Newcastle’s New University Delayed: Adjustments Required Before Launch

A sense of progression surged through Newcastle in 2024, following the announcement that a university would soon set down roots within its borders, offering residents from Northern KwaZulu-Natal the opportunity to pursue higher education without the necessity of relocating to larger cities.

This initiative not only promised to expand educational horizons but also to stimulate economic growth. However, with an initial opening planned for January 2025, what is the current status of this project?

To provide clarity, in May 2024, the Communications Unit of the Newcastle Municipality confirmed the signing of a lease agreement with the University of South Africa (UNISA). This agreement marked a milestone, setting the stage for UNISA to establish its tertiary educational facility at the historic Old Borough Engineers offices, positioned at the corner of Hospital and Link Street.

At the time of the announcement, the Communications Unit highlighted that the facility’s pivotal role in catalysing Newcastle’s developmental agenda. They explained that the university would unlock key sectors of the town’s economy, providing much-needed employment opportunities for the unemployed, leading to a substantial increase within the local GDP.

The Unit further elaborated that the preliminary aspirations of Newcastle Municipality include its classification as a city by 2035.

One of the many prerequisites for this ranking as a city is the presence of a Multi-Campus University. Thus, the establishment of a UNISA campus is seen as a step towards achieving this goal, aligning with the 2035 city-status program while also enhancing revenue streams.

To explore this development in greater detail, click here.

Moreover, a site oversight visit in September 2024 by representatives from both UNISA and the Municipality acknowledged the progress made at the facility. Despite this, driving past the new university reveals that not much activity from students or academic operations is currently underway, suggesting a delay in the anticipated timeline.

Discussing the matter, Councillor Bertie Meiring, the Chairperson for Town Planning and Development at Newcastle Municipality, shed light on the unforeseen delays.

He explained, “As the Newcastle Municipality conducted the necessary work at the premises, UNISA requested that we redo a number of fixtures within the building, which included doors and other interior fittings. They further requested that we outsource this duty.”

Cllr Meiring noted that the Municipality is now taking decisive action to ensure these requested changes are completed as quickly as possible. “We are aiming to have this finalised by the end of the month, and from there, UNISA will be able to confirm when they will officially open,” he stated.

While the university faces delays, in its University Impact Rankings for 2024, Times Higher Education (THE) listed universities that excel across multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of which Unisa was ranked among the best. According to THE, the listed institutions stand out in individual areas but also demonstrate comprehensive excellence in contributing to global sustainable development.

Affirming the university’s global impact, THE’s University Impact Rankings for 2024 placed Unisa at number six, making it a tie with the Nelson Mandela University in South Africa and in the 601- 800 bands globally. In its World University Rankings 2024 by subject announced on 26 October 2023, THE ranked Unisa between 1001-1200 globally, noting that the university moved up from 12th to 11th position nationally. The University Impact Rankings, therefore, attest to Unisa’s notable growth in the higher education landscape.

THE said, “By excelling in various SDGs, Unisa showcased its commitment to addressing the world’s most pressing challenges, including environmental sustainability, social inclusion, economic growth and partnerships.”

In this regard, Unisa’s sixth position in South Africa underscores the importance of holistic approaches to global challenges and highlights the critical role of academia in driving sustainable change.

Furthermore, THE evaluated 2,152 universities from 125 countries/regions to produce the overall Impact Ranking 2024. THE’s methodology for the overall Impact Rankings integrates scores across multiple SDGs to reflect overall performance and impact. Unisa has demonstrated the strongest impact and contribution on SDGs 5 (gender equality), 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions), 4 (quality education) and 17 (partnerships for the goals). In this regard, THE said, “The ranking celebrates Unisa as a leader in specific SDGs and that it maintains a high level of excellence across a broad spectrum of goals.”

As the final touches are being applied to this new academic hub, what are your thoughts on these developments? Share your views in the comment section below, and let’s discuss how this project could potentially impact the future of the region.