Thought Leadership insights and recommendations to influence priority focus decisions of USAf Strategy Groups
Universities SA (USAf) takes very seriously the issues laid bare at its inaugural Thought Leadership event on 2 October, said the USAf CEO, Dr Phethiwe Matutu, on the day.
Delivering the closing remarks, she expressed her gratitude to the panellists and the audience for their valuable contributions and reflection on the key issues raised within the Dialogue theme: Rethinking Post-School Pathways for Youth Employability in South Africa.
Dr Matutu (right) stated that funding remains a central constraint in expanding access to higher education, noting that “budget limitations play a big role in our inability to accommodate the students coming out of basic education.” She explained that the expansion of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has significantly increased the State’s per-student contributions, which, in turn, places pressure on the system’s ability to absorb growing numbers of prospective students.
The USAf CEO also highlighted challenges concerning the schooling pipeline, raised by the panellists. For instance, it had emerged that at the University of Johannesburg, 69% of the 2025 applicants with a Bachelor’s pass were declined due to low admission point scores (APS) and poor performance in Mathematics—an outcome that came as a surprise.
She further stressed the importance of strengthening alignment between education and labour market needs, while exploring alternative pathways for learning, including blended/distance education and shorter, skills-focused programmes.
Looking ahead, Matutu noted that the ideas raised during this session would feed into the work of USAf’s strategy groups, which would continue engaging with these issues and “decide which to turn into their priority focus areas.” She said the aim was to ensure that the sector collectively responds to the challenges of equitable access, funding and, ultimately, graduates’ absorption into the economy.
Thoriso Kolobe is a Communication Consultant commissioned by Universities South Africa.
