She’s one of six female vice-chancellors out of 26 in the country and heads one of South’s Africa’s newest universities, which is also the first varsity in Mpumalanga.
Professor Thoko Mayekiso is halfway through her second term as University of Mpumalanga (UMP) vice-chancellor, making her tenure of eight years as old as the institution itself.
Established with only 169 students registered in three programmes, UMP was awarded the National Research Foundation’s Excelleration Award 2022 a month ago. The honour recognises a South African research institution for achieving the most improved research performance in the past few years. UMP currently has 7 100 students registered in 49 programmes.
Mayekiso, who obtained her PhD in Psychology (cum laude) at the Free University of Berlin, Germany, also performs the role of deputy vice-chancellor for research at UMP. “I have been providing leadership [in research] working with the director of research management to create a conducive environment.
Our academics understand that you have to show interest in research and engagement.”
Commenting on the award, Mayekiso, a registered clinical psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa, said: “As a university we have been emphasising research. To become an African university leading in ‘creating opportunities [as its motto says]’, we cannot innovate without research.
“We identified seven research themes cutting across faculties; biodiversity, post-harvest technology, ethics and governance, ICT for development, local economic development as well as early childhood development. We are doing excellent work in biodiversity led by Prof Daniel Parker,” she said.
Mayekiso said the university currently has 64 programmes that have been accredited with additional programmes starting next year, which she said will see their enrolment number go up to 9 000.
UMP, together with Sol Plaatje University in the Northern Cape, were launched in 2014. She said UMP was planned to be a medium-sized university with a capacity of 20 000 to 25 000 students, while Sol Plaatje University is smaller with 7 000 students.
Mayekiso, from Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape, has a BA, BA Honours and MA in psychology from the University of Fort Hare and has worked as a senior lecturer, associate professor, professor, head of department and vice-dean at the then University of Transkei, which in 2005 merged with Border Technikon and Eastern Cape Technikon to become the Walter Sisulu University.
She joined Wits in 2001 as head of school, deputy dean, and then acting executive dean in the faculty of humanities. In 2007, she was appointed executive dean in the faculty of arts at the Nelson Mandela University. In 2009, she was promoted to deputy vice-chancellor: research and engagement and it is this position that made it easier for her to assume the same role at UMP.
The university, with campuses in Mbombela and Siyabuswa, incorporated the Lowveld College of Agriculture in 2015, has registered its first cohort of doctoral students.
“I hope to leave behind a university with a solid foundation in the three mission areas: teaching, learning and research and engagement,” said Mayekiso, whose second term ends in 2024.
“I’m hoping that by the time I leave, I would have one doctoral student graduate, the ones who are studying full-time should be able to complete in that period.”
The university’s academic talent stewardship programme is a key driver in developing the next generation of leaders. Mayekiso said as part of the programme, the university identifies five top honours and master’s students who are then appointed as associate lecturers for three years.
The university was the first runner-up in this year’s Enactus South Africa National Competition after only starting to participate in 2017. UMP came second after the Central University of Technology in the competition, which saw teams from 21 universities around the country showcasing entrepreneurial skills with innovative projects aimed at improving the lives of their various communities. The winner will represent South
Africa in the global showpiece at the end of this month in Puerto Rico, South America.
UMP’s students are 90% black, with 80% of them coming from Mpumalanga, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. International students are mainly from Swaziland and a sprinkle from Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Nigeria.
Lessons on
building a
new varsity
It has been an exhilarating eight years for Professor Thoko Mayekiso as vice-chancellor of the University of Mpumalanga. For the mother of two (her daughter is a dermatologist and her son a doctoral student in business administration in the US) her role also meant “putting everything in place” at the new university.
From benefits for staff such as medical aid and pension to academic programmes, Mayekiso has done it all.
With the assistance of three colleagues who were part of the strategy team, Mayekiso said there was urgency around staff benefits, with the university incorporating 147 staff members from the agricultural college who were part of the government pension schemes.
“It is exciting developing such a big institution from scratch,” she said, admitting that it also comes with its own set of challenges.
Gesturing to the main campus in Mbombela where we were conducting the interview, Mayekiso said part of her legacy would be the building of the premises.
“I was involved in the planning … the selection of furniture, tiles and the beds for the student residence. When we started there was a golf course and a banana plantation.”
She said one of her challenges is still to make people understand that as a new university you cannot have all the facilities that an established university has.
“It is a process, a student centre is not a priority, we prioritise lecture halls. It is the same with the academic programme, we cannot start a new qualification until we meet certain requirements.
“To have an honours programme, you must have students who have finished third year. It can be frustrating to academics. Some were teaching third-year students, now they have to teach first years.”
Mayekiso enjoys watching sport to relax.
She said she was looking forward to running a small practice when her tenure ends. She also looks forward to spending time with her grandchildren.
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