IN CONVERSATION WITH PROF. MBULUNGENI MADIBA, DEAN OF THE FACULTY OF EDUCATION AT STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY

More than 245,000 learners achieved bachelor-level passes in the 2025 matric exams. But public universities can only accommodate about 230,000 first-year students. That means over 100,000 qualified young people may be left without a place not because they failed, but because the system cannot absorb them. The Higher Education Department says infrastructure cannot be built overnight and so hybrid and online learning are being positioned as a solution.
Tonight, we’re asking questions about capacity, access, funding and whether hybrid learning is a realistic solution or a policy shortcut.