Universities South Africa welcomes a new cohort of vice-chancellors in 2026
Universities SA (USAf) begins 2026 with fresh leadership, as incoming vice-chancellors join the USAf Board ahead of their formal appointment as directors later in the year.
Sol Plaatje University
Professor Debra Meyer, former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) for Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies at Sol Plaatje University (SPU), officially assumed office as the institution’s third Vice-Chancellor and Principal on 1 January 2026.
Appointed in November 2024, Professor Meyer (above) continued in her DVC role throughout 2025 while serving as Vice-Chancellor designate. During this period, she worked closely with outgoing Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Andrew Crouch, to ensure a smooth leadership transition.
Her academic career began in 1997 as a lecturer and researcher in Biochemistry at the Rand Afrikaans University, now the University of Johannesburg. In 2007, she joined the University of Pretoria as Professor and Head of the Department of Biochemistry, later returning to the University of Johannesburg as Executive Dean of Science. At SPU, she first served as DVC: Teaching and Learning before taking on the Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies portfolio.
Professor Meyer’s contributions to science have been widely recognised. She has received several prestigious awards, including the Honorary Award for Outstanding Service in Science and Technology in South Africa, the Young Scientist Award from the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (2005), and the TW Kambule Senior Black Scientist Award from the National Science and Technology.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, a Bachelor of Science Honours in Biochemistry, and a Master’s degree in Biochemistry from the Rand Afrikaans University. She completed her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of California, Davis, in the United States of America.
University of Limpopo
At the University of Limpopo, Dr Jeffrey Mabelebele took over the reins as Vice-Chancellor and Principal on 1 January 2026, succeeding Professor Mahlo Mokgalong, who had been at the institution’s helm for 21 years.
Dr Mabelebele (left) is widely recognised within the sector for senior leadership, having previously served, first as the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Higher Education South Africa (HESA) in 2012, before being substantively appointed into the position in 2013. He initiated and led the process of HESA’s repositioning as a truly representative body of universities in South Africa, which culminated in the name change to Universities South Africa in 2015. As CEO of HESA, Dr Mabelebele was the public face, chief advocate and leading voice of South African public universities, championing the social, economic and cultural value of higher education and research, while providing expert policy advice, analysis, statistical evidence and media commentary on critical issues affecting the sector.
From August 2015, he served as Registrar at the University of Limpopo before moving to the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, where he also held the Registrar post before becoming Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor.
As a member of the Council on Higher Education’s Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) from 2018 to 2024, he participated in quality assurance oversight through programme accreditation, institutional audits and national qualification standards and reviews. He went on to chair the HEQC’s Institutional Audits Committee (2019-2024), where he oversaw the development of the Manual for Institutional Audits for both public and private institutions, the appointment of audit panels, and the review of institutional audit reports for 25 public universities (excluding SMU due to a conflict of interest) and several private higher education institutions.
A Sociologist by profession, Dr Mabelebele holds a BA, Higher Education Diploma, MA and PhD from the University of Limpopo, a BA Honours degree from UNISA, a Management Development Programme certificate from the University of Pretoria, and a Certificate in Public Information and Communication from Wits University.
University of Mpumalanga
Professor Thenjiwe Meyiwa (below) succeeded the founding Vice-Chancellor, Professor Thoko Mayekiso, who led the University of Mpumalanga with distinction from its inception in 2014. She formally assumed the role of Vice-Chancellor on 1 October 2025.
Prior to this appointment, Professor Meyiwa served as Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation, Postgraduate Studies, and Commercialisation at the University of South Africa (Unisa) from 2018 to 2025, where she provided strategic leadership in advancing research development, innovation systems, and postgraduate education.
Her earlier roles include serving as Institutional Registrar at the Durban University of Technology (2014–2018) and as Research Director in the Education and Skills Development Programme at the Human Sciences Research Council (2012–2014), where her work bridged research, policy, and skills development.
Professor Meyiwa’s academic career also spans a tenure as Research Professor at Walter Sisulu University and more than a decade at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, where she held senior positions including Senior Lecturer, Head of Department, and Director of the Centre for Gender Studies. She is recognised as a National Research Foundation-rated social scientist.
She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Feminist Oral Studies from the University of Natal and a Master of Commerce in Organisation and Systems Management from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her research interests encompass contemporary human behavioural patterns, with particular focus on the cultural constructions of gender, indigenous knowledge systems, self-study methodologies, and the impact of HIV and AIDS on parenting.
University of Zululand
At the University of Zululand (Unizulu), Professor Nokuthula Winfred Kunene was appointed the ninth Vice-Chancellor and Principal. She is, however, currently serving as Vice-Chancellor Designate alongside Professor Xoliswa Mtose, who retains her position as Vice-Chancellor until 31 March 2026. By the time she exits MUT, Professor Mtose will have led the institution for 10 years since 2016. She had also served as Acting Vice-Chancellor for one and a half years.
An Agricultural Scientist by speciality, Professor Kunene had previously served the same institution as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC): Research and Innovation from 2021, overseeing research development, postgraduate studies and innovation initiatives.
Before assuming the DVC position, Professor Kunene (above) had held the positions of Dean of Science, Agriculture and Engineering, Deputy Dean for Research and Internationalisation, and Head of the Department of Agriculture. Professor Kunene is recognised for her academic work on the characterisation of indigenous Nguni sheep and indigenous chickens in South Africa, contributing to research on conservation and sustainable agriculture.
The Agricultural Scientist holds qualifications from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of Swaziland. She got international exposure as a research fellow at the University of Perugia, Italy, and also holds a leadership certificate from the University of Stellenbosch.
Walter Sisulu University
Similarly, Dr Thandi Mgwebi (below) ascended to the Walter Sisulu University Vice-Chancellorship on 1 January 2026, succeeding Professor Rushiella Songca, who was at the helm for five years since 2021. Her career spans senior leadership roles in research, innovation and internationalisation across the higher education and science systems, positioning her at the intersection of academia, policy and research oversight.
Her previous roles included Group Executive for Business Advancement and Global Partnerships at the National Research Foundation (NRF); DVC: Research, Innovation and internationalisation at Nelson Mandela University, DVC: Research and Innovation at the Tshwane University of Technology, and Director of Research at the University of the Western Cape.
Earlier on in her career, she served at the interface of science and policy within the Medical Research Council and the NRF, respectively. As an executive leader, currently, Dr Mgwebi contributes her expertise to advisory structures supporting research and science capacity building in South Africa and the region. She is an avid science advocate.
A Cellular Biologist by profession, she holds a PhD in Cell & Developmental Biology from UCT, a Management Development Programme Certificate from the University of Stellenbosch Business School and a postgraduate qualification in Tertiary Education Management from the University of Melbourne. She completed her postdoctoral research fellowship at the Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, UCT. She also holds a certificate in Business Sustainability Management from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
While the new vice-chancellors can be expected to attend the Board’s inaugural meeting for 2026 in March, they will, in line with the USAf tradition, be officially appointed USAf Directors at the Annual General Meeting in June.
Thoriso Kolobe is a Communication Consultant for Universities South Africa.
