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Across South Africa, small acts of foundation phase teaching innovation are already changing how children learn to read, count and make sense of the world. Yet many remain unseen beyond the classrooms where they began. The newly launched Seeds of Transformation initiative begins with a powerful recognition: these practices are seeds with the potential to reshape the education system.

A newspaper headline about a dumping site near a school was not meant to change anyone’s life — but for Rhodes University MSc in Environmental Sciences graduate Khangelani Dlamini, it did.

Hluma Xako was drawn to Computer Science because she found it a “beautifully complex” subject, one that invited her to look deeper, to understand not just how computers function, but also how they quietly power the systems that shape our everyday lives. Her academic journey reflects both curiosity and purpose: a desire to master the technical, while also understanding its impact on people and institutions.

Sitting at her desk, Phelela Hulu comes to an important realisation about her upcoming graduation for her Bachelor of Education Honours in Education Leadership and Management: “It’s the reason I went to school.” As the recently appointed manager for the GADRA Education High School programmes, she now facilitates the programmes that assist local students with accessing Rhodes University. Her journey with GADRA Education began in 2014 when she enrolled at the GADRA Matric School to upgrade her results. The motivation was straightforward. She wanted to access Rhodes University.

The journey through Rhodes University is more than just a path toward a degree; it is a profound process of transformation, leadership, and community impact. For members of the Student Representative Council (SRC), the graduation stage marks the culmination of years spent balancing rigorous academics with the demands of student governance and social responsibility.

In a city where the gown and the town are increasingly intertwined, the recent graduation of the first-ever cohort of the Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) in Advancement and Resource Mobilisation marks a watershed moment. It is a milestone that breathes life into the Vice-Chancellor’s enduring sentiment: Rhodes University is not just in Makhanda; it is for Makhanda.

Lalelisile Mncwabe’s journey to her graduation at Rhodes University did not begin the day she took a bus all the way from KZN. It started years before that, with a decision that changed the course of her life.

On the morning of March 25th, the graduation hall will be filled with the sound of celebration. But for Philile Gugu Msweli, a young woman from Kwamhlabuyalingana, KwaZulu-Natal, the silence of those she has lost—her father in 2008 and her mother in 2019—will be just as present. As she stands to receive her BA in Psychology and Drama, she is a pioneer: the first graduate in her family.

For Sinovuyo Bacela, graduation is not just a ceremony; it is a profound intersection of personal achievement and a personal milestone. As she prepares to walk across the stage at Rhodes University, she does so on a day of immense significance. "My graduation ceremony will take place on Wednesday, 25 March at 09:30, which also happens to be my birthday, making the occasion even more special and memorable," she shares.

The path to academic success is rarely a straight line, and for Athenkosi Mpotulo, it has been a terrain marked by both unexpected peaks and deep, challenging valleys. His story, deeply rooted in the Eastern Cape, serves as a powerful testament to the fact that while trauma can delay your goals, it does not have the power to extinguish them.

The Rhodes University community gathered on the 20th of February 2026, to launch a significant fundraising initiative to preserve the legacy of a university giant, Desiree Wicks. After 40 years of exemplary and outstanding service, the institution is honouring her retirement by establishing the Mama Nontsika Desiree Wicks Annual Golf Day.

The historic Cape Town City Hall became the epicentre of choral innovation as the Choral Celebration Network Foundation (CCNF) hosted its annual Mzansi Conductors Convention. This flagship initiative brought together a prestigious assembly of South African and international conductors, composers, and ensembles for a weekend dedicated to artistic exchange and professional development.

On an August morning in Johannesburg in 2021, Gauteng health official Babita Deokaran was gunned down outside her home after asking questions about suspicious hospital procurement payments. Her questions still echo across South Africa’s democracy nearly five years later. They also served as the starting point for investigative journalist Jeff Wicks’s keynote address, which he delivered at the annual Academic Assembly of the Rhodes University School of Journalism and Media Studies (JMS).

For many, a university acceptance letter is a straightforward celebration, but for Masego Douglas Tlhoaele, the road to Rhodes University was paved with the grit of a second chance. After being initially rejected by the University of Pretoria, Masego followed his brother’s recommendation and headed to Makhanda. This pivot forced him to become "more receptive to abrupt changes" in his life path and environment. Coming from a suburban background, the hurdle was not just geographical; it was deeply financial. To keep his seat in the lecture hall, Masego had to shoulder the heavy burden of student loan debt for his first three years, a silent weight many students carry while trying to master their craft.

As the colourful robes of the graduates fill the 1820 Settlers National Monument, a quiet but profound milestone is being reached behind the scenes. For the Gillam family, this graduation marks the moment a dream—built one monthly salary deduction at a time—becomes a reality. This milestone is the result of a lifetime of dedication: it is built upon John Gillam’s 30-year career starting and building Postgraduate Funding at Rhodes University, and a personal commitment that began at the Centenary celebrations when the family bought 2x pavers in front of the Admin building, and both John and Janette Gillam pledged monthly sums via salary deductions toward the establishment of the fund.

One hundred and twenty years is a truly monumental milestone for any academic institution. For the Department of Zoology and Entomology at Rhodes University, this anniversary represents over a century of scientific discovery, rigorous research, and profound transformation.

Three years ago, Rhodes University and the Centre for Biological Control introduced a tiny natural enemy to the Makana Botanical Gardens. Today, and to coincide with the 120th birthday of Rhodes University’s Zoology and Entomology Department, that small intervention is yielding remarkable results in the battle against an aggressive aquatic invader.

What happens to knowledge when machines can generate essays, compose music, and answer questions with remarkable confidence? That was the central question at the opening session of the Vice-Chancellor’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Conversations hosted by Rhodes University on 10 March 2026.

At the heart of Rhodes University’s commitment to academic excellence, the Faculty of Pharmacy recently marked two milestones: 70 years of educating pharmacists and the official unveiling of a newly refurbished R265-million building. This state-of-the-art Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences building has been designed to support cutting-edge education, research, and community engagement. The celebration brought together university leadership, the Faculty of Pharmacy staff, students, alumni, and project partners to reflect on the faculty’s history and vision for the future. The Department of Chemistry hosted a similar celebration in August 2025.

On a quiet afternoon in a Makhanda classroom, a Rhodes University student sits beside a high school learner, working through a maths problem that once seemed impossible. The answer eventually appears on the page, but something else happens too: the learner begins to believe that university might one day be within reach.