Journey from access to success at South African universities

South Africa has largely dealt with the problem of access to higher education, making significant strides in providing opportunities for all students.

And, although challenges remain in terms of student success, the country has seen good progress through the Siyaphumelela (‘We succeed’ in isiXhosa) network, which now includes 20 of South Africa’s 26 public universities.

This was a key takeaway from the annual Siyaphumelela Conference, which took place in Johannesburg recently.

The network, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, has just received a major boost in the form of grants from the United States-based Kresge Foundation totalling more than ZAR114 million (about US$6.3 million) over the next three years. This funding is set to enhance the network’s initiatives aimed at ‘moving the needle’ in terms of student success rates.

‘Extraordinary progress’

Jenny Glennie, the executive director of the South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE), the non-profit organisation coordinating Siyaphumelela, traced the remarkable transformation in South Africa’s higher education landscape over the past few decades.

She highlighted the shift from a segregated apartheid higher education system before 1994 to a more representative one, with the demographics of first-time undergraduate enrolments now closely mirroring the national demographics for the first time.



A slide depicting enrolment changes in South Africa.

“This demonstrates that we have made extraordinary progress as far as access to university in South Africa is concerned. That challenge is more or less complete. We can be very proud of this fact,” Glennie said, a remark that elicited enthusiastic applause from the audience.

She attributed this achievement, in part, to the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), which has significantly increased financial support for students from low-income backgrounds. The number of students funded by NSFAS grew from just over 175,000 in 2014 to nearly 700,000 in 2022.

First-generation students

However, while access has improved, Glennie pointed out that many more students from schools serving poor communities are now enrolling in universities in South Africa, most of whom are first-generation students.

“They would generally be less prepared for university, especially in areas such as experience of libraries, laboratories, digital devices, internet access and absence of family role models. They clearly require more support,” she said.

Components of change

This is where the Siyaphumelela approach comes in. The initiative works to:

• Establish a more student-centred culture in South Africa’s higher education system to improve student success;

• Achieve annual targets to improve retention, course success and throughput rates for degrees and diplomas, and eliminate differences based on race, gender and socio-economic status;

• Improve institutional capacity to collect and use student data for evidence-based decision-making to improve student success across the South African higher education system;

• Consolidate and share evidence-based student success efforts on a national scale, including supporting students, use of data, teaching and learning and transforming institutions; and

• Embed the student voice in student success initiatives and approaches.

‘Remarkable success’

Bill Moses, managing director of the Kresge Foundation’s education programme, highlighted what he called the “remarkable success” of the Siyaphumelela initiative, noting that it has sparked positive changes in South African higher education.

Practices such as national student engagement surveys, carefully designed first-year experiences, data-driven problem identification, and open communication about successes and challenges have become standard within the network.

“With the expansion to 20 universities this year, Kresge’s investment, along with your own institutional investments, and the University Capacity Development Programme (UCDP) of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), it’s clear you’re having a positive impact on the lives of your students,” he told those attending the conference.

“We know some institutions are starting to see shorter times to degree. Other institutions are seeing increased throughput,” he added.

However, there are still significant disparities in success rates between students from different population groups, with gaps as large as 10%.

“We need to overcome that,” Glennie emphasised.

Dropout dispute

Dr Marcia Socikwa, the deputy director-general of the DHET in charge of the department’s university education branch, said there was concern over high dropout rates, citing figures seemingly suggesting two-thirds of students do not complete their degrees.

She warned that the National Treasury views this as a poor return on investment, potentially leading to further cuts in state subsidies for universities.

Professor Thandwa Mthembu, the vice-chancellor and principal of the Durban University of Technology (DUT), who is a mathematician by profession, later clarified how enrolment and graduation figures should be interpreted.

Using a hypothetical institution with 3,000 students – 1,000 in each year of a three-year degree – he illustrated how, even with perfect progression from one year to the next, the graduation rate in a given year would be 1,000 out of 3,000 students.

“But then there is confusion: ‘Oh, you can only graduate a maximum of a third? So you are losing two-thirds?’ But that’s the formula not being properly understood. The most you can actually get is a third. That’s why we need conceptual clarity,” he said.

Siyaphumelela undertook to engage the DHET and National Treasury on the matter.

Leadership driving change

Mthembu was one of the keynote speakers at the conference, which highlighted the crucial role of leadership in driving institutional change and achieving equitable outcomes.

A panel discussion featuring leaders from universities in the Siyaphumelela network stressed the importance of a strategic, holistic approach to student success, encompassing everything from data-driven interventions to addressing the financial, psychosocial, and academic challenges students face.

Professor Thabo Msibi, the deputy vice-chancellor for teaching and learning at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), highlighted his institution’s deliberate focus on attracting students from lower quintile schools (those in poorer communities) and the subsequent responsibility to provide comprehensive support for their success.

Emeritus Professor Daya Reddy, the interim vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town (UCT), identified key barriers to student success, including financial constraints, psychosocial challenges, curriculum overload, and the need for targeted support in historically difficult courses such as mathematics.

Professor Garth Stevens, deputy vice-chancellor for people development and culture at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), shared how Wits has developed a comprehensive student success framework integrated into its strategic plan.

Professor Matete Madiba, deputy vice-chancellor for student development and support at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), focused on the need to break down silos and make student success a cross-cutting priority at higher education institutions to achieve meaningful change.

Advice for new partners

The panel also offered advice to universities joining the Siyaphumelela network. Professor Muki Moeng, deputy vice-chancellor for learning and teaching at Nelson Mandela University (NMU), encouraged new partners to actively participate in the network and contribute their knowledge and experiences.

Professor Anthea Rhoda, deputy vice-chancellor for academic affairs at the University of the Free State (UFS), argued for putting students at the centre of all interventions and for universities to ask how they can change to help students, and not the other way round.

National movement of note

The Siyaphumelela conference underscored the significant strides made in access and student success in South African higher education, while also highlighting the ongoing challenges and the vital role of leadership in sustaining the momentum.

By sharing experiences, learning from each other, and collaborating on data-driven solutions, the Siyaphumelela network is fostering a culture of continuous improvement and empowering institutions to create a more equitable and supportive environment for all students.

“From a handful of vice-chancellors and university leaders interested in supporting students back in 2014, to more than 260 people here today, you have created a national movement that is improving the lives of so many people. Thank you so much for your hard work, passion and commitment to making your institutions and South Africa better,” the Kresge Foundation’s, Moses concluded.