Ekurhuleni’s moment: Why a University of Applied Science cannot wait

When President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed residents at the Presidential Imbizo in Tsakane on 29 August 2024, he made a pointed observation: Ekurhuleni is the only metropolitan municipality in South Africa without its own university. That statement was more than a passing remark. It was an acknowledgement of a structural gap in one of the country’s most economically significant regions.

Major structural reforms require decisive leadership and continuity. If this university is to move beyond rhetoric, it should be elevated to a Presidential priority project to ensure coordination, funding alignment and delivery momentum. The absence of a university in Ekurhuleni is striking.

More than 30 years into democracy, South Africa’s fourth-largest metropolitan municipality remains without a public higher education institution of its own. For a city that serves as an industrial engine of Gauteng and contributes significantly to national output, this gap is increasingly difficult to justify. Ekurhuleni accounts for more than a quarter of Gauteng’s economy.

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Gauteng, in turn, contributes roughly one-third of South Africa’s gross domestic product. Historically regarded as the manufacturing heartland of the country, the metro has undergone significant structural shifts over the past three decades. De-industrialisation has eroded parts of its manufacturing base, contributing to job losses and deepening skills mismatches.

While the city remains a major contributor to national Gross Value Added, the loss of manufacturing employment since the late 1980s has had long-term social consequences. Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high, and access to tertiary education for many qualifying learners in the region remains limited. The result is a generation of young people with constrained pathways into advanced skills sectors.

Yet Ekurhuleni’s strategic assets position it uniquely for renewal. The metro is home to OR Tambo International Airport, the busiest airport on the continent, handling millions of passengers and substantial freight volumes annually. It is also the country’s largest railway hub and is connected to major national highways including the M2, N3, N17, R21, R24 and R59.

In 2015, the city declared its ambition to develop into an aerotropolis, integrating its economy more closely with its logistics and aviation infrastructure. An applied science university aligned to this economic geography could serve as a catalytic anchor institution. Rather than replicating traditional academic models, the proposed university should focus on niche, future-oriented disciplines directly linked to the region’s industrial and logistics strengths.

These include advanced manufacturing, robotics, smart transport systems, data analytics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, blockchain technologies, additive manufacturing and cloud computing. Such an institution would not merely expand access to higher education. It would reshape the regional skills ecosystem.

The proposal aligns closely with South Africa’s Science, Technology and Innovation Decadal Plan (2021–2031), which emphasises inclusive innovation, strengthened human capital, and a more responsive national innovation system. Establishing a university of applied science in Ekurhuleni would contribute directly to these objectives by embedding research, innovation and entrepreneurship within an industrial context. Critically, the institutional model matters.

South Africa does not simply need another conventional public university. The new institution should be designed around a dual education model, similar to systems in Germany and Switzerland, where structured collaboration between academia and industry ensures that students acquire practical experience alongside academic training. A public-private partnership framework could further strengthen this approach.

Coordinated oversight involving the Departments of Higher Education and Training; Science, Technology and Innovation; Trade, Industry and Competition; and National Treasury would allow for integrated policy alignment. Close collaboration with the OR Tambo Special Economic Zone and existing data centre infrastructure could support research and commercialisation pipelines.

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