On 6 July 2026, Stellenbosch University (SU) officially launched a physical operations office for the Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA), marking a significant milestone in regional higher education collaboration. Hosted within the Centre for Collaboration in Africa (CCA) at SU International, the new office transitions SARUA from a primarily virtual operation, maintained since 2007, into a centralised physical hub designed to bolster academic and research networks across the subcontinent.
The launch meeting brought together key leadership figures, including Prof. Sibusiso Moyo (SU Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation, and Internationalisation), Prof. Stephen Simukanga (SARUA Executive Director) and Dr Nico Elema (Director of the CCA). Also in attendance to support the operational transition were Ms Norma Derby (Programme Manager for Africa Partner Development) and Ms Sue-Vicky Brandt (Coordinator for Finance and Administration at the CCA).
The partnership also includes the joint appointment of a SARUA operations manager, who will coordinate the association’s activities from the new office and strengthen collaboration between SARUA and continental networks.
Dr Elema explained that the office is the result of discussions that began more than a year ago. “The conversation started around how Stellenbosch University could support SARUA. That evolved into a Memorandum of Understanding and ultimately a Service Level Agreement to establish this regional operations office. The office will function through a joint co-appointment by both institutions to leverage SU’s infrastructure to bridge SARUA’s initiatives with other major continental networks like African Research Universities Alliance.”
Reflecting on the strategic importance of this partnership, Prof. Moyo highlighted SU’s institutional goals for this region: “Our Africa engagement strategy is focused on building a meaningful, sustainable footprint on the continent. Having SARUA physically embedded here makes deep cooperation highly achievable, it further offers an incredibly broad, inclusive ecosystem of over 90 universities. This makes it a potential gamechanger for regional integration”.
A primary strategic focus for the newly established office will be driving collaborative grant acquisitions and funding strategies. By potentially clustering network partners around key thematic areas, such as agrisciences, climate transition, health and basic sciences, the office aims to build competitive, multi-institutional teams capable of securing major international funding, such as the Africa Union–European Union Innovation Agenda.
Prof. Moyo emphasised that resource mobilisation will be a core priority for the collaborative hub. “We know that having excellent academic plans is only half the battle; we need the resources to execute them. The challenge in large networks is avoiding a situation where individuals try to do everything themselves and become overwhelmed. Through this office, we want to identify regional champions and build specialised teams that can successfully access major grants, leveraging industry and international partners to fund vital thematic research.”
While thanking SU for hosting the operations office, Prof. Simukanga further remarked: “Our board recently approved a longer-term transition of SARUA moving from a virtual organisation, to one that is more visible and present in the region. This office is a significant step towards such a physical presence, and we also look forward to strengthening our mutually beneficial partnership with SU”.
The launch comes at a time of significant momentum for SARUA. In addition to the physical office at SU, Prof. Simukanga shared that SARUA is currently formalising a separate MoU with the Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). Under this upcoming framework, SARUA is positioned to serve as an expert regional think tank, providing evidence-based policy briefs and solutions directly to regional policymakers.
By establishing this physical presence, SARUA gains immediate access to SU’s administrative and academic infrastructure, setting a firm foundation for the multi-year growth of regional higher education development.
Author: Marlo van Wyk,
Administrator for Communications and Marketing,
Stellenbosch University International
