26 February 2026
Volume: 14
Issue: 2
Professor Mergan Naidoo.

UKZN Professor Advances National Medical Education

BY: .

Click here for isiZulu version

Professor Mergan Naidoo was recently appointed to the Medical Education, Training and Registration Committee of the Health Professions Council of South Africa.

Opinion piece by Dr Masibulele Phesa.

2026 Budget Speech: Relief for Small Businesses and Individual Taxpayers

BY: .

The 25 February 2026 Budget Speech delivered by the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, brought much-needed relief, particularly for individuals and small businesses.

Professor Mjabu Ngidi at the G20 Ministers of Agriculture Meeting.

UKZN Academics Reflect on Food Security Work During South Africa’s G20 Presidency

BY: .

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) actively contributed to global food and agriculture discourse throughout 2025 by participating in the G20 Food Security Task Force and Agriculture Working Group.

UKZN academics Mr Nkosinathi Mncwabe, Mrs Sibongile Buthelezi and Professor Catherine Sutherland with Quarry Road West community-based researchers Mr Luyanda Xolo and Ms Zandile Ntuli.

UKZN Team Wins Best Original Poster Award at International Equitable Partnerships Conference

BY: .

As part of the CLARE-funded (Climate Adaptation and Resilience) Designing Inclusive African Coastal City Resilience (INACCT Resilience) project, and in collaboration with research programmes including SHEFS-SA (Sustainable and Healthy Food Systems - South Africa) and EPIC Durban (Educational Partnership for Innovation in Communities), a team from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), led by Professor Cathy Sutherland, attended an event at the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) in Pretoria, which hosted the British Academy, The Royal Society and the National Research Foundation’s 2nd Equitable Partnerships Conference.

Scenes from the graduation ceremony.

Amakhosi Graduate from UKZN’s Leadership and Governance Programme

BY: .

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), in partnership with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (KZN COGTA), celebrated 47 Amakhosi who successfully completed the Leadership and Good Governance Programme.

Dr Jenasha Tooray engaged with behavioural scientists, researchers and industry experts from around the world.

UKZN Academic Presents Climate-focused Research at International Conference

BY: .

In November 2025, Dr Jenasha Tooray presented her research at the World Social Marketing Conference in Spain.

.

The 2026 State of the Nation Address: Key Issues and Direction

BY: .

In the South African context, the State of the Nation Address (SONA) is delivered annually by the President. The address reflects on the state of the country, outlines key challenges and sets out broad government plans in response.

Examining the transformative potential of integrated dance to challenge dominant social attitudes towards disability.

Encountering Disability and Citizenship through Contemporary Dance in Africa

BY: .

Click here for isiZulu version

After three years of research and writing and several life-changing dance exchange trips to East Africa, University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Drama and Performance Studies lecturer Dr Lliane Loots and her co-author, Professor Yvette Hutchison of The University of Warwick (UK), have published their latest book, Encountering Disability and Citizenship through Contemporary Dance in Africa (Routledge, 2026).

Alumni gather at the University of KwaZulu-Natal Durban Alumni Association Annual General Meeting.

UKZN Durban Alumni Association Sets the Tone for the Year with AGM and Guest Speaker Address

BY: .

Click here for isiZulu version

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) Durban Alumni Association commenced the year with its Annual General Meeting (AGM), opened by Chair Mr Robin Ralfe.

Professor Nirmala Gopal and colleagues at the UKZN launch of a new publication, and pictured with the Honourable Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, together with the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS) Board members.

UKZN Book Launch Champions African-Centred Scholarship

BY: .

The University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) has reinforced its commitment to African-centred research with the launch of a new publication under the Alternation African Scholarship Book Series, hosted by Professor Nirmala Gopal, newly appointed board member of the National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS).