UNISA has raised more than R10 million towards its R50m student debt relief campaign, bringing renewed hope to hundreds of students facing financial barriers to completing their qualifications.
The funds were raised at the university’s second annual fundraising gala dinner, held at The Maslow Hotel in Menlyn on Wednesday under the theme, “Invest in the future of Unisa students”.
The event brought together business leaders, alumni, academics, university stakeholders and supporters of student funding initiatives, all contributing to a campaign aimed at helping students whose outstanding fees are preventing them from progressing or graduating.
More than 553 students are expected to benefit from this year’s fundraising drive.
The evening began with R4m in pledges, which was matched by the Unisa Board of Council, taking the amount to R8m. Additional pledges made during the evening pushed the total past the R10m mark.
Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor Professor Puleng LenkaBula said the initiative reflected the university’s responsibility to ensure that financial difficulties did not stand between students and the completion of their qualifications.
“It is crucial that we ensure students near completion are not left behind due to outstanding fees,” LenkaBula said.
She said students nearing graduation represented an important investment in South Africa’s future and should not have their potential limited by financial circumstances.
With nearly 400 000 students, Unisa plays a significant role in widening access to higher education, including the training of professionals such as teachers and chartered accountants.
The university’s fundraising campaign comes as student debt remains a major challenge across South Africa’s higher education sector.
The evening’s main speaker, Business Leadership South Africa CEO and Unisa alumna Busisiwe Mavuso, reflected on the role the university had played in her own career and in creating opportunities for people who might otherwise struggle to access higher education.
Mavuso described Unisa as a “beacon of hope” for students who work while studying and said expanding access to education was closely linked to South Africa’s economic future.
She called for collective action to ensure students receive the support they need to complete their studies, saying tackling student debt requires more than financial contributions alone.
Unisa Convocation President Justice Dabampe also thanked donors, emphasising that collective support could help turn students’ academic ambitions into completed qualifications.
National Student Representative Council President Siyathokoza Nkwanyana highlighted the wider impact of student debt, saying financial barriers can affect students’ ability to register, continue their studies and graduate.
Drawing from his own experience, Nkwanyana said education could transform not only the lives of individual students but also those of their families and communities.
He urged alumni, businesses and civil society organisations to view contributions to student funding as an investment in the potential of young people.
Unisa Board of Council Deputy Chairperson Dan Mosia meanwhile sought to reassure potential donors about the university’s financial management, pointing to its record of consecutive clean audits.
The fundraising effort forms part of wider discussions about how to address student debt and ensure graduates are able to enter the workforce without being held back by accumulated education costs.
