Without this service, the increase would only have been only 22%. Increasing the ratio of postgraduate students to 60% is one of the University’s main objectives, but to achieve this, opportunities must be accessible. With limited space, technology provides an affordable solution. Research indicates that there is clear link between education and prosperity.

 

This project makes a contribution to the fight against poverty by providing higher education opportunities that are based on student needs and supported by technology. In large parts of Africa, internet access is either totally absent or extremely patchy. To overcome this problem, the division has developed a unique approach to support students.

 

 It combines the web technology with satellite, mobile phone (SMS) and smart card technologies to reach students. There are also 20 fully interactive learning centres across the country – and even as far afield as Namibia – that students can make use of. The blend created is very appropriate to the context of Africa, where internet access is limited and relatively expensive. Satellite technology combined with mobile telephony, which is much more prevalent in Africa than landline-based internet, functions effectively and provides an African solution to an African challenge.