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Getting to Know Northern Cape’s Only University
Welcome to the Northern Cape, a South African province known for having astonishingly stunning landscapes and a rich cultural heritage.
In this article, join us as we explore the academic landscape of the South African province and shed light on the university that calls this region home.
How many universities are there in Northern Cape?
There is only one university in Northern Cape, South Africa: the Sol Plaatje University (SUP). It’s quite a young institution too, with less than a decade’s worth of experience.
Nonetheless, SUP is committed to providing quality education and professional development opportunities to students from all backgrounds.
Sol Plaatje University
Website: https://www.spu.ac.za/
Address: 10 Jan Smuts Blvd, Civic Centre, Kimberley, 8300, South Africa
Contact number: +27 53 491 0000
Sol Plaatje University or SPU is a public university located in Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa. It was established in 20013 and publicly opened its doors a year later.
The institution is named after Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje, a prominent South African writer, intellectual, and political activist.
This can also be the reason why SPU heavily focuses on providing high-quality education with a strong emphasis on social justice, active citizenship, and African languages.
Its vision is to be a leading university in the field of humanities, teacher education, and community engagement. The university currently has two faculties: the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.
SPU is unique in that it offers its courses in English, as well as South Africa’s other official languages, including Setswana, isiXhosa, and Afrikaans. This approach aims to promote multilingualism and preserve indigenous languages.
The university features modern facilities, including lecture halls, libraries, computer labs, student residences, sports facilities, and a student centre.
As for its student body, SPU has a relatively small student population, with a focus on fostering a close-knit and inclusive community. The university aims to create an environment where students from diverse backgrounds can learn and grow together.
SPU has been praised for its commitment to social justice and its focus on community engagement. The university has also been recognised for its strong research outputs.
In 2021, SPU was awarded the National Research Foundation’s (NRF) Institutional Excellence Rating of A. This is the highest rating that a South African university can receive.
