduation rates, expanding online learning, increasing research outputs, developing en-trepreneurial ventures, diversifying revenue, and enhancing inclusivity, wellness, green initiatives, and global collaborations.
Dr Mutshinyalo Ratombo, Director of Strategy and Risk, outlined UNIVEN’s approach to aligning performance reporting with the Strategic Plan and APP through a Theory of Change framework and coordinated risk management. Key focus areas include student success, research excellence, entrepreneurship, and partnerships, with flagship projects such as satellite campuses, smart villag-es, and centres of excellence.

Prof Barwa Kanyane, on behalf of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) Teaching and Learning, em-phasised a student-centred approach to teaching and learning, calling for psychosocial support, problem-based learning, and design thinking. He urged collective effort to ensure students grad-uate on time with industry-relevant skills, highlighting hybrid learning, digital readiness, and staff well-being as key enablers.
Adv Rolien Roos, also representing the DVC Teaching and Learning, stressed that UNIVEN has a limited three-to-four-year window to equip students with durable skills. Using the metaphor of a restaurant, she highlighted the importance of a relevant programme mix, cutting-edge curriculum, and a supportive student experience. She called for holistic academic and psychosocial support and reaffirmed that the next five years will focus on teamwork, staff development, and creating a supportive teaching and learning ecosystem.
Acting DVC Research and Postgraduate Studies, Prof Joseph Francis, presented a strategy posi-tioning UNIVEN as a research-buoyant, entrepreneurial university driving socio-economic trans-formation. Six pillars guide this strategy: research capacity, innovation and knowledge sovereignty, infrastructure and visibility, science for society, governance and ethics, and postgraduate studies. The plan integrates entrepreneurship into teaching, research, and community engagement to pro-duce innovators and job creators.
Ms Sue Govender presented a R1.95 billion Infrastructure Plan (2025–2030) designed to support Vision 2040 through optimised space use, modernised assets, and green and digital principles. The plan includes hybrid learning spaces, innovation hubs, housing, and sustainability projects governed by clear oversight frameworks.
HR Director, Mrs Uanda Ndou, outlined the 2026–2030 Human Resources Strategy, addressing slow recruitment, weak HR technology, and succession planning gaps. It sets 12 objectives focused on transformation, performance culture, talent acquisition, technology adoption, and staff devel-opment, aligning HR processes with institutional goals and global competitiveness.
Acting CFO, Mrs Mavis Madzhie, presented the draft Financial Sustainability Strategy, focusing on revenue growth through academic innovation, research commercialisation, and commercial ser-vices, cost control, ROI maximisation, and growing long-term reserves. She emphasised that suc-cessful implementation would require university-wide participation and continuous monitoring.
University Registrar, Dr Joel Baloyi, presented the Governance Maturity Assessment, noting strengths but urging action to improve value generation, strategy execution, digitalisation, and Council’s stakeholder engagement role to sharpen accountability and resilience.
Day two featured a virtual keynote address from Dr Vuyisile Phehane from the University of Johan-nesburg, which underscored the urgent need for universities to diversify income beyond strained government subsidies and student fees, proposing a wholly-owned technology holding company to commercialise intellectual property (IP) and generate third-stream revenue through licensing, spin-outs, start-ups, short learning programmes, and strategic partnerships.

On the photo: Dr Vuyisile Phehane
Such a model, anchored in robust governance, clear mandates, and enabling policies, would mitigate institutional risks while fostering entrepreneurship, innovation, and socio-economic impact. With strong institutional support, aligned vision, access to funding, and supportive government frameworks, UNIVEN can transform its intellectual assets into sustainable revenue, industry collaboration, societal benefit, and a strengthened reputation as a university of choice.\
Another keynote speaker was Prof Joey Chifamba, a globally recognised nanopharmacist and drug development expert with over 30 years of international academic and industry experience.
He emphasised in his presentation that universities must evolve into entrepreneurial ecosystems that translate research into market-ready innovations. He highlighted that in today’s knowledge economy, intangible assets such as intellectual property and data drive value creation, positioning universities to lead through collaborative models like the Triple and Quadruple Helix, which link academia, industry, government, and society. Stressing the importance of translational research in overcoming the “valley of death” where promising ideas fail, he showcased the RDCI model and the ATRIC BioSciences case study as examples of how preparation, top-down innovation, user-driven prototyping, and strategic partnerships can bridge commercialisation gaps. Prof Chifamba called for a reimagining of institutional missions, infrastructure, and curricula to embed goal-driven, multidisciplinary approaches that anticipate regulatory demands and convert research into im-pactful goods and services, ultimately delivering both public value and economic growth. He has recently been appointed Adjunct Professor at the University of Venda, while his primary residence remains at the University of Zimbabwe.
Adv Roos reported on progress with the Radisson June 2025 Catch-Up Plan, focusing on improv-ing success rates, throughput, and programme reviews to strengthen teaching and learning out-comes. Prof Francis also presented an analysis of underperformed KPIs, highlighting low student throughput, delayed graduations, and research underperformance, recommending academic sup-port, research incentives, and streamlined administration.
Dr Patience Mativandlela presented the 2026 Divisional Operational Plan, a roadmap linking plan-ning, budgeting, monitoring, and quarterly reporting to ensure alignment with the Strategic Plan and APP.
Mrs Madzhie also presented the 2026 Draft Budget, projecting modest enrolment growth, tuition and residence fee increases, and a 10.3% contribution from third-stream income. Spending will prioritise cost efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, and teaching capacity expansion.
Mrs Beauty Mutheiwana, Director of Supply Chain Management and Expenditure, reviewed 2025 procurement successes and challenges and introduced the 2026 Procurement Plan, focused on early planning, governance, and compliance, with new policies aligned to SANS ISO 10845 and NEC4 standards to support research, infrastructure, and sustainability.
The session concluded with a recap by Prof Modimowabarwa Kanyane, who emphasised priorities including staff establishment expansion, commercialisation of Intellectual Property, and integrated planning, budgeting, monitoring, and reporting.
Prof Nthambeleni’s closing remarks underscored UNIVEN’s commitment to building a responsive, future-ready institution, thanked participants and guest speakers, and called for cascading the Strategic Plan and APP to all staff to ensure shared understanding.
By the end of the two-day session, UNIVEN had reaffirmed its commitment to innovation in teach-ing, excellence in research, student success, financial resilience, and sound governance, position-ing the University to make a lasting impact in the years ahead.
Issued by:
Department of Marketing, Branding and Communication
University of Venda
Tel: 082 868 2218 / 082 868 1811