We have entered an exciting time where the university is celebrating 145 years of providing quality education to students in South Africa and beyond the continent. One of the pivotal bodies at the university is the Unisa Alumni Association, which was established in 2008.

This defines Unisa alumni as all graduates of the university who receive degrees or diplomas. It provides an environment where alumni can actively participate and stay involved in the activities of the university in order to contribute to its long-term success and sustainability.

The association has since raised R3 433 825—an amount the university aims to grow in order to add to the sustainability of the institution’s income. The funds are aimed at addressing shortfalls in student bursaries at the university. A minimum of R150 per annum is required to join the association. Alumni who are already members can renew their subscription at the same amount. Tax certificates are issued for contributions.

The Alumni Relations Office serves the association. One of the ways we also connect with our alumni is through the graduation ceremonies that the university holds twice a year. This season alone, we are welcoming more than 33 000 alumni to the Unisa alumni family, which will add to the already 700 000 alumni on the database.

To date, 20 alumni chapters have been established in South Africa and beyond our borders. Chapters are steered by convenors who serve as a link between the university and alumni. Chapters in South Africa are in Cape Town, East London, Port Elizabeth, Mthatha, Pretoria, Ekurhuleni, Durban, Bloemfontein, Polokwane and Johannesburg.

In the rest of the African continent you will find chapters in Botswana (Gaborone), Kenya (Nairobi), Lesotho (Maseru), Mauritius, Namibia (Windhoek), Swaziland, Zimbabwe (Harare) and Lusaka (Zambia) and Mozambique (Maputo), while in Europe, the chapter is in England (London).

We invite you to visit the Unisa Alumni website to join the Alumni Association, update and manage subscriptions, contribute to life-long learning, and to keep abreast of Convocation activities.

You can visit the alumni office at the following address:

Kgorong Building, 2nd Floor

Preller Street, Pretoria

PO Box 392

Unisa 0003, South Africa

Tel: 012 441 5696

E-mail: alumni@unisa.ac.za

Website: www.unisa.ac.za

*By Busisiwe Mahlangu