Rian Nell • November 26, 2024

Celebrating Excellence: SAPHE Awards 2024

The inaugural SAPHE Excellence Awards 2024 celebrated a significant milestone in recognising academic excellence within the private higher education sector. As an exciting new initiative by SAPHE, these awards recognise excellence across the three core business areas: Teaching and Learning, Research and Innovation, and Community Engagement. Each category honours impactful contributions that advance education, foster collaboration, and benefit society.


Dr Celia Booyse, one of the judges, noted that a rigorous evaluation process was followed. The panel developed criteria as bases for the deliberations on each submission, the reasoning for evaluation and as qualitative and quantitative evidence.


Key questions guiding the evaluation included assessing whether contributions represented new developments, their relevance to education and/or society at large,  the level of collaboration and cooperation involved, and the rigour of research practices.


The criteria helped assess whether a contribution was outstanding, remarkable, or average. An outstanding contribution was characterised as significant, noteworthy, and impactful within its domain, representing an excellent achievement for the broader educational sector. A remarkable contribution was recognised for its originality and innovative practices that exceeded conventional norms, standing out as well above average and surpassing minimum standards


Entries from Boston City Campus, The Da Vinci Institute and Tsiba secured the winning trophies in the categories of Teaching and Learning, Research and Innovation, and Community Engagement respectively.



The SAPHE Excellence Awards 2024 underscored the invaluable contributions of private higher education institutions in advancing innovation, education, and societal impact. These remarkable achievements provide inspiration and a benchmark for future endeavours.

 

SAPHE Award winners:

  • Teaching and Learning: Boston City Campus, with academics Dr Rob Stegmann, Ms Colette Heunes, Prof. Cobus Oosthuizen, and Dr Janet Viljoen taking the trophy for their multi-faceted entry.
  • Research: Dr Tadi Rampai (Posthumous) from The Da Vinci Institute.
  • Community Engagement: Mr John Durr and Mr Earl-Djehuti Erasmus from Tsiba.


Runners-up:

  • Teaching and Learning: 1st runner-up, Ms Annetjie Pretorius (The Independent Institute of Education); 2nd runner-up, Ms Riana Prins and Dr Cecelia Rosa (IMM Graduate School).
  • Research: 1st runner-up, Ms Jaclyn van Rensburg (Red & Yellow Creative School of Business); 2nd runner-up, Dr Rob Stegmann (Boston City Campus).
  • Community Engagement: 1st Runner-Up, Ms. Sarina Till (The Independent Institute of Education); 2nd runner-up, Dr Daud Taranikhe (The Da Vinci Institute).

Trophy winners in the respective categories:

Teaching and Learning – Boston City Campus:
From left: Dr Celia Booyse (judge), Dr Makhapa Makhafola (SAQA COO, keynote speaker), Dr Janet Viljoen (Boston City Campus), and Mr Rinus de Jager (Cengage, gold sponsor)

Research – The Da Vinci Institute (Posthumous Award to Dr Tadi Rampai):
Posthumous Award to Dr Tadi Rampai. From left: Dr Celia Booyse, Dr Makhapa Makhafola, Mr Mapula Rampai, Mrs Keamogetane Rampai, Mr Rinus de Jager, and Mr Tumelo Rampai. The award was received by Dr Rampai’s family.

Community Engagement – Tsiba:
From left: Dr Celia Booyse, Dr Makhapa Makhafola, and Mr Earl-Djehuti Erasmus.

Revisiting the value of assessment

July 22, 2025
The Faranani session on 17 July examined assessment from various perspectives. With just two carefully crafted questions, David Maclean, facilitator and founder of Learning Advisory, created a space for lively conversation and engagement on the real purpose and value of assessment. The first question, What would assessment look like if it served learning rather than sorting?, prompted reflection on the difference between ‘assessment for learning’ and ‘assessment of learning’. Participants explored the role of continuous assessment as a compass that guides learning, rather than a tool for ranking or gatekeeping. The second question, How do we truly know when learning has occurred at the deepest level?, encouraged participants to share personal experiences and teaching practices that reveal meaningful learning beyond surface-level achievement. The session reframed assessment by focusing on its potential to enhance learning and support development, moving beyond its traditional role as a final evaluation tool.  Embodying the spirit of a wisdom circle, the Faranani session offered space for collective reflection, shared insights, and mutual learning.

SAPHE launches research CoP

July 17, 2025
SAPHE’s first Research Community of Practice (CoP) meeting took place on Monday, 30 June, marking an important step toward strengthening research capacity and collaboration within private higher education. As research is a core pillar of higher education, SAPHE members welcomed the opportunity to engage on research-related matters. The first session focused on supporting those who have made submissions for the upcoming SAPHE Conference. A highlight of the session was a presentation on the use of AI in research. From sparking ideas to helping with literature reviews and writing, AI was framed as a powerful research tool, similar to a calculator for a mathematician or a camera for a photographer. But, the message was clear: AI can assist, but the researcher remains the author!  True to the spirit of a Community of Practice, this new SAPHE initiative creates a collaborative space for sharing, questioning, and growing together. We look forward to many more engagements as this CoP evolves.

Strengthening QA through collaboration

By Sibusiso Ngidi • June 17, 2025
The imaginative and metaphorical title of our recent Quality Assurance Community of Practice (QA CoP) meeting, Shared spellbook: Unlocking the magic of collective wisdom, beautifully captured the spirit of the event and the collaborative energy among QA professionals from SAPHE member institutions. Leading the conversation, Dr Franzél du Plooy-Cilliers invited participants to reflect on the unique value that emerges when ideas, knowledge, and experiences are shared. Collaboration in QA doesn’t just foster innovation—it challenges complacency, inspires ongoing improvement, and raises the quality bar across institutions. The ripple effects are powerful: Not only do individual PHEIs benefit from stronger practices, but the entire higher education sector is elevated through shared commitment to quality-assured education. During the session, participants discussed common challenges, such as limited staff engagement in QA processes and the need for integrated workflows that support shared values and a common understanding. Looking ahead, key themes were identified for future QA CoP engagements. Plans are already underway for the next meeting on 14 August, where the community will continue "writing the shared spellbook" - sharing insights and best practices to improve quality. Together, the CoP is shaping a culture of excellence, collaboration, and innovation—one "spell" at a time.