Education & Training

Growth rarely announces itself with fanfare. More often, it begins as a quiet restlessness and a sense that who you are at work no longer matches who you could become. As such, returning to study reshapes not only skills and knowledge, but also confidence, perspective and professional identity. Reflection, continual learning and academic rigour translate into sharper strategic thinking, bolder leadership and greater impact in the workplace.

Professional advancement is increasingly shaped by decisions around education. Qualifications signal capability, open doors and promise career progression, yet their value is often assessed too narrowly. Beyond remuneration, education carries costs and returns that unfold over time. These factors influence professional mobility, leadership access and long-term relevance.

Absenteeism is not just about the occasional sick note. It is a silent drain on South Africa’s economy. Research shows that sickness-related absenteeism costs the country more than R20 billion each year. In the public health sector alone, poorly managed sick leave once cost the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health more than R300 million over a two-year reporting cycle.

We congratulate the class of 2025 following last week’s release of their matric results. The announcement also highlights fast-track pathways to employment through technical and vocational studies. As the class of 2025 reflects on their results and the class of 2026 settles into the new school year, we have a powerful message for young people: there are 99 high-demand jobs that you can qualify for through technical and vocational education.

Education reshapes family histories. For South Africa’s first-generation graduates, one degree transforms what entire households believe is possible. Postgraduate learning can create ripples across generations, communities and the nation. Drawing on my experience as both a legal practitioner and mentor to prospective students, I explore why investing in education is investing in collective progress.

How often have you picked up your phone “just to check something quickly”, only to lose 20 minutes down a digital rabbit hole? This all-too-familiar habit is known as doom scrolling. It involves endless and often mindless consumption of online content. The habit leaves us more drained than informed.

South Africa’s education system stands at a crossroads. With more than 24,850 schools serving millions of learners, the scale of the sector is undeniable. However, beneath these numbers lies a persistent struggle. High dropout rates continue to rise. Learning deficits remain severe. Deep inequalities still shape the nation’s future and define the education landscape.

There is a massive disconnect that fundamentally exists within African business education today. The classic MBA was built for markets driven by rough equilibrium and modest change. Yet Africa’s growth and expansion are occurring amid persistent turbulence, enduring imbalances, intersecting intricate systems, and a collective drive for home-grown intellectual and technological power. An innovative African MBA must disrupt the culture of business schools, shifting from mimicking non-African models to inventing frameworks that speak to the nature of markets and economies across the continent.

They have grown up in a world shaped by smartphones, constant connectivity and rapid technological change. As a result, the matric class of 2025 has experienced education and social life through a digital-first lens. Now, as the Class of 2025 prepares to enter the workforce, they are stepping into a job market transformed by digital recruitment, automation and AI-assisted hiring tools.

Higher education institutions face cybersecurity challenges that differ from those in many other sectors. These challenges shape how universities approach tackling cyber threats in complex environments. The major risks facing South African universities include ransomware, phishing, data breaches and insider threats. Institutions also depend heavily on third parties and face a significant cybersecurity skills gap.