South African universities are rapidly introducing new qualifications driven by advances in technology, data science, healthcare innovation and climate-related challenges. These are designed to equip graduates with future-focused skills aligned to evolving labour market demands.
Wits University, the University of Pretoria (UP) and North-West University (NWU) have together in the past five years rolled out more than 30 new programmes.
Prof Gerald Ouma, senior director for institutional planning, monitoring and evaluation at UP, told Sowetan a key priority of the university’s new strategy, Thrive UP 2038, is to produce graduates who are ready for the future world of work.
“Achieving this will involve curriculum innovation and the introduction of programmes that are future-focused and aligned to local and global challenges, evolving workplaces and the expectations of industry and professional bodies,” he said.
Ouma said that over the past five years, the UP Senate approved the introduction of more than 30 programmes across a wide range of disciplines. These include a PhD in financial engineering, a BSc specialising in smart systems and degrees in dietetics and nutrition and biokinetics.
Several postgraduate diplomas are offered fully online, including cybersecurity, veterinary science (animal welfare), sports, exercise and health, and engineering and technology management. Other programmes include an MSc in community-orientated primary care, an MMed in occupational medicine, and MPhil degrees in corporate strategy and international business.
Ouma said the programmes respond directly to rapid digitalisation and cybersecurity risks, data-driven decision-making, advanced financial engineering needs, Industry 4.0-linked smart systems, public and community health challenges, growth in the wildlife economy, and increasing demand for nutrition, wellness, and preventative healthcare.
Graduates from these programmes may pursue careers as cybersecurity analysts, financial engineers, smart systems engineers, IT specialists, public health practitioners, dietitians, wildlife health specialists and veterinary epidemiologists.
At Wits, new qualifications include a BSc Hons and an MSc in cybersecurity, introduced in response to growing demand for digital security skills.
Senior director of academic affairs at Wits, Prof Nicole De Wet-Billings, said the programmes were developed in partnership with industry players, including the Cispa Helmholtz Center for Information Security in Germany, and MWR CyberSec.
“The collaboration bridges academia, research and industry and was formalised through a memorandum of understanding between Wits and Cispa. It provides a framework for joint research, academic exchanges, and co-supervision of postgraduate students in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, machine learning and cryptography,” she said.
The collaboration bridges academia, research and industry and was formalised through a memorandum of understanding between Wits and Cispa
— Prof Nicole De Wet-Billings, Senior director of academic affairs at Wits
Wits vice-chancellor and principal Prof Zeblon Vilakazi said cybersecurity was “one of the defining challenges” of our time.
“These new programmes position Wits at the forefront of digital innovation and resilience in Africa,” he said.
De Wet-Billings added that Wits planned to continue working with industry, government and social partners to develop degrees that address pressing societal challenges while positioning graduates as leaders and innovators in the future economy.
NWU continues to expand its academic offerings to meet SA’s evolving skills needs, with engineering and technology playing a central role. The postgraduate diploma in industrial engineering, introduced in 2022, reflects this responsiveness, according to the institution.
“This qualification was developed to address real national and industry challenges, from productivity and sustainability to digital transformation,” said NWU senior deputy vice-chancellor Prof Linda du Plessis.
Other new specialisations, including sustainability and sustainable mining (2025) and a forthcoming data analytics stream (2027), align engineering education with Industry 4.0, responsible resource use and evidence-based decision-making.
Offered fully online and part-time, the programme supports working professionals and creates clear pathways to master’s studies.
Beyond engineering, NWU has launched future-focused programmes across agriculture, geography, cybersecurity, management sciences, education, and health.
The TVET colleges also offer yearly occupational qualifications tailored to empower learners to be work-ready upon completing these occupational qualifications
— Matshepho Seedat, spokesperson for the minister of department of higher education.
“Our goal is relevance, ensuring graduates are equipped for emerging industries, scarce skills and meaningful societal impact,” Du Plessis emphasised.
While qualifications offered at universities are emerging and bachelor passes are increasing, the department of higher education (DHET) said there are not sufficient spaces at all universities to accommodate all qualifying students.
“The DHET encourages post matric learners to acquire TVET qualifications that are notched at the post-matric level. The TVET colleges also offer yearly occupational qualifications tailored to empower learners to be work-ready upon completing these occupational qualifications,” said Matshepho Seedat, spokesperson for the minister of department of higher education.
Seedat added that various Setas offer bursaries to TVET and university students who have not qualified for National Student Financial Aid Scheme but are also within specialised skills courses, key to economic growth.
Sowetan
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