FVZS Leadership Institute / Leierskapsinstituut

How do we grapple with neocolonialism in the context of violent resource extraction in Africa?

Join us for the next session in the FVZS Decolonising African Leadership Masterclass Series.

This session will be presented by Busiswa Sobahele, educator, researcher, and leadership facilitator whose work sits at the intersection of political economy, decolonial thought, and African philosophy.

📆 – 19 August 2026
⏰ – 18:00 – 20:00 SAST
🏟️ – Krotoa 1001 & MS Teams

Refreshments will be served!

Scan the QR code to sign up and we will see you there!

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On 9 August 1956, thousands of women marched to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest the extension of apartheid pass laws to Black women.

The laws restricted their movement, broke up families, and subjected them to arrest.

Their protest elevated women's visibility as leaders in the anti-apartheid struggle, inspired unity, and led to the establishment of National Women's Day on 9 August.

Today we commemorate their leadership.

🚨 FINAL CALL: VOTER REGISTRATION WEEKEND

The 2026 Local Government Elections take place on 4 November 2026, and if you’re not registered, you won’t be able to vote.

This Voter Registration Weekend (1-2 August), check your registration status, register to vote, or update your details if you’ve moved.

Local Government Elections determine who represents your municipality and makes decisions about the services that affect your daily life, including water and sanitation, roads, waste collection, electricity, and local development.

You can always decide who to vote for later, but you must be registered to have that choice.

For all election-related information and voter registration services, visit the Electoral Commission of South Africa Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC)

https://www.elections.org.za/pw/

NEW SHORT COURSE ALERT!

The NEW FVZS institute Digital Citizenship Short Course is now open for applications!

Are you a student leader navigating group chats, social media, AI, and the ever-changing digital world? This course is designed to help you lead with confidence, responsibility, and impact in digital spaces.

The digital world is constantly changing. Student leaders need the skills to lead in it.

Apply now and strengthen your digital leadership toolkit!
Timeline:

Sign-up and registration closes: 1–7 August 2026
Course begins: Tuesday, 11 August 2026
Final completion: Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Fee: R650 charged to your student account.

Register now: https://scapplication.sun.ac.za/?offeringid=1d3b0286-e28b-f111-ac2b-005056801c40

This Mandela Day, we walk so others can lead. 💙

67 minutes, that’s all Madiba asked. This year, as FVZS Institute marks 15 years of developing Africa's future leaders, we’re asking you to walk that legacy forward.

Join our Long Walk to Dakar campaign and help us send an additional five student leaders to the UNESCO Intercultural Competence conference in Dakar, Senegal.

Walk 67 minutes, anywhere, anytime, log it on our Strava club or donate to fund a student’s leadership journey for this once in a lifetime opportunity.

No group walk needed. Just your steps, your way, all adding up to one journey to Dakar.

How can museums repair their relationship with communities in the context of looted African artefacts?

Join us for Session 2 of the FVZS Decolonising African Leadership Masterclass Series: Dispossession, Museums and Politics, led by Dr. Greer Valley (Senior Curator, Zeitz MOCAA).

🗓Date: 22 July 2026
🕐Time: 18:00 – 20:00 SAST
🏠Venue: Krotoa 1001 & MS Teams (hybrid)
🍽Refreshments will be served

Free entry but you must sign up by 20 July @ 16:30 SAST.
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Dakar, October 2026. Five spots for SU students.

The UNESCO Intercultural Competence Conference is happening in Dakar, Senegal, and Stellenbosch University has five delegate spots to fill.

If you're academically on track, involved on campus, and keen to represent SU on a global platform, this could be a meaningful experience.

Flights, accommodation, registration, and visa are covered for the selected students.

Application deadline: 3 August 2026, 23:59.

Send your SUCF form, transcript, and motivation to [email protected].
Contact Dr Heidi October at [email protected] for any questions.

Apply Now!

Register to vote this weekend.

The 2026 Local Government Elections take place on 4 November 2026, and if you’re not registered, you won’t be able to vote.

This Voter Registration Weekend (20–21 June), check your registration status, register to vote, or update your details if you’ve moved.

Local Government Elections determine who represents your municipality and makes decisions about the services that affect your daily life, including water and sanitation, roads, waste collection, electricity, and local development.

You can always decide who to vote for later, but you must be registered to have that choice.

For all election-related information and voter registration services, visit the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

On 27 May 2026, we gathered to celebrate Africa Day, under the theme "assuring sustainable water availability and safe sanitation systems to achieve the goals of Agenda 2063," with a specific focus on target 7, which seeks to expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water-and sanitation-related activities (water harvesting, water efficiency, recycling and reuse technologies) and target 8, which seeks to support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management.

Dr. Michele Carstens delivered a thought-provoking keynote, outlining SUWI’s work in vocational and higher education, professional training in water sciences, and initiatives such as Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs) and the Platform of Vocational Excellence (PoVE) Water, all aimed at building skills and institutional collaboration for a sustainable water sector.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, to the Centre for Collaboration in Africa, and to Dr. Carstens.

Congratulations to all the Maties who availed themselves last weekend. Over 800 of you decided to take the first and most difficult step.

Your bravery deserves recognition, so from the FVZS team; we are proud of you! Take the chance to congratulate yourselves on the decision to stand and make a difference.

Our theme for 2026 is Building a Campus to Build a Nation. The message lands differently with local elections coming in November because a university that leads well teaches a country to do the same🇿🇦.

To every student at Stellenbosch University stepping into leadership, embrace this opportunity and hold it with care.

Lead well Maties!
We believe in you.

Photos📸: Henk Oets