Sol Plaatje University (SPU) welcomed higher education operations leaders, facilities management professionals, and infrastructure experts from across Southern Africa for the 5th Higher Education Facilities Management Association (HEFMA) Chief Operations Officers (COO) Forum, held on 6 and 7 August 2026. The forum provided a strategic platform for robust discussions on the future of university operations, infrastructure development, sustainability, digital transformation, and institutional resilience.
Opening the forum, SPU Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, Professor Paul Green, underscored the critical relationship between academic success and operational excellence. Addressing delegates from universities and TVET colleges across the region, he highlighted the increasingly strategic role of facilities and operations.
Professor Paul Green emphasised that teaching, learning, research and student success depend on quality infrastructure, safe campuses, reliable digital connectivity and well-maintained facilities.
Reflecting on the purpose of the forum, HEFMA COO Forum Chairperson and Executive Committee member, Lindokuhle Mzolo, echoed the importance of collaboration and shared learning within the sector.
“No institution has all the answers. Forums such as this create opportunities for us to learn from one another, share challenges and successes, and collectively strengthen operational excellence across higher education,” he said.
Throughout the two-day programme, delegates explored emerging trends shaping campus management globally. Presentations focused on smart campuses, data-driven decision making, asset management, sustainability, energy efficiency, cybersecurity, infrastructure planning, and the evolving role of Chief Operations Officers as strategic leaders within higher education institutions.
SPU Chief Operating Officer, Dr David Kanguwe, presented an overview of the university’s growth journey, highlighting the institution’s role as a catalyst for social justice, economic development and urban regeneration in Kimberley. He shared SPU’s remarkable growth from just 124 students in 2014 to more than 9,000 students today, while outlining the institution’s ambitious infrastructure expansion plans.
“Operations professionals must see themselves as thought leaders who influence institutional direction and champion meaningful transformation,” said Dr David Kanguwe, urging facilities and operations leaders to take a more strategic role within their institutions.
International perspectives enriched the discussions, with speakers from Europe and North America sharing lessons on space optimisation, campus sustainability, facilities funding models and leadership. Delegates examined how universities worldwide are adapting to financial constraints, technological disruption and changing stakeholder expectations while maintaining high-quality learning environments.
A key feature of the forum was the emphasis on moving beyond viewing facilities and infrastructure as support services. Discussions consistently positioned operations as a strategic enabler of institutional sustainability, student success and societal impact.
HEFMA President-Elect, Benedict Mochesela, shared insights into the University of the Free State’s South Campus transformation project, illustrating how thoughtful spatial planning can be leveraged to create strategic institutional impact. His presentation highlighted the campus’s evolution into a future Veterinary Science hub aimed at addressing South Africa’s shortage of veterinary professionals.
“The South Campus has evolved through deliberate planning and continual reinvention, demonstrating how infrastructure can serve a national purpose and create lasting impact,” said Benedict Mochesela.
The forum concluded with a renewed commitment to collaboration, innovation and strategic leadership in higher education operations. Delegates agreed that the challenges facing the sector, from infrastructure funding and sustainability to digital transformation and skills development, require collective solutions and strong partnerships across institutions.
As part of the programme, delegates also participated in a guided tour of Sol Plaatje University’s North, Central and South Campus precincts, providing an opportunity to experience first-hand the institution’s infrastructure development journey, integrated campus planning approach and ongoing investment in creating modern, student-centred learning, living and recreational environments. The tour showcased SPU’s continued growth and its commitment to using infrastructure as a strategic enabler of teaching, learning, research and community engagement.
As host institution, SPU reaffirmed its commitment to supporting platforms that advance operational excellence and contribute to building sustainable, future-ready universities across Southern Africa.
