The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) in partnership with the ST&I Business Forum will host the New Higher Education Institution Business Dialogue on November 5, 2026, at Emperors Palace. Minister of Higher Education and Training, Buti Manamela, will deliver the keynote address. The event aims to bring industry leaders, government, and academia together to shape the proposed Ekurhuleni Higher Education Institution. This initiative follows President Cyril Ramaphosa's announcement of the Ekurhuleni University of Applied Science and Innovation at the Presidential Imbizo in August 2024.
Ekurhuleni, the country's industrial heartland, is home to OR Tambo International Airport, a dense manufacturing base, and some of the continent's most important logistics corridors. Despite its economic significance, Ekurhuleni remains the only metropolitan municipality in South Africa without a university of its own. The proposed institution will be built around a dual model of higher education, drawing on cooperative and applied-science universities in countries such as Germany and Switzerland. This model will allow students to alternate between academic study and structured workplace training.
The Business Dialogue marks a significant milestone in the long campaign for a university in Ekurhuleni. Close to 100 senior executives from across science, engineering, and technology will gather to shape the institution before its blueprint is set. The event will test the proposed core knowledge areas against real industry demand, gather input on the competencies graduates will need, and identify companies willing to offer work-integrated learning. Confirmed speakers include senior industry leaders representing each of the knowledge areas, alongside international expertise on dual education.
The proposed core knowledge areas include smart manufacturing, aerospace engineering, information and communication technology, green-energy technologies, smart transport and logistics, technology-driven agro-processing, and digital health. These areas are closely tied to the regional economy, where Ekurhuleni and Gauteng already have industrial strength, and skills shortages constrain growth. The institution's partnership with business and industry will be crucial in addressing these skills shortages and meeting the economy's demands.
The Ekurhuleni university offers a different path for business engagement with higher education. Companies can help decide what is taught, how it is taught, and where students learn, before programs and structures are fixed. By committing early, businesses can help build a talent pipeline to their own specification, gain access to applied research and student projects, and contribute meaningfully to skills development and transformation. The invitation to participate extends beyond large corporates to chambers of commerce, sector bodies, small and medium enterprises, and the communities in which these firms operate.
A university anchored in Ekurhuleni must also be a university for Ekurhuleni. In more than three decades of democracy, South Africa has established only a handful of entirely new universities. Ekurhuleni would be the first new public university in over a decade, and the first designed from the outset around applied science, innovation, and industry partnership. This gives South Africa a rare opportunity to build an institution that can stand alongside the world's leading technical and STEM universities.
The November 5 Dialogue is not the end of a process; it is the beginning. It is the first in a series of engagements that will draw the business community into the life of the institution, from design to delivery. The partnership between government, business, and the academy will be crucial in turning policy ambition into institutions. The Ekurhuleni Higher Education Institution is a chance to get that partnership right from the start, and to build a world-class university that meets the needs of the region and the economy.
Key points
- The Business Dialogue will bring industry leaders together to shape the proposed Ekurhuleni Higher Education Institution and ensure its relevance to the regional economy.
- The institution will be built around a dual model of higher education, allowing students to gain practical workplace experience alongside academic qualifications.
- The partnership between government, business, and the academy will be crucial in addressing skills shortages and meeting the economy's demands.
