Private Afrikaans university launching full-time campus in Western Cape

Solidarity-owned private Afrikaans university Akademia is launching a campus for full-time students in the Western Cape.

Akademia expects the new facility to be ready by 2026, adding to its two full-time campuses in Centurion.

The university already offers three study centres for part-time students in George, Paarl, and Somerset West.

Akademia’s managing director, Marthinus Visser, said the expansion spoke to the university’s “pioneering spirit” and commitment to the Western Cape community.

Akademia said the decision to establish a full-time campus in the province was informed by thorough demographic research.

The province has the highest concentration of Afrikaans speakers in the country.

“This reality speaks to the institution’s reason for being as an independent higher education institution that is intimately connected to the Afrikaans language and culture,” Akademia said.

The new campus will offer students access to courses in Akademia’s five faculties — Economics and Management Sciences, Humanities, Law, Natural Sciences, and Teacher Education.

It also promises students vibrant student life activities to help develop their talents to become positive, calling-driven members of their communities.

There are no specific timelines for the opening of the campus. However, Visser assured that the institution was hard at work behind the scenes to ensure the chosen facility met the necessary infrastructure and capacity requirements.

Akademia has appointed an operations manager for the Western Cape, and the search for a suitable location is now the priority.

As it stands, the plan is to establish the campus in the triangle formed by the northern suburbs, Stellenbosch, and Paarl. More information about the new campus will announced as it becomes available.

Akademia is currently in its 12th year of operation.

The university was founded by the Solidarity Movement — which includes its Solidarity trade union, civil rights group Afriforum, and charity organisation Helpende Hand.

From 2012 to 2022, Akademia grew its student intake from forty to 2,350, staff from five to nearly 200, and courses from four to 17.

Among its range of qualifications is a BSc degree in Computer Science.

First launched in June 2022 in conjunction with the rollout of Akademia’s Faculty of Natural Sciences, the course was benchmarked against curricula of other leading Computer Science Departments in South Africa, including those at Stellenbosch University and the University of Pretoria.

The university recently told MyBroadband that it anticipated dozens of students would enter the programme in 2024, with preparations for roughly 80 first-year and 30 second-year students.

Akademia requires that Computer Science applicants achieve a minimum of 50% for Afrikaans and 60% for mathematics in their matric year to qualify for the course.

Having Physical Sciences as a subject in matric also counts in the applicants’ favour, but it is not a requirement.

The university may also accept applicants with the following alternative qualifications and achievements:

• A Certificate of Exemption as issued by Universities South Africa (USAF) if an alternative school qualification was achieved
• A National Certificate (Vocational) Level 4 issued by Council for General and Further Education and Training with at least 60% in three fundamental subjects, including the language of learning and teaching in the higher education institution, and at least 70% in four vocational subjects
• A Higher Certificate in an associated study field
• An Advanced Certificate in a cognate field of study
• A Diploma in a related field of study