The University promotes international research collaboration addressing shared global challenges, joint degrees and structured academic exchange programmes, Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) initiatives, and strategic partnerships with leading global institutions.
Research, Development and Innovation
Proof I Practice I Potential
Message from the Vice-Chancellor and Principal
Research at Sol Plaatje University (SPU) is rooted in purpose. As a young university, we are building a vibrant, innovative and socially responsive research culture that serves the Northern Cape and contributes meaningfully to national and global knowledge systems.
Our academics and postgraduate students are not only producing research outputs; they are strengthening a research ecosystem grounded in mentorship, collaboration and community engagement. Through sustained investment in research capacity and partnerships, SPU continues to expand both the depth and reach of its scholarship.
The growth in both the quality and relevance of our work reflects our commitment to addressing real challenges – from sustainable water solutions and economic development to decolonisation discourse, climate resilience and scientific discovery. Our researchers are advancing knowledge across disciplines while contributing to South Africa’s development agenda and the broader knowledge economy.
At SPU, research is not an abstract exercise. It is a deeply human endeavour shaped by our local realities and driven by integrity, curiosity and accountability. It is through this purposeful scholarship that we create impact beyond our campuses.
Together, we continue to honour the legacy of Sol T. Plaatje – a visionary intellectual and activist who believed in the power of knowledge to transform society for the better.
Research with Purpose
At Sol Plaatje University, research is not pursued for volume alone. It is pursued with purpose.
As a young public university entering its second decade, SPU is strengthening its research trajectory through focused niche areas, responsible growth, and measurable impact. Our Research, Development and Innovation agenda is aligned to our public mandate in the Northern Cape, while engaging national priorities and global knowledge systems.
Research and internationalisation are integrated under the portfolio of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, ensuring strategic coherence and accountability.
SPU’s RDI agenda advances the institutional commitment to changing lives and enabling brighter futures.
Deliberate Growth and Scholarly Performance
SPU has recorded sustained growth in research outputs between 2019 and 2023, reflecting a deliberate shift from a primarily teaching-focused institution toward a strengthened research profile.
Our trajectory is upward, disciplined, and accountable.
Focused Niche Areas
SPU’s research strengths are intentionally concentrated in areas that respond to regional realities while contributing to global knowledge frontiers.
Key niche areas include:
- Data Science
- Teacher Education
- Heritage Studies
- Entrepreneurship
- Desert Studies
- Water Research
Research in these domains addresses pressing concerns such as water scarcity in arid regions, digital transformation, environmental sustainability, heritage preservation, inclusive economic development, and technological innovation. Our approach is focused rather than diffuse. We concentrate where we can contribute meaningfully.
Research Centres and Flagship Initiatives
SPU’s research ecosystem is strengthened through faculty-based centres that advance interdisciplinary scholarship, innovation and postgraduate development across key niche areas.
Centre for Entrepreneurship Development and Research (CEDAR)
CEDAR contributes to building a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Northern Cape by integrating pedagogy, enterprise development and applied research. The Centre supports student entrepreneurship and promotes knowledge creation in entrepreneurship and enterprise management. Through initiatives such as the Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship, CEDAR blends theory and practice to stimulate innovation and regional economic participation.
Acting Director: Dr Edward Dakora
Email: edward.dakora@spu.ac.za
For more information click here
Arid Region Water Research Centre (ARWRC)
Developed in strategic partnership with the Water Research Commission (WRC), this Centre addresses water scarcity challenges in arid and semi-arid regions, with a focus on the Northern Cape. It advances applied research in sustainable water management, climate resilience and desert studies, supporting data-driven solutions and postgraduate capacity building.
Director: Prof Mohamed A.M. Abd Elbasit
Email: mohamed.ahmed@spu.ac.za
For more information click here
Centre for the Advancement of Rural and Inclusive Education Research (CARIER)
CARIER focuses on rural and inclusive education research aligned to SPU’s social justice mandate and Sustainable Development Goal 4. The Centre strengthens research capacity in the Faculty of Education, supports postgraduate and early-career researchers, and aims to influence educational policy and curriculum development through evidence-based scholarship.
Acting Director: Dr Kevin Teise
Email: kevin.teise@spu.ac.za
For more information click here
Centre for Creative Writing and African Languages (CCWAL)
CCWAL promotes research, development and intellectualisation of indigenous languages in the Northern Cape. As an inter-, multi- and transdisciplinary platform, the Centre advances epistemological access, inclusivity and transformation while supporting the elaboration of Setswana, isiXhosa and Afrikaans as academic languages. It contributes to preserving language heritage while fostering innovative approaches to creative writing and language scholarship.
Acting Director: Prof Victor Teisi
Email: victor.teisi@spu.ac.za
For more information click here
Centre for Applied Data Science (CADS)
CADS advances interdisciplinary research in applied data science, supporting informed decision-making and innovation across disciplines. The Centre strengthens SPU’s Data Science programme pipeline and contributes to research coherence in data sourcing, management and application across NAS niche areas.
Director: Dr Silas Verkijika.
Email: silas.verkijika@spu.ac.za
For more information click here
Centre for Global Change (CGC)
A flagship programme under the Department of Science and Innovation’s Global Change Research Plan and funded through the National Research Foundation, the Centre monitors climate risks and vulnerabilities across arid landscapes. Its applied research delivers community-level and policy-relevant impact while supporting postgraduate bursary development in global change science.
Director: Prof Anathi Magadlela
Email: anathi.magadlela@spu.ac.za
For more information click here
Research Impact and Flagship Projects
SPU advances engaged scholarship that produces tangible developmental outcomes.
A flagship example is the R4.3 million Department of Science and Innovation-funded project in the Namakwa District Municipality, implemented in collaboration with the Human Sciences Research Council. The project assesses municipal innovation potential and informs tailored local economic development strategies.
This work demonstrates SPU’s role as an anchor institution in the Northern Cape, generating research that informs policy, strengthens communities, and enables sustainable growth.
Research at SPU is expected to deliver results.
SARChI CHAIR
The South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) is a national programme that supports leading scholars to lead long-term research programmes, build postgraduate capacity, and contribute to research excellence in priority areas. Awarded through the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation and the National Research Foundation, SARChI Chairs represent a significant marker of research leadership at South African public universities. Sol Plaatje University’s first SARChI Chair is held by Professor Boitumelo Diale, who leads the SARChI Chair in Inclusive Rural Education and Early Childhood Development – a research programme focused on inclusive practices in education, teacher professional development, early childhood interventions, and policy engagement aligned with the developmental priorities of the Northern Cape and beyond.
Innovation and Strategic Partnerships
Innovation at SPU is advanced through interdisciplinary collaboration and strategic partnerships across government, industry and international institutions.
The University participates in Erasmus-supported international collaborations, including a UNESCO-funded Open Educational Resources project, strengthening global engagement while building local academic capacity.
SPU maintains strategic engagement with North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. This partnership advances collaboration in agriculture, engineering, entrepreneurship, faculty exchange, student mobility and joint research initiatives.
Regionally, SPU works closely with the University of Namibia to deepen cross-border academic cooperation, postgraduate development and shared research initiatives aligned to Southern African priorities.
Innovation at SPU is grounded in relevance, partnership and measurable contribution. It extends beyond laboratories to include entrepreneurship development, applied data science, agricultural resilience research and community-facing knowledge transfer initiatives that respond directly to the needs of the Northern Cape and beyond. Through strategic collaboration, SPU continues to expand its research footprint while remaining anchored in purpose, accountability and impact.
Internationalisation with Integrity
SPU’s Internationalisation Strategy positions global engagement as an enabling process that strengthens research quality, academic innovation and postgraduate development – without compromising local responsibility or regional relevance. Internationalisation is purposeful and values-driven. It advances scholarship, builds institutional capacity and enhances student and staff mobility while remaining grounded in the realities and priorities of the Northern Cape.
Internationalisation operates alongside Africanisation and decolonisation as complementary processes rather than competing agendas. Our approach is reciprocal, ethical and socially responsible – ensuring that global engagement strengthens, rather than dilutes, our institutional identity and developmental mandate. Through intentional partnerships and cross-border collaboration, SPU contributes to global knowledge systems while remaining firmly rooted in place, purpose and impact.
Building Research Capacity
As a growing university, SPU is intentionally building research capacity that is both sustainable and socially responsive. Growth in postgraduate enrolments, the strengthening of supervision capacity, and the increasing number of NRF-rated academics reflect a deliberate investment in research excellence.
We continue to develop niche research strengths across faculties – from water resilience and agricultural sciences to data science, heritage studies and indigenous knowledge systems. Research centres and faculty-led initiatives are expanding the depth and quality of our scholarship, while structured mentorship supports emerging researchers and postgraduate students.
The steady rise in research outputs, improved citation impact and growing postgraduate throughput signal a university that is consolidating its research foundations while positioning itself for long-term academic impact.
At SPU, capacity building is not accidental – it is strategic, focused and aligned to regional and national development priorities.